Ballivor 3 – 10
Skryne 3– 9
Skryne saw their Junior B Championship campaign come to an end by the narrowest of margins on Saturday evening 8th September in their home ground at the hands of Ballivor. This was the semi final stage of this competition with both sides battling hard for a place in the final and the hope of championship honours.
The weather on the evening if anything was a little warm but nobody was complaining after the summer we have just had. The sides met earlier in this competition with Skryne coming out easy winners on that occasion. However, this was a brand new day and Ballivor were certainly a different side as Skryne found out to their cost.
The game got underway at 7pm when match referee Gerry Skelly threw up the ball with Ballivor getting the first possession. Incredible as it may seem Ballivor had the ball in the back of the Skryne within 20 seconds of the start following on from poor defending by theTara side. The visitors launched another assault on the Skryne goal a minute but saw this effort drift left of the upright.
If the home side were reeling from the intensity of the Ballivor start it was not for too long when Michelle Whelan Skryne full forward levelled matters with a well taken goal following on from a short taken free kick by Colleen Jordan.
Ballivor were back in front on the 8th minute when they struck a point from a placed ball, followed by a missed opportunity when they saw an attempt drift right of the uprights a minute later. The Tara side missed one of their own on the 10th minute foregoing the opportunity to again level matters.
Parity was restored between the sides on the 11th minute when centre forward Colleen Jordan pointed from play when she took a well directed pass from Michelle Whelan. It was apparent at this early stage we were in for an epic encounter and as the game unfolded we were not disappointed.
The 12th minute saw varying fortunes for the sides when Skryne had another missed point opportunity and Ballivor put one between the uprights to go back in front by the minimum.
The challenge was now well and truly laid down for the Tara side and to this they responded in magnificent fashion when full forward Michelle Whelan took a pass from Catriona Keoghan to again find the back of their opponents net leaving Skryne ahead for the first time in the game.
The Tara side now hit a purple patch and the 14th minute saw half forward Melanie Kirwan take a well struck point from play followed a minute later with a Colleen Jordan converted free kick. Skryne were back on the scoreboard on the 16th minute when Melanie Kirwan had another point from play to edge the home side further ahead.
Ballivor looked to be in a spot of bother and this was added to when the turbo charged Skryne half forward Saoirse McGrath was hauled down on her way through on goal. Ashling Bowens stepped up to take the 30 metre free kick and saw her attempt deceive the opponent’s goalkeeper when the ball dropped into the top of the Ballivor net to stretch the home sides lead on the 20th minute of the half.
Skryne next missed a point opportunity from a placed ball before we saw a first class save from the Taraside keeper Roisin Gryson to deny Ballivor an opportunity to eat into the home sides lead on the 22nd minute.
Ballivor again missed a chance for a point on the 23rd minute from play before they scored a point from a free kick on the 24th minute, making this their first score in twelve minutes. The home side had another missed opportunity on the 25th minute and Ballivor had a first class point from play a minute later to reduce the Skryne lead coming up to half time.
The closing minutes of the half saw the sides hit two wides apiece to leave the scores at the break Skryne 3 – 4. Ballivor 1 – 4.
The second half started with theTaraside defending a two goal lead and Ballivor determined to overhaul them. The evening temperature had now dropped to a more comfortable level for playing football and hardly a breeze evident.
Ballivor were first out of the blocks but saw their attempt sail wide of the uprights on the 33rd minute. Skryne made no such mistake when Colleen Jordan took a point from play a minute later to stretch her sides lead.
The sides exchanged wides in the next minute before the Skryne keeper was forced into a goal line save on the 35th minute to maintain her sides lead.
The next ten minutes saw both sets of backs dominating with the Skryne backs, Orla Cragie, Deidre Kennedy, Onagh Morley and Megan O’Brien dominate in theTararearguard. The mid way stage of the half saw disaster strike for Skryne when two of their more experienced and influential players Ashling Bowens and Deidre Kennedy had to leave the field due to injury within minutes of each other.
This appeared to upset the balance of the Taraside when Ballivor hit four points between the 46th and 50th minutes to bring them right back into the game. Ballivor were not yet finished when they found the back of the Skryne net a minute later to draw the side’s level on the 51st minute.
The game was now on and Skryne took the lead again on the 52nd minute when Colleen Jordan sent a short 45mtr kick to Ruth Moore who made no mistake when she split the uprights to put her side back in front by the minimum.
Ballivor responded almost immediately when they converted a placed ball to again draw the side’s level with the clock ticking down. It was expected there would be a fair bit of added time from the earlier injuries and we were now at the 54th minute with the result hanging in the balance.
The 56th minute saw the Tara side go back in front with a Catriona Koeghan point from play to send her side ahead again by a point. Parity was again restored between the sides when Ballivor struck another point from a placed ball on the 59th minute.
This was now heart stopping stuff with both sides fighting desperately for a place in the final and Skryne moved a step closer when Colleen Jordan had an excellent point from play a minute into injury time. Ballivor next saw two attempts go wide of the post before disaster struck for the Taraside when a high ball into their goalmouth found the roof of the net on then 64th minute to put Ballivor two points ahead with time almost up.
Skryne were fighting desperately to claw back the two point lead and they saw their first opportunity yield a point from the boot of Colleen Jordan coming from a placed ball to put the minimum between the sides.
However, time nor tide waits for no man and this is how it turned our for Skryne when the referee blew the full time whistle to leave Skryne having come so close but yet so far away and Ballivor securing their place in the Junior B final.
Skryne Team – Roisin Gryson; Onagh Morley, Niamh Lynch, Megan O’Brien; Orla Cragie, Kate Moore, Ashling Bowens{1 – 0}, Catriona Keoghan{0 – 1}; Melanie Kirwan{0 – 2}, Colleen Jordan{0 – 5}, Saoirse McGrath; Eimear O’Brien, Michelle Whelan{2 – 0}, Ruth Moore{0 – 1}. Subs – Eimear Clarke for Eimear O’Brien, Emma Fitzpatrick for Ashling Bowens{Injury}, Annie Ryan for Deidre Kennedy{Injury}.
