Donaghmore Ashbourne 3 – 15
Skryne 3 – 2
A very strong Donaghmore Ashbourne side beat Skryne in round one of the B League Div one in Ashbourne on Monday. Played under lights in crisp but good conditions, this was a much more competitive encounter than the score-line would suggest. Indeed but for some way word shooting, coupled by a very vigilant Don/Ash backline, the score would have been much closer. Skryne had to wait until the thirteenth minute before Felim O’Rourke posted their first score from a free. However the home team had already registered 2 – 3 at this stage, the goals coming in the seventh and eight minute of the game. Donaghmore Ashbourne then added a further three points before Kevin Mulvany was put through with a perfect pass from Vincent O’Reilly and he made no mistake as he shot from close in for Skryne’s opening goal. Both sides exchanged points before half time with Felim O’Rourke again getting on the scoreboard. This left the score at the break, Donaghmore Ashbourne 2 – 7, Skryne 1 – 2.
With an eight point difference it looked like it was a hopeless case for Skryne. However the Tara men were not going to throw in the towel just yet. On forty minutes Niall Morley got the ball in the right corner and passed to Vincent O’Reilly who found the net again for Skryne. Three minutes later O’Reilly turned provider for the second time in the game and put through Donie Ryan who scored Skryne’s third goal. This left just two points between the teams. Unfortunately for Skryne Vincent O’Reill y pulled his hamstring in his last effort and was helped off by the ever present Skryne physio Lily Fox. Without their talisman Skryne were always going to struggle for scores and indeed they didn’t trouble the scorekeeper for the remainder of the game. However the home side now redoubled their efforts and scored a further 1 – 8 to leave the final score at Donaghmore 3 – 15, Skryne 3 – 2.
This was a very good performance from a strong Donaghmore Ashbourne side but despite this Skryne played good football until the final whistle with some very good performances in the game, particularly from Donie Ryan at midfield, Tommy Farnan in the backs and man of the match Vincent O’Reilly at full forward.
Skryne: I Gillette, D Harrington, D. Morley, D. Brennan, T. Farnan, G. Geraghty, C. Byrne, D. Ryan(1-0), K. Mulvany(1-0), C. Lynch, A. Carty, N. Burke, N. Morley, V. O’Reilly(1-0), F. O’Rourke(2). Subs: B. Smyth for O’Reilly, J. Conroy for Morley.
