Simonstown 0—10 Ratoath 1-7 .
Unbeaten League table toppers Ratoath and current Keegan Cup holders just about escaped from Simonstown with their record intact after this 9th round League game in Simonstown on Tuesday evening. With Simonstown leading by 3 points in the 3rd minute of second half injury time ,Andrew Gerrard levelled the score with a three pointer to the roof of the net.
Bryan McMahon had a later chance with free to snatch a win but it drifted wide.
The first half was a cat and mouse affair with both teams defending in numbers,retaining possession and probing for openings with patience and hence the low scoring.
Jimmy Heaney open the scoring for Simons with a long distance point in second minute. Ratoath levelled in 6th minute. Ratoath went ahead with a point on 15th and Padraig McKeever levelled with a free a minute later. Eoghan Gough put the Navan men ahead but Ratoath relied to leave the score 0—3 to 0—3 with 24 minutes played. Simons started to dominate with Shane Barry ( returning from injury) fetching a number of high balls in midfield resulting with two more points from Gough and one from Shane McEnery that sent Simons to the dressing room at half time leading 0—6 to 0—4.
Second half started as the first with Jimmy Heaney landing another fine point.. Ratoath tagged on two (1f) to leave the score 0—7 to 0—6 with 10 second half minutes on the clock. Eoghan Gough pointed again after travelling half the length of the field for his fourth point from play. Ben Hoey making a welcome return after along spell out with injury pointed a free and Mark Devlin from corner back joined the attack and fisted over to put Simonstown 0—10 to 0—7 up 31 second half minutes played. Andrew Gerrard then found the the net to draw the match. A very good result for a young inexpierenced Simons team. Next up is a clash with second in the league table Summerhill in Simonstown on Tuesday evening.
Simons**Robbie Burlingham...Mark Devlin (0—1), Stephen Moran, Mark Gardiner... Jimmy Heaney (0—2), Josh Carolan, Aaron Chinchilla,....Shane Barry, Briain Conlon....David McKeever, Padraig McKeever (0—1)1f, David Kavanagh....
Aaron Farrelly, Eoghan Gough (0--4), Shane McEnery (0—1)....
Subs*** Brian McGrath / D.Kavanagh....Luke Caffrey / S.McEnery...Ben Hoey (0—1)f / D.McKeever....Peter Duffy / A.Farrelly...
Extended Panel;;Shane.T Gallagher...Eoghan Foley..Jack Melia...Cody Chinchilla...Liam Purvis...Ruairi Brady...Shane Kavanagh..Sean O Connell..
Ratoath****Cian O Farrell..Liam Kelly, Conor McGill, Callum Brady....Brian O Connor,Brian Daly, Jack Gillespie...Keith McCabe, Andrew Gerrard...Conor Rooney, Bobby O Brien, Cian O Brien.....Padraig Byrne, Bryan McMahon, Ronan Byrne..
