Seneschalstown 6-08 Duleek/Bellewstown 3-11

The saying goes that goals win games, but that only tells half of the story as Seneschalstown preserved their Division 2 status in the Premier Football Championship with this six point win over Duleek/Bellewstown in Slane at Sunday lunchtime. The game had everything you would want as a neutral – goals, excitement, drama and twists everywhere you looked as Seneschalstown produced a superb last 15 minutes to ensure they wouldn’t drop to Division 3.

Three weeks ago, the sides met at the same venue in the final round of the group stage where Seneschalstown had a comfortable 10 point win but despite that, they missed out on a place in the semi-finals proper on score difference before falling to a four point defeat in the semi-final against Trim in what can only be best described as an abject performance.

In Slane on Sunday, Seneschalstown came out of the blocks like a sprinter in the Olympic 100 metre final as they played with the aid of a gale blowing away from the clubhouse in Toddy Harding Park. After some early possession Seneschalstown were awarded a penalty in the third minute when Eddie Meade was hauled down in the large square after the ball came down off the post.

Having excelled in his day job against Trim last weekend with some superb saves, up came goalkeeper David Gordon to take the penalty. The Seneschalstown captain, previously an internet sensation on Joe.ie for his penalty expertise at both ends, made no mistake when he slammed home the penalty into the left hand corner to give Seneschalstown the ideal start.

Duleek replied with their first point in the fifth minute but Seneschalstown’s start was about to get even better.

When Éamon Finnegan took a mark just inside the Duleek/Bellewstown 45’, he had the obvious option of taking on the shot at goal but instead he spotted Niall Hickey who had continued his run forward. Hickey, playing his first game for the club since the 2021 SFC game against Dunshaughlin having emigrated to Australia, was left one on one with the Duleek goalkeeper and he cooly sidestepped the netminder and he slotted the ball into the net for Seneshalstown’s second goal inside five minutes.

Seneschalstown were creating plenty of opportunities early on with the Duleek defence quite open and when Rob Wogan and Eddie Meade linked up in the next attack, Johnny Gilsenan clipped over his first point of the hour after the goal chance was closed off.

However, Seneschalstown didn’t have to wait long for goal number three. Niall Hickey did well to set up Johnny Gilsenan for a shot on goal from 20 metres out and his piledriver was only parried by the Duleek/Bellewstown goalkeeper and Eamon Finnegan was on hand to tap home the rebound first time to give Seneschalstown a nine point lead inside twelve minutes as it rained goals in Ledwidge Country.

Duleek/Bellewstown finally enjoyed a spell of their own with three points on the bounce by the 18th minute but after some Seneschalstown profligacy in attack, Seán Commons used the wind to his advantage to kick a long range point from a central position after Gilsenan picked him out in acres of space with a cross field pass.

Moments later Éamon Finnegan took on his man in the right corner forward position and chipped over which was followed up immediately by Robbie Wogan who curled over, also from long range as Seneschalstown looked to kick on.

However, the opposite occurred as Duleek answered with a point before a crucial intervention at the back from Seán Reilly prevented an almost certain goal for the combination side. This, though proved to be a temporary reprieve for the Yellow Furze men as the men in green did get in for a goal moments later after Seneschalstown coughed up possession which left six points between the sides at the break, and no doubt Duleek’s tails were up with wind advantage to come after the restart.

Seneschalstown’s feared that Duleek/Bellewstown would have their gander up on the resumption and in the first nine minutes of the second half, they enjoyed a very similar spell to the one the Furze men had the game’s outset. In that nine minutes spell, they registered an unanswered 2-03 to go from nine points down after 10 minutes, to three up two thirds of the way through the contest as things started to look bleak for Seneschalstown. Playing into the howling wind, it looked like Seneschalstown had the proverbial mountain to climb.

However, all they needed was one opportunity inside to steady the ship and that arrived in the 43rd minute.

Éamon Finnegan won a mark just inside the 45’ and he played a low pass into Johnny Gilsenan in the corner forward position. Finnegan continued on his run and Gilsenan’s kick pass back across the square was just about held onto by Finnegan and he checked back inside to rifle the ball into the top corner and suddenly it was level again.

A Johnny Gilsenan point came in the middle of two similar scores for Duleek/Bellewstown but Seneschalstown were about to get two key scores which ultimately tipped the scales in their favour.

In the 49th minute, Eddie Meade made a burst through a number of challenges as he headed for the Duleek goal. He spotted Gilsenan unmarked and played the ball to the man who kicked 1-10 when the sides met the last day, and on this occasion he was continuing his role as a thorn in their side as he smashed the ball goalwards. The keeper got the slightest of touches to it and the ball cannoned down of the underside of the crossbar but crucially before it was cleared, the umpire had deemed there to be no need for goal line technology as the green flag was waved with little protest from any of the Duleek players in the vicinity.

Again Duleek answered with a point but Seneschalstown went straight down the other end and rattled in goal number six.

Rob Wogan this time was the beneficiary of a massive hole in the centre of the Duleek rearguard and he unselfishly squared the ball across to Gilsenan who dropped the ball onto his left foot which found the net and in something you don’t see everyday, Seneschalstown’s tally after 50 minutes read six goals and five points.

Seneschalstown withstood some late Duleek pressure in the last 10 minutes and were happy to pick off some further scores on the counter attack. When Will Finegan was halted after a lung bursting run 25 metres from goal, Gilsenan sent the free over the bar.

As Duleek went in search of a goal which wouldn’t have surprised anyone watching given the bizarre nature of the contest, Niall Hickey went up and made a superb catch underneath his own crossbar and the ball was cleared away.

Robbie Wogan fisted over what looked like the insurance score in the 62nd minute and Seneschalstown’s safety was secured when Éamon Finnegan converted one last free via the post as Seneschalstown’s held onto their status in Division 2.

A Championship campaign which was probably summed up over the sixty minutes on Sunday as Seneschalstown ended it with a 60 percent win ratio, bet the team from their group that made the final but themselves ended up one loss from the dreaded drop, won and lost a group game by double digits and showed their absolute best and worst over the last two weekends against Duleek/Bellewstown and Trim.

With safety secured in this competition, attention will turn to the Senior team who play Curraha as they aim to do the same thing in the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship in Skryne this Friday October 4th at 8pm.

Seneschalstown: David Gordon (1-00p), Peter Tierney, Oran Lawlor, Seán Reilly, Jack McDonnell, Conor McDonnell, Liam Maguire, Seán Commons (0-01), Teean Cummins, Will Finegan, Rob Wogan (0-02), Niall Hickey (1-00), Éamon Finnegan (2-02, 1f) Eddie Meade, Johnny Gilsenan (2-03, 1f).

Subs: Tom McDonnell, Seán Davis, Alex Finnegan.

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