Lowly Furze hit form to shock O’Mahony’s

Seneschalstown Navan O’Mahony’s 1-16 0-10

IT has taken them six games, but eventually Seneschalstown picked up their first league win of the year when they turned in a superb performance to overcome the visitors in Fr Tully Park on Sunday morning.

Rooted at the bottom of the table prior to the throw-in following five successive defeats, the Yellow Furze men were in urgent need of picking up that first victory, and following a stirring outing this is exactly what they did as O’Mahony’s were left rocked by a powerful second-half showing from the hosts.

At half-time the game was delicately poised with the sides level, 1-3 to 0-6, with both teams enjoying spells of dominance in what was a very entertaining 30 minutes of football.

The second half was an entirely different affair as Seneschalstown played with an intensity which hadn’t been seen in previous outings as they hassled and harried and in the process racked up a very impressive 0-13, while restricting the Tomás Ó Flatharta-managed O’Mahony’s to just 0-4.

One notable factor in the Seneschalstown performance was that eight players in total managed to register a score from play, including all six starting forwards.

The opening exchanges of the game favoured Navan O’Mahony’s, but not before the industrious wing forward Niall Groome had opened the scoring in the third minute for the hosts.

The visitors soon began to move through the gears and before long had opened up a lead of two points as they picked off scores from Jake Regan, Shane Gillespie and Regan from a free. Robert Wogan, on free-taking duties despite the return to action of Bryan Clarke, opened his account on 18 minutes.

A minute later came the only goal of the hour when James Conlon was picked out with a fine pass from Sean Noonan and he made no mistake as he drilled his effort past Mark Brennan.

Robert Wogan soon landed another point from a free, but by half-time the sides were level as first Jake Regan and then Cormac McGuinness pointed to tie the game up at the break of play.

The ever-accurate Robert Wogan clipped over his third free on the resumption, before rapid-fire points from Niall Groome, Jonathan Gilsenan and James Conlon in the space of four minutes left Seneschalstown in the ascendancy.

Two points in a row from O’Mahony’s saw the margin halved, but Seneschalstown responded impressively as they lofted over four points on the bounce through a brace apiece from Bryan Clarke and Joe Sheridan.

O’Mahony’s responded with two further points, but in the closing 10 minutes it was all Seneschalstown as they pulled clear to win in comfortable fashion. SYDDAN picked up another brace of points in their efforts to pull clear of the relegation zone when overcoming the hosts at Kilskyre.

The home side were seeking their first win, but by the end of the opening quarter after Syddan had raced into a 1-9 to 0-0 lead. Daire Rowe contributed five points in that blistering start, while Fiachra Ross struck for the goal.

Tommy McCullen got the home side off the mark and Mark McCullen had a goal, but by half-time Syddan were 2-13 to 1-2 ahead.

Daire Rowe and Ross kept the scoreboard ticking over, while Cormac Rowe accounted for Syddan’s second goal approaching half-time. Brian Dillon added goal number three, but Syddan didn’t score again until Daire Rowe’s free on 50 minutes. Ballinlough hit five successive points in that spell, four from Peadar Byrne frees.

Daire Rowe took his tally to 1-9 with a penalty, before Mark McCullen goaled for Ballinlough.