Late surge seals Simonstown top spot

Simonstown scored the last three points to take victory in their clash with St Colmcille's

Simonstown 1-14

St Colmcille’s 2-10

Simonstown just edged out St Colmcille’s by the narrowest of margins to claim the top spot in the SFC Group C on Thursday evening under the lights at Skryne. Both sides had already safely secured their place in the quarter-finals, however top spot, in theory, gives Simonstown an easier task as all first-place finishers in the group stage avoid each other in the next round. It was a real see-saw affair and the sides were level on eight different occasions throughout the contest writes Tom Gannon.

Simonstown, in general, played a more threatening style of football than their counterparts, particularly in the first-half. However, a 29th-minute St Colmcille’s goal coupled with some wayward shooting from the Navan-based outfit, gave the Cille’s a three-point advantage at the break.

Shortly after the restart, the sides traded goals as St Colmcille’s maintained their three-point advantage. It was Simonstown who were more accurate in front of the posts during the closing stages. Aaron Farrelly levelled the contest before a 64th-minute free from Ben Hoey edged Simonstown ahead.

The eventual match winner, Hoey, got the scoring underway in the contest with a lovely score from a wide angle. It took St Colmcille’s some time to settle into the clash but they eventually responded through Jack Reynolds.

Both sides landed a few jabs at either end with Ben Brennan, Reynolds and Eoghan McCloughlan getting on the scoresheet for St Colmcille’s while the full forward line of Farrelly, Padraig McKeever and Eoghan Gough all added to Simonstown’s tally and after 25 minutes the sides were level with five points apiece.

Cathal Hillard put St Colmcille’s a point up and shortly after the Seasiders gave themselves a massive boost when Jack Reyold’s effort fell short and into the path of McCloughlan who did well to get the final touch and fist to the back of the Simonstown net.

Hoey pulled one back for Simonstown but St Collmcille’s still went in at the break holding an advantage of 1-6 to 0-6.

The second half kicked off with McKeever trading scores with Liam Stafford before Sean Conlon played through Farrelly who calmly sidestepped Cille’s netminder Andrew Beakey and finished to the back of the net to draw the sides level once more.

Almost immediately St Colmcilles responded and, in an almost carbon copy of his first-half goal, McLoughlan once again was quickest to react to a shot that dropped short to find the back of the Simonstown net to once again put St Colmcille’s three points to the good.

Within three minutes Simonstown wiped out that lead courtesy of points from Hoey, McKeever and Farrelly. Keeping in tune with the rest of the encounter, St Colmcille’s once again took back control of momentum with a free from Brennan and a point from Matthew Breen.

in what transpired to be St Colmcille’s final point, Brennan traded scores with Simonstown sub-Luke Caffery. A point each for both of Simonstown’s corner forwards, Gough and Farrelly levelled the contest for the eighth and final time before Hoey slotted a free deep into injury time to secure Simonstown the win and top spot in Group C.

Simonstown – Robbie Burlingham; Mark Devlin, Michael Gavin, Aaron Chinchilla; Eddie Nash, Brian Conlon, Stephen Moran; Sean Conlon, Tadgh Hanrahan; Shane McEnery, Josh Carolan, Ben Hoey (0-5, one free); Aaron Farrelly (1-3), Padraig McKeever (0-3, three frees), Eoghan Gough (0-2). Subs – Shane Barry for Hanrahan 42m, Shane Gallagher for Moran 46m, Luke Caffery (0-1) for McEnery 48m.

St Colmcille’s – Andrew Beakey; Adam Lynch, Carl Mullen, Cathal Monaghan; Matthew Breen (0-1), Liam Stafford (0-1), Oisin Brennan; Evan Breen, Ruiari O’Grady; Cathal Hillard (0-1), Sean O’Donoghue, Shaun Leonard; Eoghan McCloughlan (2-1), Ben Brennan (0-4, four frees), Jack Reynolds (0-2, two frees). Subs – Oisin McAleenan for Leonard 36m, David O’Byrne for O‘Grady 42m, Luke Hanan for Reynolds 49m, Danny Ehchoya for McCloughlan 57m, David Bell for O’Donoghue 60m.

Referee – David Gough (Slane).