Gaeil Colmcille survive as Seasiders drift towards relegation

SFC RELEGATION SEMI-FINAL

Gaeil Colmcille.................. 1-1-8 (13)

St Colmcille’s...................... 1-0-3 (6)

SEAN WALL

THERE was a collective sigh of relief from the Gaeil Colmcille camp after they secured their senior status following this clear-cut victory in the first of the SFC relegation semi-finals at Seneschalstown on Wednesday evening.

And while the Kells men were clearly the superior side throughout they made life difficult for themselves at times before eventually putting the east Meath outfit to the sword with a late burst that yielded three unanswered points in the final 10 minutes.

For large portions of both halves it wasn’t difficult to understand why these two teams were fighting to avoid the drop from senior ranks. Gaeil Colmcille led 1-7 to 0-2 at half-time against their wasteful opponents but they didn’t add to their tally until the 55th minute and at that stage had left the door ajar ever so slightly for their opponents who had reduced the deficit to four points by the 40th minute.

However St Colmcille’s were in no mood to take advantage of Gaeil Colmcille’s shortcomings in that second half. They simply hadn’t the firepower to seriously trouble their opponents and looked a deflated outfit long before the final whistle.

It was in the opening half when they game was won and lost. Gaeil Colmcille were by far the more enterprising of the two teams as they gradually built up a match winning lead with some inventive passages that yielded a number of fine scores.

Midfielder Seamus Mattimoe fisted Gaeil Colmcille into the lead within 30 seconds and Aaron Browne doubled their advantage on seven minutes. They didn’t add to their tally until Liam Ferguson pointed on 20 minutes and by that stage St Colmcille’s had squandered numerous opportunities to kick-start their challenge.

All the Seasiders had to show for their efforts in the opening quarter was six wides. They dropped another effort short before David Bell had them off the mark from a close range free on 23 minutes. Bell also accounted for their other score of the half from another free and the wide tally had stretched to eight by half-time.

Ferguson’s delivery set up Andrew Gormley for the Gaeil Colmcille goal and Seamus Mattimoe added a point before 'keeper Barry Farrelly hit the score of the half, a wonderful two-point effort from the left wing. Farrelly had earlier kicked a two-point free but it was disallowed after linesman Andrew Smith spotted that the 'keeper had stolen a yard or two. A pointed free from Gormley left eight between the teams’ at the break.

St Colmcille’s erratic finishing continued in the third quarter as Liam Stafford had their only point from play on 37 minutes. Three minutes later they were back in the game when Ruairi O’Grady bundled a Cormac O’Donoghue delivery over the goal line to give his side renewed hope.

St Colmcille's though were unable to gain momentum from that goal and Gaeil Colmcille gave them every chance as they too shot a number of poor wides.

Farrelly from a free eventually had his side off the mark in the second half and they closed out the game with further points from Ajay Tormey and Brian Hanlon in the third of five added minutes.

Full credit to the Seneschalstown club who put on an impeccable show for the game, including a programme, team and substitutes announcements as well as a large posse of stewards for traffic management.

Gaeil Colmcille – Barry Farrelly (0-3 one two-point, one free); Barry Tormay, Rian Early, Adam Muldoon; Jonny Quigley, Jordan Muldoon, John Gormley; Liam Ferguson (0-1), Seamus Mattimoe (0-2); Aaron Browne (0-1), Ajay Tormey, Liam Barry; Andrew Gormley (1-1 one free), Shane Callaghan, Oisin Reilly. Subs – Brian Hanlon (0-1) for Browne 44m, Ryan Farnham for Tormey 48m, Dan Farrelly for Reilly 56m, Tormey (0-1) for Mattimoe 58m, Bruno Griffin for Quigley 62m.

St Colmcille’s – Andrew Beakey; Cathal Monaghan, Luke O’Brien, Liam Leahy; Stephen Breen, Sean O’Donoghue, Luke Conlon; Evan Breen, Ruairi O’Grady (1-0); Eoin Gillick, Liam Stafford (0-1), David Bell (0-2 two frees); Cormac O’Donoghue, Ben Brennan, Aaron Grant. Subs – Shaun Leonard for O’Donoghue 43m, James McCullen for E Breen 48m, Luke Hanan for S Breen, Graham Reilly for Conlon both 50m.

Referee – Patrick Coyle (Curraha).