Friday night championship focus plus Sat/Sun changes
Seneschalstown got off to a winning start in the Meath SFC tonight at Skryne when they survived a serious Rathkenny test and emerged with a hard-earned 2-9 to 0-12 victory.
Under siege would be a good way to describe the last 10 minutes from a Seneschalstown perspective or so as Rathkenny went in search of scores that could have won the game.
Seneschalstown were ahead by 2-8 to 0-10 when they lost Damien Sheridan to a red card with six minutes remaining and they could also have lost another player soon after - both incidents involved tackles on Rathkenny's Donal Keogan and gave the Rathkenny supporters plenty of reasons to feel hard-done by.
However, Rathkenny also kicked three frees from around 20 metres wide in the closing minutes and must accept responsibility for the reversal with that abysmal finishing.
Seneschalstown were ahead by 1-5 to 0-6 at the interval with the goal coming from Brian Sheridan's 18th minute penalty (see video clip) and they increased that to 2-5 to 0-6 with a Bryan Clarke goal a minute into the second-half.
Rathkenny kept battling back and were always well in the game, but the failure to convert any of those three late frees is ultimately what cost them at least a draw.
In the other SFC game tonight at Duleek, Skryne defeated Blackhall Gaels by 1-15 to 0-7, Skryne were ahead by 1-7 to 0-2 at half-time with Neil Burke scoring the goal.
In the IFC at Simonstown there was a 5-14 to 1-7 victory for St Colmcille's against Syddan. St Colmcille's were ahead by 1-7 to 1-3 at the interval.
CHANGES DUE TO WEATHER
SATURDAY
IFC
Curraha v Dunderry will now be played in Stamullen
at 4.30pm. VENUE CHANGE ONLY.
JFC
Bective v Skryne will now be played in Castletown
at 5.00pm. VENUE CHANGE ONLY
JUNIOR B
Boardsmill v Dunderry wil now be played in Stamullen
at 6.00pm. VENUE CHANGE ONLY.
SUNDAY
JFC
Kilmainhamwood v Dunshaughlin will now be played
in Grangegodden at 12-noon. VENUE CHANGE ONLY