Battling Seneschalstown send holders crashing

New Meath SFC kingpins will be crowned later this month after holders Summerhill lost out to Seneschalstown (2-8 to 0-10) in Saturday’s quarter-final at Skryne.

The sides were level at 0-3 apiece before Ciaran Macken fired the first goal on 23 minutes and that was immediately followed by a powerful strike from county forward Joe Sheridan, who received a pass from brother Brian.

Seneschalstown overcame an early setback when goalkeeper David Lyons, who picked up an injury in the pre-match kickaround, was forced to hobble off after only four minutes.

The two sides had claimed three of the last five county championships, with Seneschalstown winning out in 2007 and 2009. Summerhill’s defeat means that the sequence of no team retaining the Keegan Cup since Dunshaughlin in 2002 continues.

Seneschalstown led by eight points following the goals and were ahead by 2-5 to 0-5 at the break. Summerhill hit 16 wides in comparison to just six by the winners and Brian Ennis only managed a point from a penalty midway through the second period.

Championship favourites Navan O’Mahonys got the better of town rivals Simonstown Gaels by 1-14 to 0-9 at Páirc Tailteann on Friday night with county forward Stephen Bray scoring seven points, six from play.

They led by 0-7 to 0-5 at the end of a close first half and then the game turned on two incidents at the respective ends near the threequarter mark.

First Simonstown forward Shane Barry fired a shot against the crossbar and immediately O’Mahonys full-back Niall McKeigue got forward to fire to the net and leave his side leading by 1-11 to 0-7.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne earned a semi-final with O’Mahonys when cruising to a 0-17 to 0-8 win over a limited Dunboyne, who were without former International Rules player David Gallagher, in a poor encounter at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening.

With Andrew Tormey and Eoin Reilly prominent in the scoring, Donaghmore/Ashbourne built up a 0-7 to 0-3 interval advantage. Four successive points in the last quarter left them comfortably in control.

Now Donaghmore/Ashbourne manager Sean Kelly can look forward to taking on O’Mahonys, whom he guided to their last SFC triumph in 2008.

Meanwhile, Wolfe Tones claimed the fourth semi-final spot when defeating St Patrick’s by 0-11 to 0-6 at Ashbourne last evening. The losers played most of the game with 14 men with wing-forward Ciaran Calvey receiving a straight red card by referee Pat Nelis after five minutes.

Tones led 0-5 to 0-1 at the break with the Stamullen side not getting on target until first half injury-time when Niall Mooney converted a free. Points from Stephen Sheppard, Alan Fox and Fiachra Ward (free) in the third quarter kept the Kilberry outfit comfortably clear.