Skryne 8 – 6. Ballivor 1 – 10
Skryne chalked up another win in their Championship campaign when they stormed past Ballivor in their home round, FatherMcManusParkon Sunday evening 26th August. TheTara side have their sights firmly fixed on silverware this season and did their Championship ambitions no harm when they put in a power packed performance to run out comfortable winners at the final whistle.
Match referee Mick Ryan from Dunsany got the game underway shortly after 7pm and Ballivor were first out of the traps when they struck a first class point from play in the 3rd minute throwing down the gauntlet to the home side. They added to this a minute later when they had the ball in the back of the Skryne net putting the Tara side on the back foot in the opening stages of the game.
Skryne reacted to the challenge on the 7th minute when a well worked move saw Melanie Kirwan and Michelle Whelan combine to set up centre forward Colleen Jordan who rattled the Ballivor net leaving the minimum between the sides. A minute later the sides drew level when Skryne half forward Saoirse McGrath took an excellent point from play.
Ballivor got back in front on the 9th minute when they converted a placed ball which resulted in a point; however, a minute later they missed the target foregoing the opportunity to stretch their lead. The game was now going at a frantic level with each side trying to dictate the pace.
The Taraside were combining well throughout the field and the 11th minute saw one example of their combination play yield results. Colleen Jordan found full forward Michelle Whelan with an excellent pass and Michelle made no mistake when she found the back of the visiting sides net putting her side in front for the first time in the game.
The sides next exchanged wides before Skryne were awarded a penalty on the 13th minute after Michelle Whelan was rugby tackled to the ground leaving match referee Mick Ryan in no doubt. Colleen Jordan stepped up to take the penalty but saw her attempt come off the upright resulting in a let off for the opposition. The sides again exchanged wides a minute later before Colleen Jordan the Tara side centre forward again found the back of the Ballivor net, after she took a well timed pass from team mate Michelle Whelan on the 18th minute.
Skryne were at this stage getting to grips with their opponents and the 19th minute saw half forward Melanie Kirwan react first to a rebound from a Ruth Moore shot off the Ballivor post when she coolly finished the ball over the goal line leaving her side with a significant lead at this stage. The sides again exchanged wides before the ever dependable Skryne keeper Roisin Gryson pull off a top class save to maintain hers sides lead on the 24th minute.
Ballivor were still in the chase when on the 26th minute they had a point from play followed within a minute with two attempts going wide of the posts. Skryne restored their margin when Ruth Moore took a pass from Saoirse McGrath and she put he ball over the crossbar on the 30th minute. Ballivor responded almost immediately with a point of their own from a free kick before Colleen Jordan hit the last score of the half to claim her hat trick of goals one minute into injury time leaving the scores at the break:
Skryne 5 – 2. Ballivor 1 – 4.
The second half started with Skryne in a commanding position and determined to keep it that way. However, Ballivor launched the first attack in the 31st minute but dogged defending on the part of Skryne full back Niamh Lynch saw the opposition frustrated when their attempt went left of the posts. The Tara side hit a wide of their own a minute later before Ballivor found the target on the 33rd minute when they registered a point to put a slight dent on the home sides lead.
Skryne were determined to stamp out any thoughts their opponents might be entertaining about a comeback when Colleen Jordan found the lightning fast Saoirse McGrath with a well directed pass. Saoirse made no mistake when she split the opponent’s uprights from 20 meters out. Colleen hit the next score when she converted a placed ball to register a point for the Taraside added to a minute later by Skryne midfielder Ashling Bowens when she had a point also from a free kick on the 43rd minute.
The Skryne defence were starving the opposition of any real chance of a comeback with Deidre Kennedy, Orla Cragie and Niamh O’Brien particularly impressive.
The 44th minute saw the home side stretch their lead further when the unstoppable Colleen Jordan made a run through from midfield to rattle the Ballivor net to register her fourth goal of the game and her side’s sixth goal. The gap at this stage was almost insurmountable but the visiting side were still pressing hard and had some success on the 47th minute when they pointed a free kick. They added further points on the 49th / 52nd / 53rd minutes to eat somewhat into theTara sides lead.
Any notions Ballivor were harbouring of a comeback were again dashed when up popped the dynamic Skryne centre forward Colleen Jordan who hit her fifth goal after another run from the midfield position. Ballivor responded with a point from play on the 54th minute but Colleen Jordan cancelled this out almost immediately when she hit an excellent point from play. The final score of the game came from and you probably guessed it, the boot of the one and only Colleen Jordan when she again found the back of the Ballivor net to chalk up her sixth goal of the game and the home sides eight goal leaving theTara side with more goals than points for this game.
Skryne Team – Roisin Gryson; Onagh Morley, Niamh Lynch, Niamh O’Brien; Deidre Kennedy, Orla Cragie, Kate Moore; Catriona Keoghan, Ashling Bowens{0 – 1}; Melanie Kirwan{1 – 0}, Colleen Jordan{6 – 2}, Saoirse McGrath{0 – 2}; Ruth More{0 – 1}, Michelle Whelan{1 – 0}, Eimear O’Brien. Subs – Eimear Clarke for Melanie Kirwan [Injury}, Sinead O’Kane for Catriona Keoghan, Megan O’Brien for Niamh O’Brien.
