Meath A League Division 1 Round 4

Seneschalstown 1-07 Ballinlough 1-06

On an afternoon when a strong wind made conditions very difficult for free flowing football Seneschalstown were grateful for a late power surge which generated three points to ultimately leave them one ahead at the end of what was a game low on quality but high on industry.

The men from the Banks of the Boyne played with the advantage of the elements in the first half but were rocked back on their heels in the third minute when Sean Geraghty finished past Wesley McDonagh in the Seneschalstown goal to give the 2014 Intermediate Championship winners the perfect start.  While the wind was at their backs the men in blue were struggling to take advantage of it and had to toil hard to get their scores.  Indeed it wasn't until the twelfth minute before the opened their account when Brian Sheridan pointed a free.  Sheridan then left a point between the sides two minutes later with a second free.  A five minute spell without a score was broken by a Bryan Clarke point from play when he hung the ball up in the air and used the wind to send it between the uprights.

Seneschalstown were beginning to gain a bit of a foothold at this point but their lack of accuracy was proving costly as their wide count began to rise.  Sheridan though was soon to kick a point of some beauty when firing over from way out on the right hand sideline on nineteen minutes.  This though was to prove to be the final score of the half as the scores dried up once more and indeed Ballinlough could've had two goals had they not firstly seen a shot flash narrowly wide and then the ball somehow stayed out after a manic goalmouth scramble when it seemed inevitable the green flag would need to be raised.

Ballinlough immediately began to make good use of the elements upon the resumption and kicked the opening four points of the half, three coming from frees courtesy of Peadar Byrne, Colm Mallen and Kevin Devine while Byrne had also added a point from play.  This run of scores left the home side with a three point advantage but this was soon cancelled out when Peter Waters finished to the back of the 'Lough net after getting on the end of a well worked team move.  By this point of the game Seneschalstown had introduced Joe Sheridan and James Meade into the fray and with Sheridan managing to win a greater number of kickouts and Meade proving to be an adept link man they gradually began to improve their sides fortunes.

In spite of this Ballinlough were to get the next two scores when Devine added to his account before David Hosie's side raised a gallop to come with a late electrifying charge to claim the two points.  Staring down the barrel of defeat they suddenly sparked to life and courtesy of points in the fifty eight, sixtieth and sixty second minutes they surged ahead to seal the victory.  Bryan Clarke got the run off to a start with a well taken free into the teeth of the wind from out on the left before adding one from play at the end of a move started off by a fine piece of defensive work from Mark Fox.  Brian Sheridan then added the coup de grace to the comeback when fending off a series of tackles before fisting over the bar to seal the win, only minutes after it appeared his sides goose was cooked.

Seneschalstown Scorers:  Brian Sheridan 0-04 (0-02 Frees), Peter Waters 1-00, Bryan Clarke 0-03 (0-01 Free).

Seneschalstown: Wesley McDonagh, Mark Fox, Cormac Noonan, David Matthews, Gary Conlon, Paul Carey, James Byrne, Robert Ruddy, Damien Sheridan, Niall Groome, Peter Waters, Mark Carey, Brian Sheridan, Bryan Clarke, Sean Noonan.

Seneschalstown Substitutions:  Tean Cummins for D. Sheridan, Adam Carey for R. Ruddy, Joe Sheridan for T. Cummins, James Meade for S. Noonan.

Ballinlough Report

Ballinlough 1-06
Seneschalstown 1-07

A fisted point in the second minute of injury time clinched victory for Seneschalstown, as Ballinlough were left to rue missed chances on their home turf on Sunday afternoon.

The home side got off to a flyer, with Sean Geraghty finding the back of the net in the opening minute after great work by Tommy McCullen. A lot of scrappy play by both sides followed, as Seneschalstown failed to make use of the strong breeze in their favour, kicking several wides from good positions.

Brian Sheridan opened the visitors account in the eleventh minute with a well converted free. Two minutes later another Sheridan free reduced the deficit to the minimum. The Reds struggled to maintain possession throughout the opening period, and lost the ball around the middle of the pitch on numerous occasions, allowing Seneschalstown more and more scoring chances.

Sheridan scored a third point, his first from play, from a tight angle in the twentieth minute, before Bryan Clarke edged his side in front for the first time soon after. The 'Lough had two goal chances go begging before the halftime break, first Sean Geraghty was unlucky to see his low shot just go the wrong side of the post, before a goalmouth scramble somehow didn't cross the line. The visitors went into the change of ends leading by 0-04 to 1-00.

Ballinlough played with the aid of the wind in the second period, and immediately made it count. Peadar Byrne split the posts in the opening minute after a great run from midfield. The former county star soon doubled his tally, converting a free kick after Sean Geraghty had been fouled.

The 'Lough were playing with more confidence in the second period, and were causing Seneschalstown serious problems at the back. Colm Mallen tucked a tidy free over the bar, after been fouled himself. Veteran forward Kevin Devine fired over another free moments later to put his side three points to the good.

The introduction of Joe Sheridan reinvigorated the visitors, and mid way through the half Peter Waters found the back of the Ballinlough net with a powerful finish, to level matters again.

Devine recorded another two impressive scores to put his side within touching distance of the victory in the closing minutes, but Clarke responded with a brace of scores for the visitors to put the game on a knife edge as it entered injury time. It was to be Seneschalstown who would get the vital winning score with the last touch of the game.

Ballinlough: K. McGuinness, R. Farrell, M. Geraghty, B. Smith, E. Smith, L. Maguire, J. Reilly, Colm Mallen, M. McCullen, P. Byrne, K. Devine, Cian Mallen, S. Geraghty, T. McCullen, K. Beirne. Subs: J. Tunney for K. Devine, P. Monaghan for K. Beirne.

 

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