Donaghamore/Ashbourne best in poor Game
Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-09, Skryne 0-08
Senior Football Championship. Semi-Final
As mentioned in a previous report ‘Goals win Games’ and once again this proved to be the case in this SFC semi final played in Pairc Tailteann on Sunday. In this game only one was scored but it proved crucial to a Don/Ash win over Skryne in a most disappointing match particularly for the Blues who never remotely looked like the team who had played so well in their last win over Summerhill.
Andrew Tormey scored the vital goal for the Dublin border side just before half time to leave four points between the sides at the break and there was still four between them at the final whistle. Goal chances were few and far between – both sides had two opportunities – Don/Ash took one of theirs but Skryne took none. Therein lies the winning and losing of this game.
Skryne had the benefit of a strong wind in the first half although to be fair the breeze did little to help either side and made scoring very difficult. Skryne scored just three points from placed balls with this wind behind them while Don/Ash scored five when they had it and four of theirs also came from free kicks.
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Ironically all of Skryne’s second half scores came from play and the loss of their free taker Patrick O’Rourke to injury late in the second half didn’t help their cause. But surely just three scores, two frees and one ‘forty five’ in thirty minutes play would never be good enough to win any match, never mind a Senior Semi Final, in any weather conditions – good or bad.
The weather had no bearing on the comedy of defensive errors which led to the only goal of the game and Skryne had at least three attempts at clearing their lines before Tormey finished it to Felim O’Rourkes net.
Having said that it was their defence that kept Skryne in the game as all six of them stepped up to the mark with Donie Ryan and Mark Jordan being particularly impressive. Holding favourites Don/Ash to 1-09 over the hour should have given their forwards a platform to go and win the game. Alas, it wasn’t to be and even though the result was in doubt right up to the final whistle Skryne could not get sufficient scores to trouble a shaky Donaghamore/ Ashbourne side who looked uneasy carrying the favourites tag.
Skryne – Felim O’Rourke. Eoghan Greene, Ciaran Lenehan (0-1), Mark Jordan. Thomas McKeown, Donie Ryan, Niall Lenehan. Aidan Tuite, Harry Rooney. Eoin Smyth, Darragh Campion, Stephen O’Brien. Conor O’Brien, Patrick O’Rourke (0-5), Mark Battersby (0-1).
Subs used – Brian Davis (0-1), Paddy Fox, John Morley and Mark Harrington.
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