St Margarets 7-13 (34) Whitehall Colmcille 7-08 (29)

The Trilla in Strahilla!

7th heaven for Magnificent Maggies in 14 goal epic!

Unbeaten in 15 league games, Maggies end regular season with dramatic victory on a sweltering evening in Ballystrahan!

Div 11 North came to a close this evening with spectacular drama at HQ. What can you say about this particular game? What can you say about this Whitehall Colmcille team who came to thrill!

This was a nothing game in terms of being anything meaningful so the adventure shown by the visitors was immense – Cilles came at Margarets with venom from the throw in. There was no respect shown to their hosts – Cilles threw everything they had at the Margarets goals in the early stages.

It might have been forgiven for Margarets to feel this game was nothing – and that’s how the team defended early doors – as streams and streams of Cilles attacks threatened to spoil the party – Cilles making the Goalie Richie Cantwell work hard to keep goals off the score board – Cantwell making 3 early saves including a penalty!

Margarets however are a team who can easily move through the gears once they feel threatened and notched up 2 early goals with the excellent Neil Mc Guirk and Philly McCarthy lobbing the Cilles goalkeeper. The Margarets forwards were also keeping the scoreboard ticking over with I Smith, Jay Shanahan, Thomas flood and Paul Lumley all getting in on the act early doors.

St Margarets 2-04 (10) Whitehall Colmcille 0-04

I Smith in particular was in scintillating form in the early stages – this man looks in the shape of his life – his movement and razor harp accuracy a huge boost to this Margarets front line.

Due to the extreme heat, we had water breaks in these halves and the 1st water break seemed to help Cilles come to grips with their collage of early chances. At the restart, Cilles once more laid into this Margarets defence and runner after runner piled through missed tackle after missed tackle resulting in 3 first goals – Cilles excellent forwards relentlessly making space for the half forward runners to get one on one chances which they finished with considerable style! Cilles were in no mood for points!

St Margarets 2-04 (10) Whitehall Colmcille 3-04 (16)

Margarets pulled a goal back with the sensational Drew Barnwell and 4 further points from Shanahan, Nugent, Barnwell and McGuirk steadied the ship a little –

We witnessed a special moment in the this half – when I Smith – a natural left footer – had the audacity to not only score with his left but scored a beauty with his right! Smith also added a goal to his days contribution – the potential of this man in the upcoming championship!

This was a half akin to 2 heavy weights slugging punches at one another – the half time whistle put an end to a frantic first half!

Half time finished  St Margarets 4-06 (18) Whitehall Colmcille 4-04 (16)

You might have expected Margarets to react to the first half scare but that is not what unfolded – Cilles once again found a source of boundless energy from somewhere. The roll in / roll off sub mechanism for this came was possibly the reason – Cilles having a superb bench and using it to full effectiveness !

Cilles half backs and midfield pounded the Margarets defence phase after phase with frantic running, accurate short passing and killer instinct in front of goal – Cilles scoring 2 goals and 2 points in this 5 minute spell directly after half time! Margarets were rattled!

St Margarets 4-06 (18) Whitehall Colmcille 4-06 (18)

Margarets could hardly get out of their own half – but they have leaders in all positions – and midfielders Gearoid Farrell and Philly McCarthy super fielding kept Margarets ticking over and moving up the field – these midfield beasts (all season) vital to dampening Cilles momentum!

Margarets kept the score board ticking over and 4 unanswered points from Lumley, Nugent, Shanahan, Nugent and a super goal from McGuirk steadied the ship!

St Margarets 4-10 (22) Whitehall Colmcille 4-06 (18)

Both teams were praying for the 2nd half water break – and so it came! Coach Robert Byrne using this chance to unload his bench! The warrior Martin Lumley stepping into Goals – great to see this man back in action after several weeks out!

The final 15 minutes of this game were incredible – both teams realising that there was realistically nothing at stake and just went at one another punch for punch! It’s hard to understand where Cilles energy came from but they kept it up until the final minutes – scoring 2 goals directly after the water break!

