Summerhill travel to Grangegodden to take on unbeaten Gaeil Colmcilles in the A-League Div 1 game. Once again, for the umpteen time this year the weather was conspiring to ruin the prospects of a good game. The continues rain made ball handling difficult and conditions slippery underfoot.
Summerhill got off to a great started and scored a goal with in a minute of the throw in. A good ball into the goalmouth from Kevin Ryan was claimed by Eamonn McDonnell who calmly found the net from close in. Summerhill added a point soon after from Barry Dardis, again Kevin Ryan been the provider. From the resulting kickout Eamonn McDonnell added another point from a free following a foul on David Larkin to leave Summerhill 1-2 to no score up after just 5 minutes. This early advantage was largely undone in the 7th minute when the home side opened their account with a well taken goal.
Summerhill responded to this setback in fine fashion. Within in minute a Jamie O’Shea shot was unlucky to hit the post and go wide but the resulting kickout was intercepted by Kevin Ryan who quickly played the ball to Barry Dardis who shot goalwards over the head of the retreating Kells keeper. The keeper managed to keep the ball out but Eamonn McDonnell reacted quickest to the loose ball and played it to Kevin Ryan who palmed the ball to the back of the net for Summerhill’s second goal of the game.
The home sides cause was not helped when they picked up a black card in the 12th minute. Summerhill almost added a third goal in the 18th minute when Eamonn McDonnell was denied by the home keeper who deflected his goal bound shot out for a 45 that was duly converted by Barry Dardis. Two more points from Padhraig Geraghty and Eoghan Frayne saw Summerhill extend the lead to 8 points by the 20th minute of the half. The home side added 4 points to their tally in the run up to the break through 3 frees and an effort from play. An Eoghan Frayne free closed out the scoring for the visitors to leave the score at the break Summerhill 2-6 Gaeil Colmcilles 1-4.
The home side opened the scoring in the 2nd half but an Eoghan Frayne point and another 45 from Barry Dardis opened up a 6 point lead by the 6th minute of the half. As the half wore on Summerhill were finding scores hard to come by, thanks to a combination of the worsening conditions and resolute defending from the home team. The home side kept chipping away at the Summerhill lead scoring the last 4 points of the game to close the gap to just 2 points, but the visitors held on to record the win. Final score Summerhill 2-9 Gaeil Colmcilles 1-10
Team: Robbie McDonnell, Jack Bannon, Jack Davies, Ben Moran, Jamie O’Shea, Padhraig Geraghty (0-1), John Lavelle, Adam Flanagan, Kevin Lyons, David Larkin, Eoghan Frayne (0-4, 2f), Kevin Ryan (1-0), Eamonn McDonnell (1-1, 1f), Barry Dardis (0-3, 2 ‘45), Conor Lyons.
Subs: David Dalton for Conor Lyons, Conor Frayne for Kevin Lyons, Conor Ryan for Kevin Ryan.