Summerhill welcomed Donaghmore Ashbourne on Tuesday evening for our final game in the A-League Div1A. Summerhill knew that only a win would give them any chance of making the league final. Summerhill started brightly scoring the first three points of the game which two Barry Dardis frees and a point from David Larkin. By the 19 minutes with the home side were leading four points to three the visitors struck for the first goal of the game when Brian Menton managed to get his fingertips to a ball to get it past the Summerhill goalkeeper. The Ashbourne side finished the half strongly scoring their second goal on the stroke of half time to leave the halftime score Donaghmore Ashbourne 2-5 Summerhill 0-6.

The visitors opened the scoring in the second half to stretch their lead 6 before Summerhill struck for the first goal. A good run forward by cornerback Ben Moran who found Eammon MacDonnell who squared the ball to the in running Kevin Ryan who dispatched the ball to the back of the net to reduce the gap to just three points. Ashbourne responded well to this set back scoring the next two points to extend their lead out again. And Eamonn McDonnell free cut the gap again and in the 18th minute Summerhill struck for their second goal to put them right back in the game. A long ball from Conor McNally was knocked down by MacDonnell to Adam Flanagan who palmed the ball to the back of the net. This goal cut lead to a single point with 14 minutes left on the clock. Unfortunately, however this was to be the home side’s last score of the game. With the game finely balance it would be another 12 minutes before the next score with both sides missing a number of scoring chances. Finally with time running out the visitors added two  late points in the 29th and 30th minutes to seal the win. Final score Donaghmore\Ashbourne 2-10 Summerhill 2-7.

In the end the result proved to be irrelevant as St Colmcilles beat St Peters which guaranteed them a place in the league final meaning that Summerhill finished a creditable third in the league. All eyes now turn to the championship in a few weeks’ time and our first championship match against Ballinabrackey.

Team: Tony McDonald, Padraig Jennings, Iarla Hughes, Ben Moran, Adam MacDonnell, John Lavelle, Jamie O’Shea, Adam Flanagan (1-0), Kevin Lyons, David Larkin (0-1), Eamonn Ryan, Kevin Ryan (1-0), Eamonn McDonnell (0-2, 2f), Barry Dardis (0-4, 3f), Liam Shaw.

Subs: Eoghan Jennings for Adam McDonnell, Conor Ryan for Barry Dardis, Conor McNally for Kevin Lyons, Mark Donoghue for Padraig Jennings.

 

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