Seneschalstown 2-22 Navan O’Mahony’s 2-12

A superb opening half performance laid the groundwork for Seneschalstown to record a comfortable ten point victory over table toppers Navan O’Mahony’s in Round 10 of the JM Food Services Football Division 2 Football League played on Saturday evening. Backed by the wind Seneschalstown did most of the damage in the second quarter to build up their lead by the break thereafter were rather comfortable in seeing the job through.

Seneschalstown were on the front foot right from the get go. Once Cian Commons put them ahead with a two point effort off the outside of his right foot after three minutes, Seneschalstown were never headed. The visitors replied with their opening score in the fifth minute but Seneschalstown were keen to make the most of the wind advantage in the opening half and Alan Mulvany followed up with their second score of the evening a minute later, which also resulted in an orange flag.

Again O’Mahony’s answered with a single point at the other end before Cian Commons clipped over his third point of the game inside seven minutes after Seneschalstown put together an impressive move all the way from a David Gordon kickout.

Seneschalstown didn’t let O’Mahony’s get their own kickout away easily and after they forced a turnover high up the pitch Alan Mulvany clipped over from just inside the arc and Eoin Finnegan followed up a minute later from a similar situation to extend the lead.

O’Mahony’s enjoyed a mini spell in the ascendancy between the tenth and fifteenth minutes kicking three of the next four points to leave the score 0-08 to 0-05 in favour of the home side, with Cian Commons notching up another score for himself from open play for Seneschalstown’s only score during this period.

From there until half time Seneschalstown put the foot down and made the most of their wind advantage.  Firstly, Eoin Finnegan pulled down a bouncing ball he had no right to win against two O’Mahony’s defenders before ending up on the ground, regathering his footing and slotting over the bar was perhaps the type of score they needed to kick on.

Seneschalstown hit back to back two point efforts in the 19th and 21st minutes with Cian Commons kicking a free from a central position before Dylan Keating put his name on the scoresheet with an effort from open play from a similar position and suddenly the lead was out to eight points.

An O’Mahony’s point down the other end did little to quell the Seneschalstown momentum as the same two players, Commons and Keating raised back to back orange flags again as Seneschalstown kicked four two pointers in a five minute period to lead 0-17 to 0-06.

With a minute to go before injury time, Seneschalstown’s lead was extended further. Keating’s point attempt dropped well short but Eoin Finnegan reacted quicker than anyone to catch the ball, turn and coolly roll the ball beyond the goalkeeper to move Seneschalstown 14 points clear.

However to their credit the men from Paddy O’Brien Park responded in kind immediately when a fisted effort rebounded off the crossbar and was finished to the net. However Seneschalstown had the last say of the half when Alan Mulvany got on the end of a move to clip over the last score of the half to leave the scoreboard reading 1-18 to 1-06 in the home side’s favour at the break.

The second half was less busy on the scoreboard as Seneschalstown were hoping to manage the game and the got the ideal start playing into the breeze  when Eoin Finnegan kicked a pair of frees in the 31st and 33rd minutes.

Despite not scoring for twenty minutes Seneschalstown defended rather well for the majority of the second half. O’Mahony’s pulled a point back before the forty minute mark and they got in for their second goal four minutes later and now Seneschalstown just had to make sure they the saw the game out professionally. A further two point followed for the Hoops but they came over an extended period as the home side still lead by eight with nine minutes left.

Eamon Finnegan eventually broke Seneschalstown’s scoreless spell when he sensibly chose to fist over to calm Seneschalstown nerves and two minutes later the number 13 would be central again. A combination of himself and Dylan Keating forced O’Mahony’s to cough up possession from a short kickout and Eoin Finnegan was waiting for a pass to set him through on goal and he made no mistake firing low across the keeper to ensure David Hosie’s had the points in the bag.  O’Mahony’s did kick three of the last four points thereafter, including a two pointer but it wasn’t enough as a Commons free left ten points between the teams at the full-time whistle.

The win wasn’t enough for Seneschalstown to break into the top four as the three teams directly above them all won but still have a chance if things go their way in the final round. Seneschalstown make the short trip to Rathkenny for their last regular League game in two weeks time.

Seneschalstown: David Gordon, Conor McDonnell, Woodley Nicholson, Simon Rooney, Colin Scanlon, Niall Hickey, Brian Maguire, Donie Commons, Danny Waters, Darren O’Brien, Dylan Keating (0-04, 2tp), Alan Mulvany (0-04, 1tp), Eamon Finnegan (0-01), Cian Commons (0-09, 2tpf, 1tp, 1f), Eoin Finnegan (2-04, 2fs).

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