Seneschalstown 2-19 Dunshaughlin 3-16 (after extra-time)

After 80 minutes of football, Seneschalstown and Dunshaughlin couldn’t be separated in the O’Reilly & Co. Solicitors Under 15 Development Football League Division 2 Final played in Grangegodden in Kells on Saturday afternoon. It was an absorbing, end to end encounter with plenty of scores and excitement and those in attendance won’t complain about getting to watch these sides fight it out for the title again in the replay. PHOTOS

Before proceedings got underway there was a minutes silence for in memory of Karen Geraghty, daughter of Ger Geraghty and sister of Graham.

With the wind behind them in the opening half, Seneschalstown made a quick start with Ciarán Norris kicking the opening point before a tidy move from the Seneschalstown forwards left Eoin Hosie in on goal and the diminutive number eleven coolly dispatched the ball to the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Dunshaughlin got their opening score in the fourth minute but two points in quick succession from Patrick Smith and Shay McMahon opened up an early five point for Seneschalstown which was reduced to four by Dunshaughlin’s second point in eighth minute. Eoin Hosie from play and a James Heery 45’ left Seneschalstown six to the good before the sides went score for score for the remainder of the half.

Dunshaughlin kept plugging away into the wind before Ciarán Norris kicked his second point after 17 minutes. Hosie replied to another Dunshaughlin score in the 21st minute before the youngsters in black and amber got their opening goal of the game but like they had done so all half, Seneschalstown’s response to each Dunshaughlin score was to get one of their own and Michael Cowley got his name on the scoresheet with a point. There was one last of exchange of scores before the interval as Mossie Gillic ensured Seneschalstown had a four point lead at the break with a fine score off his left boot, 1-09 to 1-05.

Dunshaughlin came out at the start of the second half with a renewed purpose and kicked a two pointer in the 34th minute before hitting the Seneschalstown net for the second time to take the lead two minutes later.

Mossie Gillic settled Seneschalstown into the second half with a point and they enjoyed another purple on the back of this. Eoin Hosie kicked a free to edge them ahead once more before Darragh McCoy put them two to the good after he finished off another of the many slick team moves which Seneschalstown put together throughout the game. A Dunshaughlin point in the 43rd minute left the minimum between the sides but there would be a twelve minute scoreless spell after a number of stoppages and missed opportunities from both teams. However, when Seneschalstown broke this scoreless sequence it was done so in spectacular fashion.

With five minutes of normal time to go James Heery collected a pass in his own half and he took off into the space in front of him. The closer he got to goal he met some Dunshaughlin defenders but the midfielder managed to evade them all and was in one on one with the keeper. Heery kept his cool and found the net for his side and now they were four points in front and on course for victory.

Dunshaughlin halved the deficit with two points before the 60 minute mark but Ciarán Norris had Seneschalstown three in front just as six minutes of injury time were signalled.

However Dunshaughlin, after threatening on a couple of occasions finally got in for a goal in the third minute of the additional six and now it looked like Seneschalstown were hanging on.   Both sides had opportunities to win it but neither could convert any of them and thus we were headed for an extra 20 minutes.

Seneschalstown were on the front foot again at the start of extra time with James Heery opening the scoring in the additional twenty minutes. Two scores in quick succession from Ciarán Norris had Seneschalstown 2-16 to 3-10 ahead before Dunshaughlin hit their sole score in the opening half of extra time which left two between them at the change of ends.

After Dunshaughlin were reduced to 14 players on receipt of a black card Seneschalstown looked to be in a good place to kick on. On 74 minutes, Eoin Hosie picked out Mossie Gillic with a superb pass over the top and the wing forward fired over the bar. Dunshaughlin hit back with a point but after further white flags from Norris and Michael Cowley, Seneschalstown lead by four points with time almost up.

To their credit though, Dunshaughlin kept chipping away as the clock entered injury time and point by point they calwed the game back into reach. However, just as everyone thought the full time whistle was going to blow with Seneschalstown a point up, Dunshaughlin fashioned an equaliser just before the end of the game.

When the full time whistle blew, there was confusion for a few minutes about what was next – penalties or a replay, but it was eventually confirmed by county board officials that the sides will have to do it all again at a date and venue yet to be confirmed. If it’s half as good as what was served up in this game, then it will be well worth the admission.

Seneschalstown: Eoin Barry, Cathal Rogers, Ciarán Reilly, Blake Fitzgerald, Luke Kearns, Conor Wyse, Aodhan Finegan, Michael Cowley (0-02), James Heery (1-02, 1 45’), Mossie Gillic (0-03), Eoin Hosie (1-04, 1f), Darragh McCoy,  Shay McMahon (0-01), Ciarán Norris (0-06), Patrick Smith (0-01).

Subs: Jack Colgan, Bobby Darby, Eoin Burke, Eoin Carolan, Matthew McGrane, Eoin Clarke, Leon Egan, Liam O’Connor, Tommy Farrell, James Brogan, Matthew Macken, David Harmon, Adam Morgan, Eoin McCarron, Seán Masterson.

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