Home Side Battle Back to Book Final Spot
Final Score: Skryne 2-12 | St Michaels 1-11
Venue: Skryne GFC | Date: Friday, September 12th
Report:
Skryne Ladies dug deep to claim a well-deserved win over St. Michael’s in a thrilling semi-final clash at Skryne on Friday evening. Two points down at the break, the home side lifted their performance in the second half to secure victory on a score line of 2-12 to 1-11.
St. Michael’s hit the ground running, registering the game’s first point and setting a quick tempo from the throw-in which they continued to drive across the full 60 minutes. Skryne soon settled, the ever-reliable Ellie Murphy opening their account with the first of her three expertly scored frees of the night.
The opening half was a tense, end-to-end battle. The midfield pairing of Catriona Keoghan and Áine Keogh worked tirelessly, disrupting St. Michael’s play and driving Skryne forward.
At the back, Colleen Jordan was a rock in goals. She bravely claimed a high ball under pressure, taking a heavy knock in the process. Despite the pressure from the St. Michael’s forward line, the Skryne defence stood tall with blocks and turnovers from Niamh O’Brien, Ciara Cowley and Aisling O’Connor. The half forward line put in a tireless shift, with Fiona O’Rourke popping up all over the pitch to lend support wherever it was needed and Rachel O’Dowd winning a vital turnover.
Skryne trailed by two at the break but came out for the second half with a shift in intensity. Amy O’Dowd found the net early in the half with a skilful finish, turning the game on its head and putting Skryne in front for the first time. Moments later, Róisín McManus added a classy point before cutting through the defence with a brilliant solo run to fire home Skryne’s second goal.
The defensive unit held firm, with Ailish Lenehan delivering a standout performance while Kate Gibbons showed disciplined defending to keep St. Michael’s forwards at bay. As St. Michael’s pushed forward looking for a way back into the game, they nearly found it, only to be denied by a vital dispossession from Niamh Cowley right in front of the posts, preserving Skryne’s two-point lead.
Ciara Smyth capped a superb display with a driving run and fine point late on, her relentless work rate key to keeping Skryne on top until the final whistle. Colleen Jordan then pulled off a superb save in the dying minutes to remove any chance of a comeback.
Laura Mangan was introduced in the second half, replacing Rachel O’Dowd, and slotted in seamlessly to help see the game out.
It was a full-team performance, marked by hard work and determination, that saw Skryne over the line in a game full of intensity and quality.
Team: Colleen Jordan, Ciara Cowley, Niamh Cowley, Ailish Lenehan, Aisling O’Connor, Niamh O’Brien, Kate Gibbons
Catriona Keoghan (0-1), Aine Keogh, Fiona O’Rourke, Ciara Smith (0-4), Rachel O’Dowd, Roisin McManus (1-4), Ellie Murphy (0-3F), Amy O’Dowd (1-0)
Subs: Laura Mangan for Rachel O’Dowd
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