A League Division 3a – Round 3. Ratoath 6-11 Skryne 2-07

Skryne travelled to Ratoath for their third round A league fixture in Division 3a on a bitterly cold evening on the back pitch under the floodlights. After an excellent victory over Trim in Round 2, Skryne were hoping for a similar performance against their neighbours, but found the Ratoathmen a different proposition. While the scoreline shows 6 goals for Ratoath, they really should have had more but for heroics from Skryne keeper Cian Donohoe and Jack Dardis who cleared shots off the line when goals looked almost certain. 

On the positive side, Skryne welcomed back Stephen O’Brien after a spell on the side-line with injury and also Paddy Carpenter who didn’t start but did make a cameo appearance in the second half after returning from the US during the week. Ratoath dominated the play in the first half but despite this, Skryne managed to get scores on the board to keep Ratoath within touching distance. Skryne almost poached an early goal when in their first attack, Frank Carty slipped a pass into Craig Nolan in front of goals. Craig’s shot was superbly tipped over by the Ratoath keeper. But it was Ratoath who hit the back of the net with their opening score with 6 minutes on the clock when a Ratoathman ran from deep before passing into the full forward who fired a left foot shot low into the bottom right of the Skryne net. They almost had a second goal a minute later when the ball was squared across the face of the Skryne goal to the Ratoath full forward who looked certain to palm the ball to the Skryne net, but goalkeeper Cian Donohoe somehow got across his goal and pushed the ball around the post and out for a 45. Ratoath added two more points without a reply from Skryne before hitting their second goal on the 12th minute following a goalmouth scramble where the ball rebounded off the post and their full forward was quickest to react and side footed to the Skryne net. The second quarter saw a Skryne resurgence with Stephen O’Brien marking his return with a fine point from his left foot. Frank Carty fired Skryne back into contention with a goal after an excellent pinpoint pass from Neil Burke put him through on goal and he made no mistake with a powerful shot underneath the Ratoath keeper to the back of the net. A second Skryne goal, this time from Oisín Keogh after Tommy Carpenter ran through the Ratoath defence and laid off to Keogh on the right hand side of the Ratoath penalty area. Keogh hit an excellent shot low past the Ratoath keeper to level the game. Ratoath added another point before they found the net for a third time when their corner forward was found unmarked in the Skryne penalty area with loads of time to pick his spot. Ratoath added another point while Skryne’s Jason Reddy tacked on a point for Skryne to leave only four points between the sides at half-time. Ratoath 3-04, Skryne 2-03

Jason Reddy swooped to score Skryne’s opening point of the second half and his second of the game to leave only a goal between the sides. But that goal became two goals only a minute later as Ratoath hit their fourth goal of the game when yet again they found a loose man inside the Skryne penalty area and he made no mistake, hammering home from close range. Ratoath added another point as Skryne struggled to stay in the game. Oisín Keogh hit a fine point from distance on the twelfth minute but Ratoath went on a scoring spree hitting a goal(a penalty) and five points without a reply from Skryne, signalling ‘game over’ for the Taramen. Oisín Keogh pulled a point back, but then Ratoath struck the final blow, a sixth goal followed by a point to see the wavering Skryne men hit the canvas. Jason Reddy did point a free in the last minute of the game but Skryne were to leave Ratoath licking their wounds on the back of a heavy loss. Full time: Ratoath 6-11, Skryne 2-07.

Skryne – Cian Donohoe; Jack Swan, Scott Armstrong, Jack Dardis; Tommy Carpenter, Andrew Moore, Timmy Lennon; Niall Morland, Oisín Keogh; Stephen O’Brien, Neil Burke, Frank Carty; Kian Reddy, Craig Nolan, Jason Reddy.

Subs used – Kristoffer Kinsella, Mark Swan, Paddy Carpenter, Oisín Coyle

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