Under 16 Div 4 Summer League

Slane: 4 -13
Ratoath 3-16

Slane and Ratoath played out a game that would be befitting of a much larger stage on Tuesday night.

As the score line suggests this was an end to end affair with the balance of the game swinging from one team to the other throughout. Despite the very warm evening and the 13 a side match being played on a big pitch both sets of players kept going right to the final whistle and a draw was a fair result given the efforts of all involved. The crowd in attendance were very well entertained.

Slane started the better and were 3 points up before Ratoath registered their first score. Eanna Mooney in particular was driving Slane forward and for periods was getting on top in mid field but Connell Ahearne, Tom Fadden and Alex Neville competed very well to even things up in this area.

The game resembled a tennis match with scores going in at both ends. Ratoath had a goal, taken very well by AJ Dunne, which nosed them in front only for Slane to come back down the other end to score themselves! The referee William Stynes contributed really well to the night - playing the advantage rule but at the same time keeping a firm hand on things - he allowed the game flow very well.

Ratoath led at half time by 2-9 to 2-7.

The second half continued in the same vein - both sides took the majority of their chances and there was very few wides in the game. Both sides kept the score board ticking over and Slane started to edge in front with Stephen Kelly and Matt Tully ably supporting Mooney. However, Ratoath came back into the game - With Ahearne and Neville being supported manfully by Leigh Sullivan, Ratoath kept in touch. With the injured Andrew Gerrard switching from goal to the full forward line Ratoath found a new cutting edge - Gerrard scored a vital goal after good work from Fadden, Ahearne and Sullivan to edge in front but Slane edged back with a good a score from Tully. Ruairi Searle came on and made an immediate impression creating space for the Slane attackers and as the closing minutes came he game was on a knife edge. Kyle Clinton did some good work for Ratoath down the left wing and linked up with Sullivan and Fadden well for Ratoath. A late Ahearne free tied the game up and the referee blew the whistle from the resulting kick out to end a very memorable game.

Both sets of Mentors and the referee agreed afterwards that it had been a cracking game played in a very sporting manner!

Best for Slane -
Eanna Mooney, Stephen Kelly, Matt Tully, Ruairi Seale, Eoin Rooney

Best for Ratoath -
Leigh Sullivan, Andrew Gerrard, Connell Ahearne, Tom Fadden, David Caffrey Tweet

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