St Margarets 4-10 (22) Whitehall Colmcille 6-06 (24)

Margarets fought back with 2 super goals from intricate moves and well taken goals from C Nugent and P Lumley

St Margarets 6-10 (28) Whitehall Colmcille 6-06 (24)

It was all Cilles in the final 10 minutes – and a goal and 2 points momentarily put Cilles in the lead with 8 minutes remaining!

St Margarets 6-10 (28) Whitehall Colmcille 7-08 (29)

But as has been the case in all 15 games this year, the beast when threatened – knows when to react – and a goal from S Kennedy and 2 super cool points from J Nugent and P Lumley saw this fixture out!

The Trilla in Strahilla had come to a close – what a breathless 60 minutes of football!

Final score St Margarets 7-13 (34) Whitehall Colmcille 7-08 (29)

Scorers

P. Lumley 1-02
J Byrne 0-01
J. Shanahan 0-01
Thomas Flood 1-01
Ciaran Nugent 0-02
D. Barnwell 1-01
N. McGuirk 2-02
P McCarthy 1-0
J Nugent 0-1
I Smyth 1-02

Team

R Cantwell (M Lumley)
R Lumley | T Kennedy | B Conaty
S Flood | J Kennedy | C Bruton (I Smyth)
G Farrell | P McCarthy
D Barnwell (S Kennedy) | N McGuirk (A Lenehan) | J Shanahan (J Nugent)
P Lumley | T Flood (J Byrne) | A Conaty (D Cowley)

Well done to everyone on this squad this year – and it can’t be emphasised enough – but a squad contributed to this effort!

Na Fianna 1-6 St Margaret’s 4-10
Garristown 0-12 St Margaret’s 3-5
St Margaret’s 1-8 Ballymun 1-8
Na Gaeil Aeracha 0-1 St Margaret’s 3-13
St Margaret’s 2-10 Man O War 3-7
St Pats (Donabate) [W/O – Margarets] St Margaret’s
St Maurs 0-9 St Margaret’s 3-12
St Margaret’s 2-12 Naomh Mearnog 0-12
St Margaret’s 4-16 Scoil Ui Chonaill 2-4
St Margaret’s 4-15 St Monica’s 1-3
St Margaret’s 2-16 Erin’s Isle 1-13
St Peregrines 3-8 St Margaret’s 2-19
St Margaret’s 3-9 Round Towers (Lusk) 3-6
St Oliver Plunketts 0-2 St Margaret’s 6-16
St Margaret’s 7-13 Whitehall Colmcilles 7-08

Total – 76 goals, 189 points

Every single player can look at moments they’ve contributed to – and that was the key! There were loads of hairy moments along the way – the battles against Garristown, Ballymun, Man O War, Mearnog, Isles, St Peregrines, Lusk and tonights came against this thrilling Cilles side – could have gone either way – but they always found a way through somehow!

Next up for this team is a Div 11 playoff against St Judes following in August by the championship! Has this side peaked? Has their season ended last night? Or can they regroup, take stock, refocus – and make a great season a historic one? Only time will tell – but there’s one thing for sure – coach Robert Byrne and his management team of Micheal Kennedy, James Fitzgerald will have this squad well prepared!

Good luck to Nigel Kennedy and his team in tomorrows promotion play-off against St Marys in Saggart 11am – all support welcome!

Chatter

Div 11 North on Reservoir Dubs

Results

Live results here

Table

Live table here

Photos

Above photos & videos at https://photos.app.goo.gl/cys7a5yKGScAeMhT7

Thanks to Eamonn Smyth for taking the official photos of the evening – photos by Eamonn below

All official photos by Eamonn Smyth at https://eamonnsmythphotography.pixieset.com/stmargaretsgaa/ (enter YOUR email address to access, enter PIN 5359 to download)