A one point difference gave Drumconrath both points over Skryne in the Junior A football championship played in Senchalstown on Sunday afternoon. Apart from a fairly strong diagonal wind the conditions at the Yellow Furze ground were perfect and patrons got good value for money from the participants on the day. Drumconrath got off to a blistering start and were 1 – 3 to nil up after only five minutes. If this was supposed to be the pattern of the game then somebody forgot to tell the Tara men because they scored the next three points from Niall Burke, Johnny Quinn and Alan Carty on eight, nine and ten minutes. The North Meath side made it 1 – 4 to 0 – 3 on twelve minutes but Skryne had now found their rhythm. Then Skryne hit a purple patch and scored 1 – 4 in a nine minute period. With seventeen minutes on the clock Alan Carty had a shot parried by the Drumconrath keeper but he failed to gain possession and Johnny Quinn finished the ball to the back of the net. With 21 minutes gone Felim O’Rourke levelled the match. Three further points from Niall Burke, Johnny Quinn and Brian Smyth had Skryne three points up by the twenty eight minute. Drumconrath pulled one back before the break to leave the half time score at Skryne 1 – 7; Drumconrath 1 – 5.
Drumconrath came out for the second half with a very positive attitude and in their own purple patch they posted four points in the first six minutes of the resumption to take a two point lead. Niall Burke however put over another point on thirty seven minutes but this was countered immediately by Drumconrath. Burke scored again from a free but once again the lead was extended on forty six minutes by the North Meath side. This pattern continued and Brian Smyth cut the difference to a single point again a minute later. Skryne introduced Sean Cassidy and within a minute of his introduction he latched on to the ball and with blistering pace beat a number of defenders to score Skryne’s second goal. Indeed he might have had a second goal but the referee curiously blew him for over holding when most in the ground thought he had just broken free from a foul committed on him. On 50 minutes a lapse in defence saw the ball break in behind the Skryne backs and Dromconrath fired the ball to the back of the net to give them a one point lead again. This was extended to two points on fifty five minutes. Skryne had a number of chances to get back on level terms but the elusive scores just failed to come. With time virtually up Niall Burke got back on the score sheet but time just ran out on the Tara men. The game finished on a score line of Skryne 2 – 11; Drumconrath 2 – 12.
Skryne A. Doyle, D. Harrington, J. Looby, G. Geraghty, T. Farnan, D. Lynch, V. Reilly, A. Carty( 1), M. Harrington, C. Byrne, J. Quinn(1-2), N. Burke (5), N. Morley, B. Smyth(2), F. O’Rourke(1). Subs: D. Brennan for D. Harrington(H/T), K.O’Reilly for O’Rourke(38), S. Cassidy (1 – 0) for Morley(48), F.O Rourke for Doyle(47), (P. Murphy for O’Reilly(53)
