SFC Group D: 'Tones tame timid Gaeil
July 28, 2023
Daniel O'Neill Wolfe Tones beats Philip Ward Gaeil Colmcille to the ball during the opening round of the Meath SFC at Pairc Tailteann
Wolfe Tones emphatically swatted a timid Gaeil Colmcille challenge in this SFC opener at Pairc Tailteann on Friday evening.
Wolfe Tones ........ 2-15
Gaeil Colmcille .......0-7
The outcome wasn’t a surprise but the manner and the margin of victory wasn’t quite what was expected.
After a slow start, Wolfe Tones took control and were never troubled by the Kells-side.
A notable feature of Wolfe Tones’ success were scoring contributions from 11 different players. This complimented the fluidity of movement with nominal defenders getting on the score sheet while forwards dropped deep to cut off scoring avenues for Gaeil Colmcille.
Ahead by six points at the break, the Gibbstown-Kilberry side erased any lingering sense of a contest in the third quarter.
Collecting a cross from Cian Ward, Dan O’Neill wrong-footed Barry Farrelly before netting at the old swimming pool end. That left the score 1-10 to 0-4.
A foul on Adam O’Neill led to a 45th minute penalty for the ‘Tones which Cian Ward netted with elevation and precision. That put 14 points between the teams, 2-12 to 0-4.
The sides shared six points over the remainder of the hour. Evan Sheridan’s 55th score was Gaeil Colmcille’s first from play in the second-half, coming 20 minutes after Farrelly’s second free.
Gaeil Colmcille ‘keeper Barry Farrelly finished as joint top-scorer for his side with two pointed frees. Seamus Mattimoe and Brian Hanlon also registered twice for Eoin Coyle and Brendan Murphy’s men.
The most notable feature of the opening quarter was that it took until the 11th minute for the opening score to arrive, a Caolan Ward free.
Within four minutes of that Wolfe Tones had tagged on another three points. Caolan Ward opened that sequence with an effort from play.
County defender Adam O’Neill and wing-back Sean Penny, an excellent effort from the wing left four points in it entering the second quarter.
Paddy Martin's men had a ‘goal’ ruled out moments later. We had to wait until the 18th minute for Gaeil Colmcille’s opening score to arrive when goalkeeper Barry Farrelly pointed a 40-metre free.
It provided only a temporary halt to the ‘Tones gallop. Playing fluent football they were 0-8 to 0-1 clear by the 26th minute.
Gaeil Colmcille outscored the ‘Tones by 0-2 to 0-1 over the remainder of the half to trail 0-3 to 0-9 at half-time. A six-point interval deficit wasn’t insurmountable but the Kells-side didn’t have the wherewithal to mount a significant challenge thereafter.
Scorers: Wolfe Tones - Cian Ward 1-0 (pen); Dan O'Neill 1-0; Caolan Ward 0-3 (1f); Saran O Fionnagain 0-3; Adam O'Neill 0-2;Thomas O'Reilly 0-2 (1f); Sean Penny 0-1; Alan Callaghan 0-1; Conor Sheppard 0-1; Stephen Sheppard 0-1; Oisin Martin 0-1.
Gaeil Colmcille - Brian Hanlon 0-2 (1f); Seamus Mattimoe 0-2 (1f); Barry Farrelly 0-2 (fs); Evan Sheridan 0-1.
Wolfe Tones - Ciaran O Gallachoir; Conor Sheppard, Shane Glynn, Gearoid O'Brien; Caolan Ward, Dan O'Neill, Sean Penny; Alan Callaghan, Adam O'Neill; Saran O Fionnagain, Thomas O'Reilly, Eoin Donegan; Oisin Martin, Fiachra Ward, Cian Ward. Subs - Niall O'Reilly for Martin (44), Stephen Sheppard for Cian Ward (44), Alan Lynam for Penny (54), Tom Gavigan for Donegan (54)
Gaeil Colmcille - Barry Farrelly; Adam Muldoon, Paul Tormey, Adam Donnelly; James Reilly, Johnny Quigley (jc), Barry Tormey; Evan Sheridan, Phillip Ward; Liam Ferguson, Brian Hanlon (jc),Ajay Tormey; Seamus Mattimoe, Rian Early. Subs - Liam Barry for Early (46)
Next: Wolfe Tones v Summerhill, Gaeil Colmcille v Ballinabrackey.
