Jenkinstown Gaels ensured their place in the Final of the Div. 2 Minor Football Championship with a hard earned one point win over St. Oliver’s on a 1-4 to 0-6 score line at Dunderry on Saturday afternoon 24th October.
Jenkinstown Gaels 1-4 St. Oliver’s 0-6
With scores at a premium in difficult conditions it was the Blackhall Gaels/Moynalvey combination side who held the advantage at the break with the game’s only goal separating the sides at half time 1-3 to 0-3.
Jenkinstown Gaels got off to the perfect start finding the net in just the second minute through midfielder Hugh Smith. St. Oliver’s opened their account in the 7th minute with a pointed free.
Adam Murphy pointed for Jenkinstown in the 12th minute and their lead was extended two minutes later when Brian O’Reilly split the uprights when converting a free. Just the goal separated the sides on the quarter hour mark with St. Oliver’s’ midfielder sending over. After some consultation with umpires a James Kelly point was awarded to Jenkinstown Gaels after the ball snuck inside the uprights in the 16th minute, restoring Jenkinstown’s four point advantage again.
A blistering run up the left wing from Adam Murphy almost resulted in a second goal for the Gaels in the 19th minute, only for the effort to blaze across the goal and wide. Both sides added another point to their tallies before half time leaving the goal separating them 1-3 to 0-3 at the interval.
St. Oliver’s second half showing saw then hit three unanswered points to draw the side’s level in the 54th minute. With momentum on their side it looked like the North Meath outfit were set to push on for the win, however half time substitute Hugh O’Sullivan stepped up to send over what turned out to be Jenkinstown Gael’s solitary second half point which turned out to be enough to secure the win after a nervous final few minutes.
Jenkinstown Gaels now take on another side from the opposite end of the county Oldcastle in the final next Saturday afternoon in Pairc Tailteann.
Jenkinstown Gaels: Mark Nichollson, Charlie Staunton, Conor Harnan, Matt Brennan, Scott Tuite, Riann Kealy, Colm O’Connor, Robert Lawless, Hugh Smith (1-0), Sean Duggan, James Kelly (0-1), Adam Murphy (0-1), Sean Healy, Andrew Jackson, Brian O’Reilly (0-1).
Subs used: Hugh O’Sullivan (0-1), John Morris.
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