Seneschalstown 0-12 Curraha 0-12 AET

(Seneschalstown win 3-1 on Penalties)

There’s something about Skryne and Friday nights under the lights of Fr. McManus Park that provides drama to the utmost level in the Meath Senior Football Championship and for the third year running, at the very least, the always immaculate playing pitch in Skryne was the venue for an absorbing knockout game in the Fairyhouse Steel sponsored top tier of Meath club football as Seneschalstown and Curraha went toe to toe in the penultimate round of Relegation Playoffs on Friday night.

Seneschalstown are no strangers to the Tara venue, and the entertainment it provides as they were the ones who came up short after extra-time against St. Colmcille’s at the exact same round of Relegation Playoffs two years ago while a little over twelve months ago, involving the Cilles’ again it was all hands on deck when the Donaghmore/Ashbourne club chairman came to the rescue after the lights went out during their Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final.

Friday October 4th, 2024 may have just topped the lot for pure drama and entertainment. It is fair to say it was probably a game lacking quality at key moments and the players were not helped by the slippy ball thanks to the misty rain that fell intermittently throughout. The strong wind was also blowing into the corner beside the newer dressing rooms in Skryne and undoubtedly favoured the side playing away from the scoreboard end goals.

Both sides came into this game having not won a game since July, with Seneschalstown’s last victory coming against Friday’s opponents in the semi-final of the Division 2 League which earned them promotion.

The tale of Seneschalstown’s injury list had been well told by this stage of the Championship, but in a twist from previous rounds some of them were available. Cathal Hickey came into start, while Cathal Finnegan, Alan Mulvany and Niall Hickey were all able to tog out and be called upon to make an impact if required. Dylan Keating also returned having missed the Donaghmore/Ashbourne defeat due to the birth of his first child.

On Friday night, backed by the wind it was Seneschalstown who made a quick start with Keating quick off the mark to point inside 20 seconds after Seneschalstown won the throw-up. The lead was doubled after four minutes when Eoin Finnegan kicked a free from 25 metres to the right of goal after Cathal Hickey was fouled.

Curraha got off the mark into the breeze in the seventh minute when Diarmuid Moriarty put over a free, and in the same situation three minutes later he tied the game up at 0-02 apiece.

Seneschalstown restored their lead a minute later after some good work up the pitch from the forwards resulted in wing back Mark Fox making an interception on the Curraha 45’. Fox played the ball into John Smith who in turn laid off to Eoin Finnegan on the arc going away from goal but his shot was measured to perfection as it curled between the posts.

Having started the move for the previous score, Fox won the kickout and gave the ball on. He continued his run and got it back to kick Seneschalstown’s fourth score of the night from the left of ‘D after 12 minutes.

The ebb and flow nature of the contest continued and after 20 minutes there was some controversy around a Moriarty free for the ‘Ha. The umpires initially waved the effort wide but referee Keith Sheerin was well placed to have adjudged that the ball had indeed crept inside the post.

Curraha edged themselves in front for the first time after 23 minutes but seconds later down the other end it was the accurate Keating who levelled it up with a fine score under pressure. He did the same again about two minutes later after Curraha had re-established their advantage.

From the next attack Seneschalstown could have had their first goal. Robbie Finnegan went charging through the Curraha defence and he slipped the ball to his right to the unmarked Ross Howard. Howard tried the slot in at the near post but Luke McCarthy stuck out a leg and it went up and over the bar.

Curraha ensured they went into the break with parity restored as they had the last say of the half with a point from play.

Seneschalstown looked to be in a bit of a predicament at that stage having played with the wind but only going level after an error strewn first half so it was then they decided to play their first trump card by introducing Niall Hickey at the break.

Initially, it was only Curraha who sprung from the traps with intent at the beginning of the second half. Meath hurler and county finalist with Ratoath next weekend Podge O’Hanrahan kicked a fine score from under the balcony in Fr. McManus Park and it was backed up two minutes later by a superb Moriarty point from play, despite being under huge pressure from Danny Waters.

Straight up the other end from another well placed James Meade kickout went Seneschalstown and after the ball went through to the half forward line it was Cathal Hickey who chipped over to reduce the deficit to one.

At the back Seneschalstown had definitely settled and Séimí Byrne was in particular enjoying a fine game picking up lots of ball, while the steadying impact of Niall Hickey was clear to see. Woodley Nicholson also played a major role in a man marking job.

However, at the other end Seneschalstown could not draw level and some poor shot choices were looking costly so they turned to the bench once more and introduced Cathal Finnegan. How fit he was only time would tell but in his club’s hour of need he declared himself available having suffered a bad knee injury back in June against Duleek/Bellewstown in the League.

