Seneschalstown 2-13 St. Colmcille’s 0-16

It may have been a long time coming, but Seneschalstown’s first victory of 2025 at Senior level was worth the wait as they defeated St. Colmcille’s by three points in the opening round of the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship in Stamullen on Saturday afternoon.

Seneschalstown were never headed from pillar to post and it was two goals, one in either half that were the key scores. Alan Mulvany raised the first green flag after 11 minutes while Cian Commons, playing his first adult game from the club after an injury plagued year and a half since graduating from the Minor ranks, added the second on 41 minutes and from there Seneschalstown were in a commanding position.

This was the third time the sides had met this season, with St. Colmcille’s winning both the Feis Cup and League encounters and it was also the third time in four years they met in the opening round of Meath club football’s top tier Championship with St. Colmcille’s winning at the same venue 12 months ago and Seneschalstown winning the 2022 encounter in Ardcath.

A significantly stronger Seneschalstown took the field than what had all year and they soaked up some early St. Colmcille’s possession before they hit the front in the third minute when the aforementioned Commons converted a two point free from out on the left hand side. The Cilles’ replied in the fifth minute with their opening score for one point before Seneschalstown’s two point lead was restored as Alan Mulvany hoisted over after a good move involving Woodley Nicholson and Eoin Finnegan in the sixth minute.

Another point for the Seasiders reduced the arrears again but Seneschalstown were handed a significant boost in the next phase of play. Donie Commons tapped down James Meade’s kickout to Ronan Conneely and played a hand pass to Alan Mulvany off the shoulder. Mulvany took the ball just inside the 45’ and he raced through the heart of the St. Colmcille’s defence before planting the ball into the top left corner of the net to continue the winner’s excellent start.

Two minutes later, the leas was cushioned out to five points after a move was started with a turnover in midfield and finished with Dylan Keating clipping over off his right foot from an acute angle leaving the scoreboard reading 1-04 to 0-02.

The Cilles’ kicked two on the bounce in the 16th and 19th minutes to leave the goal between before two pointers became the order of the day.

After the ball was not handed back accordingly when Seneschalstown were awarded a free between the dugouts, the ball was brought forward 50 metres by referee Derek Ryan and Eoin Finnegan took the option to kick it from outside the two point arc and his left footed effort was deadly accurate to leave it 1-06 to 0-04.

However not to be outdone, St. Colmcille’s keeper Andrew Beakey came forward moments later to punish Seneschalstown’s indiscipline when he effortlessly stroked a 50 metre two point free between the posts.

Seneschalstown’s last score of the half cane from the left booth of Cian Commons from the left hand side in the 24th minute white raised a white flag but St. Colmcille’s were not done yet. Another foul outside the two arc left Beakey with an opportunity to kick a two pointer and that he did to leave the Yellow Furze men two to the good at the break 1-07 to 0-08.

The third quarter had proved to be something of a stumbling block for David Hosie’s men so far this year and it was something they would have been look to put right on Saturday, and when the game restarted it was crucial that the found the opening score of the second half. They were presented with an easy chance to do so when a foul was committed on the 13 metre line and Cian Commons had the easy task of popping the ball over to put 3 between them.

Two points in just over sixty seconds for the Cilles’ left the minimum between the teams but when Seneschalstown won the break from a St. Colmcille’s kickout, Eoin Finnegan decided to go himself when the shooting chance presented and after putting snow on the ball with his effort the umpire eventually went for his flag to signal it had gone between the posts.

Either side of the 49th minute the sides swapped scores once more with Commons kicking another free after Ronan Conneely was fouled when making a dent in the St. Colmcille’s rearguard.

Less than a minute later, Commons would come up with another big play. When he was found with possession on the 20 metre line in the scoreboard corner he took his man and got by the initial challenge. The cover defence also tried to stop the number 11 as he made his way goalwards but he powered on and with only the keeper to beat he kept his composure to roll ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net to move Seneschalstown five in front.

Simon Rooney was introduced at half time, and he along with fellow full back line members Conor McDonnell and Danny Waters all came up with key interventions at various stages throughout the day and when Rooney did so in the 44th minute, it set off another Seneschalstown score.

Rooney won the ball out in front of his marker and he laid off to Alan Mulvany still in his own half. Mulvany went on and on and with nobody coming to close him down he was able to set himself to kick over and bring his tally to 1-02 for the day.

However whether it was the fact that Seneschalstown had not been in such a position all year being six points up entering the final quarter, or that St. Colmcille’s just came to life it was the East Meath men who enjoyed the next 10 minute spell as Seneschalstown’s lead was whittled down to one point with five minutes remaining as nerves began to jangle on the Seneschalstown line.

Around this point Niall Hickey came up with a big moment when he won a 50/50 ball on the ground and it just seemed to awaken something in Seneschalstown again.

After keeping possession around the arc, Seneschalstown eventually found Eamon Finnegan in space and he spotted Woodley Nicholson punching a hole in the defence and when the centre back got the ball he made made of his score popping over from 20 metres out.

This settled the winners and as the clock ticked into injury time they earned another score when Commons got the ball under the scoreboard and he won himself a free after his route to goal was blocked and he curled the tricky free superbly between the posts to push Seneschalstown three clear.

St. Colmcille’s were now looking for a goal but Seneschalstown stood firm with keeper James Meade dealing with a couple balls lobbed towards the square and when Derek Ryan blew for full-time, the Furze men were deserved winners.

Attention will now turn to Ratoath for the Round 2 game in Páirc Táilteann on Sunday August 17th at 2pm.

Seneschalstown: James Meade, Darren O’Brien, Danny Waters, Conor McDonnell, Robbie Finnegan, Woodley Nicholson (0-01), Éamon Finnegan, Donie Commons, Niall Hickey, Ronan Conneely, Cian Commons (1-06, 3 fs, 1 tpf), Alan Mulvany (1-02), Eoin Finnegan (0-03, 1 tpf), Bryan Clarke, Dylan Keating (0-01).

Subs: Simon Rooney, Collie Scanlon, Charles McCarthy, Cian Hosie

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