IFC: St. Michaels lead from pillar to post
August 08, 2022
St. Michaels Brian O'Reilly with Ryan Hand St. Vincents during the Meath IFC game at Seneschalstown
St. Michaels 1-10 St. Vincents 0-09
A functional St. Michaels side got the business done in this first round match of the Meade Farm Group IFC played in the baking summer sun in Seneschalstown on Sunday afternoon last.
This was a really tense dour encounter between two sides that struggled to find a rhythm for the entirety of the 60 minutes and from a total of 20 scores 9 came as a result of frees.
St. Michaels led from pillar to post with opening half points from Ciaran Lynch (4) and one each from Brian O'Reilly, Shane McDonnell and Sam Briody to put their side 0-7 to 0-4 to the good at the interval. Jakub Bidzinski will feel he should have increased his sides half time lead when his pile-driver of a shot was excellently blocked by the St. Vincents 'keeper.
One of the players to stand out for the winners was the ever youthful J.B. O'Reilly who rolled back the years with a fine display in the middle third, winning ball, recycling and getting back to defend and forward to attack when the opportunities arose. Ciaran Lynch was efficient from frees and he posted his fifth minor on 35 minutes which was closely followed by a well struck effort from Oran Meehan (who was well marshalled in front of the posts by the St. Vincents lads) for a four point lead. A 15 minute barren spell for St. Michaels was ended when Brian O'Reilly broke up-field to split the posts with a fine effort on 21 minutes by which stage St. Vincents had reduced the deficit to just two points.
Neither side could really claim the initiative for any prolonged spell of control play during the match and the winners defence can be pleased that they curtailed the losers to just four points from play for the entire hour and when the magic moment arrived on 56 minutes Jakub Bidzinski broke through the St. Vincents defence to drive low and hard to the bottom corner for the only goal of the game and to secure two valuable points for his side.
St. Michaels team and scorers: Darren O'Connell; Davy Lynch, Ciaran O'Reilly, Harry Dunne; Daniel Murphy, Matthew Halpin, Brian O'Reilly (0-2); Sam Briody (0-1), J.B O'Reilly; Cian McFadden, Felim O'Reilly, Jakub Bidzinski (1-0); Oran Meehan (0-1), Shane McDonnell (0-1), Ciaran Lynch (0-5, 4f). Subs: Ben Reilly for McFadden, Eoghan Finegan for D. Lynch, Mark Stafford for C. Lynch
Referee: Padraic Coyle
Report: Pascal Reilly PRO.
