The first league game of the season saw Sean Stinton’s travel to Musgrave Park. The game started with a fine and brave catch from Conor O’Doherty. The Gael’s center forward rose between two opponents winning a free from the foul on the way down and landing very hard on his back. Shane Boyle scored the resulting free. The visitors equalised with a well taken point soon after as the match was nip and tuck at the start. Conor King won breaking ball around midfield and a good run by the man of the match Marko Cernick set up Niall Lundy for a tap over. The kind of slack defending that the home side will have to cut out lead to easy frees and two equalisers either side of an Alex Lavery point set up by Paddy O’Boyle. The visitors took a two point lead with well taken scores. A quick team move lead to Nial Lundy through on gaol and the back of the “net” was coolly found. Shane Moran put the ball over the bar to continue his scoring streak before Stinton’s restored the one point deficit. Gaels missed regular spot kicker Mark Boylan as the last of several scorable frees went wide to leave the score 1-4 to 6 points at half time.
A Shane Boyle score stated the second half with a score from the visitors coming soon after – Conor O’Doherty driving at the heart of the defense leaving his team mate in open space. Caolan Lynch, and Paddy O’Boyle set up Alex Lavery to increase the Gaels advantage. O’Doherty turned finisher getting on the end of one of several Cormac O’Hanlon runs. The home side won a lot of break ball around the middle of the field with Conor King and Niall Lundy setting up the lively Alex Lavery for a score with Lundy on the end of a similar move shortly after. Two unnecessary and cheap frees allowed the visiting team to regain some of the deficit and more importantly hope. The two teams exchanged points and the Gaels were under extreme pressure for long periods of the second half –selfless long defensive sprints from Caolan Lynch and brave tackles from full back Finn Mc Kernan saving the day on a number of occasions. Alex Lavery scored another after good work from busy sub Mike Cummings before Shane Boyle won his own ball and score. There were nervy moments in the closing stages and extra time with Stintons scoring a goal to leave the Gaels fighting hard to the last kick to get over the end line by the narrowest of margins.
The final score was 1.12 to 1.11
