Oldcastle 0-10
Blackhall Gaels 0-10

Sean Whelan's 60th minute pointed free earned Blackhall Gaels a merited Meath Farm Machinery SFC Group A draw with Oldcastle at Bohermeen on Saturday evening.

Oldcastle were on the cusp of their first win of the campaign in their bid to steer clear of the relegation dogfight when a foul on substitute Mark Crampton presented Whelan with the chance to level matters.

Whelan's accuracy from placed balls was one of the highlights of the evening. He finished with seven points to his name including one from play as Blackhall attempted to post their second win from four starts having drawn with Wolfe Tones last time out. .

Having been 0-5 to 0-6 in arrears at the break, Oldcastle took control of the game in the third quarter and led by 0-9 to 0-7 by the 45th minute.

Whelan's best score of the evening, from the right wing about 40 metres out, trimmed the deficit to the minimum in the 48th minute.

Ronan Farrelly and the impressive Paddy Gilsenan passed up chances from placed balls to increase Oldcastle's lead.

Alan McCann finished off a pitch length move with his third point of the game in the 53rd minute. It proved to be Oldcastle's swan song.

The momentum was with Blackhall Gaels in the latter stages and the ammount of stoppage time - about 90 seconds - allowed by referee Pat Clarke was deemed in adequate by some of the Batterstown/Kilcloon contingent.

Alan Nestor - who didn't resume for the second half having picked up a leg injury in the opening period - spurned two goal chances in the early minutes.

Both efforts were saved by Oldcastle 'keeper Paddy Coakley. Whelan landed result 45s as Blackhall Gaels regained parity with the north west side having gone 0-1 in 0-3 in arrears early on.

By the 20th minute, Blackhall led 0-5 to 0-3. After Robert Pakenham placed Gilsenan for a score, Whelan turned provider for Paddy O'Brien to restore the Gaels' two-point advantage.

McCann posted the last score of the first half in a game where there was never more than two points between the sides

Oldcastle - P. Coakley; S. Farrelly, C. McPartland, B. Curran; P. Lynch, Terry Farrelly, R. Pakenham (0-1); R. McHugh, V. Reynolds; P. Gilsenan (0-4, 3fs), N. Mangan, E. Gilsenan (0-1); R. Kellett, R. Farrelly (0-1), A. McCann (0-3). Subs - C. McHugh for S. Farrelly (17 ), J. P. Farrelly for Kellett (39), Thomas Farrelly for Reynolds (60 ).

Blackhall Gaels - T. Dalton; D. Dalton, N. O'Hora, M. Whelan; J. Kelly, G. Beirne, M. Ferris; T. Brosnan; P. O'Brien (0-1), S. Whelan (0-7, 4 fs, 2 45s), E. Broad (0-1); D. Carty (0-1), D. Beirne, A. Nestor. Subs - A. Brady for Brosnan (h-t), D. O'Neill for Carty (41), M. Crampton for Broad (60).

Referee - P. Clarke (Seneschalstown). Tweet

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