Skryne demolished by Gaeil Colmcille
Gaeil Colmcille 3-18 Skryne 0-05
Fairyhouse Steel Meath GAA Senior Football Championship Group A, Round 4
While Gaeil Colmcille were favourites to win this match, many Skryne supporters who made the trip to Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening harbored ideas that Skryne could do a job on the Kellsmen and all but ensure a safe route to the quarterfinals of the Championship. They have had a good recent record against the Kellsmen in big games, winning their championship clash in last year’s competition and also the A League title in 2018 following a thrilling encounter. However, the same Skryne supporters left Pairc Tailteann scratching their heads as they digested a most unSkryne like performance. Skryne are a club who are renowned for fighting to the death, having a never say die attitude. They are a team that no-one likes to face, because they know they’ll meet a stern challenge. These characteristics were strangely missing on Saturday evening as Kells met little or no resistance in a second half that saw them outscore Skryne by 3-11 to 2 points, while playing much of the second half with a man less than Skryne. In fact things could have been much worse for Skryne as Kells had a return of only 1 point from 2 penalty kicks. There is no doubt that Gaeil Colmcille are one of the best, if not thee best team in the county at the moment, but Skryne are much better than Saturday’s result suggests.
The opening half was a tight affair with Skryne dominating possession in the early stages, but it took until the 11th minute for Skryne to raise a white flag with Harry Rooney converting after a trademark burst through the heart of the Kells defence. ‘Beano’ Hanlon had already converted a free for Gaeil Colmcille, so honours were even at this stage. Hanlon added 2 more for Kells, one a free, before Fionn Reilly was fouled in the Skryne penalty area and Brian Hanlon’s spot kick was brilliantly kept out by Ian Gillett. Hanlon did convert a 45 to stretch the Kells lead. Paddy O’Rourke and Conor O’Brien cut this lead to just 1 point. Kells responded well with points Evan Sheridan and the impressive duo of Fionn and Oisin Reilly. Kells were reduced to 14 men on the stroke of half time when Cormac Keegan received his marching orders for punching Paddy O’Rourke after the pair tangled while contesting the ball. Skryne were well in the game as the half time whistle blew and with the numerical advantage would have hoped to kick on in the second half. Half time score Gaeil Colmcille 0-07, Skryne 0-03.
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To say that the second half didn’t go to plan is an understatement. Skryne simply didn’t come out of the dressing room in the second half. Paddy O’Rourke did point a free for Skryne 3 minutes into the half but from then on Kells completely dominated the half. Niall Morley who entered the fray midway through the half was Skryne’s only other scorer. Skryne also lost Robbie Clarke to a second yellow card as the game entered the closing stages. Other than that, there was little to report on the second half from a Skryne perspective.
Skryne have shown in the recent past that they are capable of producing big performances when they need it and they will need to produce a big performance against neighbours Dunshaughlin if they are to have any chance of making the quarter finals.
Skryne: Ian Gillett; Robbie Clarke, Mark Harrington, Niall Lenehan; Eoin Smyth, Stephen O’Brien, Eoghan Greene; Harry Rooney(0-1), Ciaran Lenehan; Conor O’Brien(0-1), Darragh Campion, Ian Davis; Colm Doherty, Paddy O’Rourke(0-2, 2fs), Mark Battersby.
Subs: Patrick Fox, Ronan McCabe, Michael Doherty, Niall Morley(0-1), David Carroll, Jason Reddy.
Gaeil Colmcille: Justin Carry Lynch; Paul Tormay, Barry Smith, Adam Muldoon; Johnny Quigley, Cormac Keegan, James Reilly; Evan Sheridan(0-1), Oisin Reilly(1-2); Seamus Mattimoe(0-3, 2fs), Martin Barrett, Liam Ferguson(0-1); Seanie Curran, Fionn Reilly(1-4), Brian Hanlon(0-7, 3fs, 1 ’45’).
Subs: Conal Courtney, Ryan Farnham(1-0), Fionn Ferguson.
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