Skryne took to the field in this Championship clash against Oldcastle on Sunday afternoon 19th August in their home ground FatherMcManus Park but came up short on this occasion. From previous meetings of the sides we expected this to be a close encounter and that is how it turned out right up to the final whistle. The game was played in fine conditions with the temperature hovering around 20° and a slight to moderate breeze blowing in favour of the visitors in the opening half.
Oldcastle were first off the mark when they struck a fine point from play in the 1st minute, however, this was more than cancelled out when Skryne midfielder Catriona Keoghan found the back of the Oldcastle net a minute later to put the home side in front at this early stage. The 4th minute saw match referee Tom Larton award a penalty to Oldcastle but unfortunately for the visitors they saw their penalty effort go wide of the posts. The visitors made up for this to some extent in the 6th minute when they struck a point from play followed by another pointed attempt a minute later to level the scores.
Skryne were determined to halt the progress of the visiting side and this they did when County player and Skryne centre forward Colleen Jordan had a fine point from play after a dashing run from midfield. The next assault on the Oldcastle goal saw Michelle Whelan the Tara sides’ full forward find the back of the net in the 8th minute but much to the disappointment of the home crowd the goal was disallowed.
Oldcastle were themselves in a determined mood when they responded almost immediately with a point from play followed on the 10th minute with another pointed effort to keep themselves well in the game. The next few minute saw the home side guilty of some poor shot selection when they sent three attempts wide of the uprights.
The visitors were fighting hard but saw an attempt at goal denied by excellent goalkeeping on the part of Onagh Morley minder of the Skryne net before they had a further point this time from a placed ball on the 15th minute of the half. The Tara sides’ keeper was again called into the action when she pulled off another goal line save a minute later to keep the visitors at bay.
Oldcastle at this stage were pressing hard and this pressure yielded two further points from play to leave their team ahead, 0-8 to 1-1 on the 18th minute. We were now entering the final ten minutes of the half with the home side pressing hard to narrow the gap before the break. The 20th minute saw a well worked move from The Tara side result in a point from play from half forward Melanie Kirwan, followed minutes later by a goal from Colleen Jordan, when she found the roof of the opponents net, to put Skryne right back into the game on level scores.
The visitors were soon back in front when they rattled the Skryne net on the 24th minute to open up a three point gap. The Tara side responded to this in fine style when corner forward Eimear O’Brien struck an excellent point from play followed on the 26th minute by a further point for the home side coming from the boot of Colleen Jordan, to leave the minimum between the sides in the closing minutes of the half. The 27th minute saw the side’s level when half forward for the home side Saoirse McGrath took a well directed pass from half back Eimear Finnerty and made no mistake when she split the uprights. As we said earlier we had expected a close encounter and this is exactly what we were getting with little quarter asked or given. Oldcastle found themselves back in front in the 28th minute when they had a point from play to keep the pressure on the Tara side. The home side spurned a goal scoring opportunity a minute later when they saw an attempt in front of goal go inches wide of the post. The Skryne side saw two further opportunities to draw level go amiss when they failed to find the target before Oldcastle missed a point scoring opportunity of their own on the 32nd minute to leave he scores at the break:
Oldcastle 1 – 9. Skryne 2 – 5.
The second half started with the home side trailing by a point and the wind at their backs. Oldcastle missed an opportunity to stretch their lead on the 33rd minute when they failed to convert a close range free kick. Skryne responded to the visitors missed opportunity on the 35th minute when the back in form Saoirse McGrath found Melanie Kirwan with a well aimed pass. Melanie made no mistake when she finished to the visitors net to put the Tara side two points to the good and the game back in the melting pot. Skryne now sensed an opportunity to push further ahead and this they did when Colleen Jordan had a point from play on the 36th minute.
The next four minutes saw the Taraside send three opportunities wide of the uprights foregoing the opportunity to get a right grip on the game. Oldcastle now sensed they were still in with a real fighting chance and they finished to the back of the home sides net on the 41st minute to draw level. It was now game on with both sides determined to stamp their authority on the game but either side finding it very difficult to forge ahead. The clashes on the field were intense with the sides refusing to yield an inch. The home side missed a further chance to go ahead on the 44th minute when they had a point scoring opportunity go right of the upright.
The visitors next got into the missed opportunity act when they wasted four point scoring chances between the 48th and the 56th minutes. The dynamic Colleen Jordan stepped up next for Skryne when she struck a memorable point from play to put her side a point to the good. The Oldcastle response was another missed opportunity for a point on the 57th minute before they converted a free kick to again restore parity between the sides. Although we were in the closing stages on the watch there was a lot of injury time to be played as there had been a number of stoppages in this half.
It is often said that goals win matches and this was definitely true on this occasion. The next three minutes saw the home side guilty of some dreadful defending when on the 59th minute they conceded a very sloppy goal. This was followed within a minute by the concession of a point by the home side and the 62nd minute saw the game over as a contest when theTara side conceded a further goal.
In all fairness to the home side they refused to throw in the towel and the 66th minute saw Skryne awarded a free kick on the 21 yard line. Up stepped Colleen Jordan with only one thing on her mind and in this she succeeded when she placed the free kick into the roof of the Oldcastle net. However, time ran out for Skryne when the final whistle sounded leaving Oldcastle winners on a final score line:
Skryne 4 – 7. Oldcastle 4 – 11.
Skryne Team: Onagh Morley; Megan O’Brien, Niamh Lynch, Aoife Swan; Niamh O’Brien, Orla Cragie, Eimear Finnerty; Catriona Keoghan{1 – 0}, Kate Moore; Melanie Kirwan{1 – 1}, Colleen Jordan{2 – 4}, Saoirse McGrath{0 – 1}; Eimear O’Brien{0 – 1}, Michelle Whelan, Eimear Clarke.
