A League Division 1a – Round 9. Skryne 0-15 Navan O’Mahonys 0-11

Skryne were minus a number of key players in this evening’s A League encounter against Navan O’Mahonys with Darragh Campion, Padraig Finnerty and Mark Batts away while the 2 Johnnies (O’Regan and Finnerty) were busy cramming for their Phys/Chem or Accountancy exams tomorrow. Nevertheless, Skryne put in a solid 60 minutes, staying tight in defence and picking off points up front with Niall Finnerty in particular in exceptional form in the forward line bagging a personal tally of nine points (3 from play, 2 marks and 4 frees). 

It took five minutes before scoreboard keeper Philip Kinsella’s trigger finger was called into action when Evan Coffey hit a superb point from off the ground on the 45 metre line to notch up O’Mahony’s first point of the day. Skryne replied a minute later when Conor O’Brien was fouled on the 40 and Niall Finnerty stepped up to fire over his first point of the day. O’Mahonys edged ahead again when corner forward Sean McConnell found some space and swung over their second. Oisín Keogh added Skryne’s second point which began a run of four points without a reply, two more from Niall Finnerty who was tormenting his opposite number in the O’Mahony’s full back line and the last from Conor O’Brien as Skryne raced into a three point lead. Oisín Keogh was unlucky to see a shot blocked on the goal line when he fetched superbly from behind the O’Mahony’s full back and turned and shot low but was denied by the O’Mahony’s keeper Niall Devlin. Skryne and O’Mahonys traded three points each during the remainder of the half with Niall Finnerty pointing a free for Skryne before Neil Burke fired over one from play and then another, a superb long range free in injury time in the first half to ensure Skryne maintained a three point gap at half-time. Half-time score: Skryne 0-8, Navan O’Mahonys 0-5.

Skryne were forced to substitute their keeper Ian Gillett with a suspected groin strain at half time. He was replaced by the big man, Ian Davis who lined out in goal for the second half. He was called into action almost immediately when the O’Mahonys lofted in a high ball into the square and Davis punched it away to safety. His kick-outs were excellent throughout the half and with the defence playing well in front of him, his goal wasn’t severely threatened throughout the half with full back Andy Moore in particular disrupting the O’Mahony’s attacks as they piled forward in search of scores. Skryne forced several turnovers, one where O’Mahonys looked certain to score but for a brilliant diving block from Harry Rooney which epitomised the effort that was being put in by each Skryne player.

O’Mahony’s Jake O’Regan was the dangerman up front for the Brews Hill men. He opened the scoring in the second half with a pointed free. Niall Finnerty, who always makes great use of the mark, fetched another long pass and immediately threw his hand in the air to call the mark. He nonchalantly tapped the ball over to leave three between the sides. O’Regan and wing half back James O’Reilly added two for O’Mahonys to narrow the gap to a single point in the third quarter. Two pointed frees from Niall Finnerty and a fine point from Paddy Fox inserted a buffer between the sides. O’Regan hit three points in a row(2 from play) to drag O’Mahonys back to within a point with only three minutes remaining of normal time. Skryne didn’t panic though and it was that man Niall Finnerty who converted another free before capitalising on a poor kickout from O’Mahonys to fire over his last point of the day. Ciarán Lenehan made a foray forward with the last attack of the game and hit a piledriver of a point from out around the 45 metre line to ensure Skryne took maximum points in what was an entertaining encounter.

Fancy a flutter!! Why not play Skryne GFC’s online BLOTTO. Jackpots of up to €10,000. Click here to play.