Furze are denied by Melia double
Donaghmore 1-12 Sen’chalst’n 1-11
JOE SHERIDAN returned from Fiji for his first game of the year but was unable to help his side produce a shock in this SFC tie at Stamullen last Saturday.
Seneschalstown, though, gave a good account of themselves against their much more fancied opponents and were a trifle unfortunate not to have taken something from the game.
The outcome could have been different had Bryan Clarke’s third-quarter penalty went under the bar instead of over it. It was in that period that the game was won and lost as the Ashbourne men struck for their all-important goal.
The goal came from former county player Andrew Tormey, making his comeback following a long lay-off with a cruciate injury. Tormey was introduced at the start of the second half and soon made an impact, getting on the end of a long delivery from Paul Gilligan to finish to the net. He followed that score with a point from long range.
Ashbourne enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, with the McGovern twins Darragh and Thomas prominent in the scoring, while Paul Gilligan was also on target.
However, the Yellow Furze men gradually got into contention following their slow start, with Robert Wogan unerring from placed balls and young Cathal Finnegan finding the back of the Ashbourne net.
Big Joe announced his comeback with a terrific point from out near the sideline and at half-time the sides were level - 1-5 to 0-8.
Boosted by that Tormey goal, Ashbourne regained the initiative in the third quarter and they almost had a second goal, but Mark Fox made a terrific off-theline clearance.
With Cathal Finnegan (two), Sheridan, Wogan and Clarke all accounting for points Seneschalstown hit back to be on course to causing a shock in the closing stages. They did manage to regain parity, but a brace of points from Shane Melia proved crucial at the final whistle. DONAGHMORE/ASHBOURNE: Jack Hannigan; Jack Giles, Cormac McGill, JP Casserly; Conor Carton, Thomas McGovern 0-1, Paul Gilligan 0-1; Shane Melia 0-2, Conor Carey; Colm O’Mealoid, Bryan Menton, Darragh McGovern 0-5; Dylan Brady 0-1, Kevin Lanigan, Leo Reilly 0-1. Subs: Jack McCarney for Casserly, Cathal Field for Carey, Andrew Tormey 1-1 for Lanigan, James Crumlish for Reilly.
SENESCHALSTOWN: David Gordon; Mark Fox, John Smith, Brian Maguire; Niall Groome, Joe Cowley, Niall McCabe; Niall Hickey, Stephen Finnegan; Adam Carey, Joe Sheridan 0-2, Bryan Clarke 0-4; Cathal Finnegan 1-2, Niall Lyons, Robert Wogan 0-3. Subs: James Meade for Lyons, Sean Noonan for McCabe, Dylan Keating for Wogan. TWO of the sides less fancied to make it to the knockout stages from Group C of the SFC clashed in the second game at Stamullen last Saturday and it was St Colmcille’s who gave their prospects a boost following a deserved victory.
The east Meath side failed to record a win in their first year back in the senior grade but avoided the relegation play-off on score difference. Rathkenny’s only win in 2017 was against Duleek-Bellewstown who subsequently lost their senior status, so this was a crucial tie for both.
With 40 minutes of the game played there was little to choose between the teams, who had earlier been level on five different occasions. At that stage a share