SFC Group A: Finnegan leaves Skryne in his wake
August 10, 2019
Seneschalstown's Cathal Finnegan
Cathal Finnegan's stoppage time goal settled a thrilling SFC round three clash at Pairc Tailteann on Friday evening.
Seneschalstown ...... 2-15
Skryne .................... 2-11
The scores were tied for the fourth time when Finnegan fetched Joe Sheridan's delivery from inside his own half and rather than take a point cooly placed the ball past Skryne 'keeper Ian Gillette.
Finnegan capped matters with a pointed free that earned the men jointly coached by Joe Cowley and Armagh legend Oisin McConville their first win of the campaign.
Seneschalstown's number 15 put 1-5 to his name with his left-footed free-taking being a further asset to his side.
Seneschalstown's array of successful place-kickers included Bryan Clarke, a central figure in their 2007 SFC success.
Skryne's first defeat emphasises the competitive nature of this group and promises interesting fixtures in the rounds ahead.
A dull first-half transformed into an exciting second. Having lost the initiative, Skryne did well to recover and with a bit more composure might have chalked their third win.
Having staged a strong recovery to be on level terms with Seneschalstown at the break, Skryne looked well placed to assert themselves from the resumption.
Instead the Yellow Furze outfit posted the first two scores of the second-half. Joe Sheridan's point might have been a goal but for the agility of Skryne 'keeper Ian Gillett who turned the balll over the bar.
That was just one of a number of good saves by the Skryne goalkeeper and they included one from Seneschalstown's top scorer on the night just after the restart.
Mark Battersby's 38th minute goal, with help from Paddy O'Rourke, left Skryne 2-4 to 0-8 to good. Seneschalstown's immediate response spoke for itself with Brian Sheridan netting assisted by Bryan Clarke.
Seneschalstown were never headed again and moved five points clear by the 50th minute, 1-13 to 2-5. To their credit Skryne responded with five of the next six points to trim the deficit to the minimum, 2-10 to 1-14, by the 59th minute when Battersby pointed with help from sub Paddy Fox.
Then in the second minute of added time Paddy O'Rourke levelled and a Skryne win or a draw looked likely. There was one final decisive twist.
The overcast conditions with two well-kitted out teams (especially Seneschalstown) bode well for proceedings.
However, most of the first-half did little to raise the collective pulses. The sides were tied twice in the opening 10 minutes when sharing four points.
With Skryne going 21 minutes without a score, Seneschalstown crept 0-5 to 0-2 clear with four scorers. A Bryan Clarke 45 left the Yellow Furze side four clear with 29 minutes gone.
Then Skryne tripled their tally in the time remaining in the first-half. First a pointed by Paddy O'Rourke free followed by a well-struck penalty goal into the old swimming pool end left matters tied, 1-3 to 0-6, at the break.
Seneschalstown's spirited second-half showing was rewarded with a merited success.
Seneschalstown - David Lyons; Conor Cowley, John Smith, Brian Maguire; Adam Carey, Cathal Hickey (0-1), Ronan Conneely; Niall Hickey, Stephen Finnegan (0-1); Alan Mulvany (0-1), Joe Sheridan (0-1), Bryan Clarke (0-4, 3fs, 1 45); Dylan Keating, Brian Sheridan (1-2, 0-1f), Cathal Finnegan (1-5, 0-4fs). Subs - Sean Carey for Maguire (bc 30), Simon Rooney for A Carey (38), Joseph Moore for Mulvany (48), Mark Fox for Hickey (bc 51), Niall McCabe for Keating (58), James Meade for Finnegan (60)
Skryne - Ian Gillett; Robbie Clarke, Mark Harrington, Niall Lenehan; Darren Fox, Stephen O'Brien, David Carroll; Harry Rooney, David McGoldrick; Conor O'Brien, Darragh Campion (0-1), Ian Davis (0-1); Jason Reddy, Paddy O'Rourke (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-2fs), Mark Battersby (1-2). Subs - Paddy Fox for Reddy (ht), Ciaran Lenehan (0-1) for McGoldrick (39), Eoin Smyth for C O'Brien (42), Eoghan Greene for Carroll (43), Colm Doherty (0-1) for Davis (53)
Referee - Cormac Reilly (St Mary's)