He was central to Seneschalstown’s next score in the 49th minute. After winning a ball in the corner, he picked out Dylan Keating moving in along the endline with a fist pass which took a couple of Curraha players out of the game. Keating made hay towards goal but his rasping shot had too much on it and ended up going over the bar leaving the minimum between the sides again with Curraha still in front.

By this stage Seneschalstown nearly had the monopoly on scoring chances but couldn’t convert. However, just under two minutes into additional time Cathal Finnegan made a darting run inside and claimed a mark after Seán Carey picked him out with an inch perfect pass. Under the greatest pressure of the night, he measured his shot to perfection to level it up once again.

There was still time left for more, and after Curraha won the kickout they went on the attack. The ball ended up with Niall Murphy 25 metres out and Carey, moments after providing the pass for Finnegan’s mark was, possibly harshly, deemed to have fouled the Curraha man in a very advantageous position. After a slight delay for injury treatment and a change of football, it looked for all the world that Seneschalstown would be facing into a further fortnight and the prospect of playing Ballinabrackey in the Relegation Final.

However, inexplicably the free was somehow kicked wide and Seneschalstown were still alive and maybe even could get up the pitch to win it.

After that move broke down, Keith Sheerin blew for full-time and both sides had an extra twenty minutes to secure their status as we headed for extra-time.

Having summoned two of their injured party from the dugout earlier in the piece, Alan Mulvany was introduced five minutes before the end of normal time and it was he who raced through at the start of extra time to nudge Seneschalstown in front after Donie Commons won the throw-up.

Moriarty made it 0-11 apiece with a free three minutes into the additional period and it stayed deadlocked until the interval in extra time. Cathal Finnegan did have a chance of a goal but it was squandered and the ball was cleared to safety.

And so it came down to the last ten minutes of play, or at least everyone in attendance thought that. When Diarmuid Moriarty edged Curraha in front, Seneschalstown looked in trouble and again were guilty of poor shooting and coughing up possession.

There was time for one more attack as the clock ticked over the eighty minute mark and when Cathal Hickey was fouled 25 metres from goal once again Cathal Finnegan stepped up and curled it superbly between the sticks. Both sides were given a final chance but they came to nothing at either end and when the final whistle went, we were going the whole way to penalties.

After the relevant coin toss’ for which end would be used and who would go first, both sides respective penalty takers stood on the 45 metre line with the rest along the sideline at the dugout. Curraha were to go first at the scoreboard end.

Diarmuid Moriarty went first and finished low to the net. This was answered in kind by Dylan Keating who slotted home with aplomb. 1-1 after a kick each.

Up stepped Jack O’Connor for Curraha’s second effort but James Meade produced a stunning stop down low to his right to keep it out, and when Cathal Finnegan made no mistake with his effort it was advantage Seneschalstown with both sides having gone twice.

Meade was to be the hero again as he denied David Coyle with another smart save but Curraha were thrown a lifeline when Ross Howard’s penalty was palmed away by Luke McCarthy.

Seneschalstown though, were presented with a golden opportunity to secure their status when Conor O’Farrell fired Curraha’s fourth spot kick over the bar. Cathal Hickey strode forward and he made sure that chance wasn’t going to be passed up as he calmly rolled the ball into the bottom left hand corner which sparked a pitch invasion from the Seneschalstown players as an emotional Meade was engulfed by his teammates.

After all, it’s not the first time he’s been the saviour of the clubs status having scored the goal to beat Longwood and get out of jail in Clonard in 2019. Having turned himself into the regular netminder this year, he produced a very calm display on a frantic evening dealing with any high ball that came his way, commanded his area exceptionally, found his targets with most of his kickouts and was even involved in play out the field, notably producing a shoulder out on the sideline at halfway to win his side a crucial turnover.

Well done to the players on the night, and for the showing throughout the year where promotion to Division 1 in the League was also secured, and a word for the management team of Stephen Kernan, Paul Hearty, Declan Byrne and Graham Geraghty who have put in countless hours on and off the training pitch this year.

It wasn’t Seneschalstown’s best performance of the year, but they won’t care as their status is secured for another year and having won the Intermediate Championship in 1967, they will play in a 57th consecutive Senior Football Championship in 2025.

Seneschalstown: James Meade, Brian Maguire, Danny Waters, Séimí Byrne, Seán Carey, Woodley Nicholson, Mark Fox (0-01), Donie Commons, Darren O’Brien, Robbie Finnegan, Cathal Hickey (0-01), Ross Howard (0-01), Dylan Keating (0-04), John Smith, Eoin Finnegan (0-02, 1f)

Subs: Niall Hickey for Smith, Cathal Finnegan (0-02, 1f, 1m) for Howard, Liam Dillon for Fox, Alan Mulvany (0-01) for Eoin Finnegan

(Extra-time) Howard for Mulvany, Cormac Carolan for Brian Maguire

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