Gaeil Colmcille rally to claim impressive win

FEIS CUP

Despite a couple of red cards in the opening half, this Feis Cup opener was a superb advertisement for excellent football as Gaeil Colmcille opened their bid for silverware with a narrow 2-15 to 3-10 victory over visitors Donaghmore/Ashbourne.

With less players on the field, both sides exploited the extra space, but it was Donaghmore/Ashbourne who looked livelier with goals from Michael Deegan and James Redmond boosting them to a 2-5 to 0-7 interval lead.

A third goal from Dylan Brady within 20 seconds of the restart looked to have put Donaghmore/Ashbourne firmly in control, but Gaeil Colmcille kept ticking away and after posting a couple of points they narrowed the deficit further with a goal after 41 minutes from Brian Hanlon.

Just over 11 minutes later Gaeil Colmcille were ahead when they bagged their second goal from Martin Barrett and even though Daragh McGovern, Deegan and Brady added points for Donaghmore/Ashbourne it was the Kells side who impressed as they held on to claim the spoils.

Gaeil Colmcille - Justin Carry-Lynch; Barry Tormay, Paul Tormay, Aaron Browne; Adam Donnelly, Seanie Curran, Adam Muldoon; Phil Ward (0-1), Conal Courtney; Evan Sheridan (0-2), Martin Barrett (1-1), Seamus Mattimoe (0-4); Oisin Reilly (0-1), Ryan Farnham, Danny McGovern (0-2). Subs - Brian Hanlon (1-2), J Reilly (0-2).

Donaghmore/Ashbourne - Jack Hannigan; Conor Carton, Alan Murtagh, Jason Boland; Thomas McGovern, Iarlaith O'Donnell, David Carr; James Redmond (1-0), Colm O Mealoid; Kevin Fenton, Michael Deegan (1-4), Daragh McGovern (0-1); James Crumlish (0-1), Andrew Tormey, Dylan Brady (1-3) Subs - Rodney Jones for Murtagh, Leo Reilly for O Mealoid, Sean Byrne for Fenton, Stephen Carton (0-1) for D McGovern, Luke Wilson for Deegan, Luke Barrett for Redmond.