Jim Kelly rolls back the years with a vintage show
On a day when younger brother Gary was confirmed for a World Cup spot, his older brother Jim rolled back the years with a vintage performance on Saturday evening at the Meath League headquarters in Navan, starring as Duleek Gate completed a marvellous double. They beat Dunshaughlin 3-0 in the Excel Print final.
As his skipper, Packie Kirwan, remarked afterwards, ‘ he may not do that much running during a game but he still has the old Cantona touch.’
Kelly, playing at centre forward, displayed some superb skills, firing weighted balls to both sides of the area and had a hand in two of the three goals, scoring the other one himself.
Dunshaughlin were always going to be up against it and once Kelly got going there was no way back.
After eight minutes Packie Kirwan supplied the excellent through ball for Kelly to run on and beat the advancing keeper with ease.
With John Hartnett calling loudly and forcefully at the back, the Gate rarely looked like conceding a goal, Kenneth Woods instrumental in a solid defence.
After 26 minutes the game was all but up. John Hartnett found Kelly ghosting down the left and his cross to the near post was met by Gareth Ryan for Gate’s second.
A fine save by Patrick Reilly kept Gate’s clear advantage in tact on 31 minutes as Paul Kirwan and Robbie Wade continued to push forward and on 67 minutes came the insurance score, Kelly once more threading the ball’ through for Martin Kelly to race to the byline and his cross was deflected into the path of Fergus Reynolds who made no mistake.
Duleek Gate: Patrick Reilly, Paul Kirwan, Robbie Wade, John Hartnott, Kenneth Woods, Packie Kirwan, Martin Kelly, Brendan O’Connell, Jim Kelly, Fergus Reynolds, Garelh Ryan. Subs; Stephen Campbell for O’Connell, Martin Thornton for M.Kelly.