Kelly on song as old hands just fall short for Gaels

NA FIANNA…2-10

SIMONSTOWN GAELS…0-13

It’s genuinely hard to know where to begin a summary of this enthralling Meath SFC Relegation Final on one of the outfields at Dunganny on Friday evening. With the hallowed turf of Devenish Park, Pitch 6 being reserved for the glut of Championship semi finals to come over the next 48 hours at the current home of Meath GAA.

There was certainly a feeling of sliding doors moments about it. When decorated soldiers Padraig McKeever and the introduced Shane Barry converted consecutive two pointers, it appeared those from the north side of Navan were about to pull off the most unlikely of salvation operations.

Unlikely as it was because the Baconstown/Enfield combination appeared the more efficient and economical at times at mattered most. Yet, there’s a contradiction there too because, when it became obvious that the fulcrum of so many of their operations, Ethan Devine, was uncharacteristically wayward in front of goal.

But, as if to comply with the wild and whirling narrative of the evening’s work, one final Devine delivery going skewith actually turned out to be Na Fianna’s saving grace as the centre forward’s mishit 47m free fell to the introduced Luke Kelly sent a chart topper across to Dan Queeney who put it past Robbie Burlingham to free the people of that black and amber brigade of relegation worries.

Only after the burgeoning Nathan Reilly came within the width of a paint brush of netting the three pointer Tony Dunne’s team needed to earn a replay. But, to give a proper summary of the evening’s work, one would need to acknowledge that Johnny Baldwin’s had had the momentum for long periods and,if taking a more common percentage of the chances they created they would have had a lot more to spare than was the case in reality.

As it was though, Oran Smullen’s fortuitous goal was the most telling factor for majority of the contest. Well, that and the deadly accuracy of Queeney, with the flame haired full forward hitting four points as the Kildare border outfit led by 1-06 to 0-05 with only half an hour of the season left for these two.

Nathan Reilly may well have accounted for Simonstown’s entire tally up to that point but, for long spells he appeared to be fighting the tide on his own, as his team continued to trail by 1-09 to 0-05 with a quarter of an hour at most remaining.

However, than Shane McEnery – a new name to this writer this season – notched a double to reduce the deficit to three and when golden oldies McKeever and Barry quickly followed suit it appeared a quite remarkable volte face had been successfully pulled off.

Remember, though, a wise man once said that those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. Thus, after firstly clipping over a point from a Shane Walsh knockdown by the rising of the moon, the very impressive Luke Kelly appealed to all and sundry to scorn not his simplicity as he jabbed the ball beyond Burlingham to Dan Queeney who capped off a magnificent individual performance and saved the the town they loved so well!

Elation for Enfield and its environs, but a very tough one to take for those from the north side of Navan who – less than a decade ago – were back to back Keegan Cup winners. For so long, in ways on and off the field, they have laid the template which others have followed by way of getting their infrastructure to where it needs to be to be competitive in the modern era.

Friday night was one of the toughest nights for the Proudstown club since their foundation in 1965. But the most important five letters joined together above make a seminal word – proud. Simonstown Gaels are a proud club and, just as they were inspired by bastions like John Howard, Jim Lane and Colm O’Rourke and those now in the boardroom above such as Seamus Heaney and Dessie Gorman and Mickey Clarke.

No doubt the two shades of blue will be inspired by the example of all of those mentioned above and will bounce back to the top table sooner rather than later.

For Na Fianna, having again extricated themselves from the trap door again, they too will know they have the players to suggest and ensure that they don’t end up in that position again.