Skryne 6 – 9. Na Fianna 3 – 5.
Skryne travelled away to Na Fianna home ground on Wednesday evening 29th August and in the process chalked up another win in their 2012 Championship campaign against the home side. Conditions can only be described as atrocious on the evening with a rain soaked pitch and as rain continued to pour down throughout the game conditions deteriorated as the game progressed. Great credit must be extended to the both sides for the game of football they served up with underfoot conditions treacherous and handling of the ball near impossible in the monsoon like weather.
Na Fianna opened up their account on the 1st minute when they put one between the Skryne uprights, followed minutes later with another point from play, laying down the challenge to the visiting side. The Tara side responded in fine style when Colleen Jordan found Catriona Keoghan from a 45 meter kick and Catriona blasted to the home side’s net to edge Skryne ahead on the 5th minute. Na Fianna launched another assault on the Tara sides’ goalmouth a minute later but saw their attempt dramatically stopped on the line by the rock steady keeper Roisin Gryson.
The sides drew level on the 7th minute when Na Fianna took another point from play to claim their third point of the evening. It was difficult for both sets of backs to hold off the runners finding it very challenging to hold their feet on the slippery ground. The Tara side have in recent times gained a reputation for scoring goals and the 12th minute saw them add to this reputation when Ruth Moore had the ball in the opposition net following an excellent pass from the ever improving Eimear O’Brien.
The home side showed they were up for this battle when they responded within a minute with a goal of their own to again restore parity between the sides. The Tara side were back on the ball minutes later when Saoirse McGrath took a pass from midfielder Kate Moore. Saoirse found the running Colleen Jordan with a well placed pass and Colleen added to her reputation as a goal scorer when she rattled the opponents net to send the Tara side back in front on the 19th minute.
The Skryne side were now gaining a slight advantage throughout the field and next we saw Colleen Jordan set up midfielder Catriona Keoghan for a point from play to stretch her sides lead on the 20th minute. Skrynes’ Colleen Jordan was back in the action a minute later when she scored what can best be described as an incredible point from a placed ball given the conditions, when she converted from near the side line 30 metres out.
The Tara side had now established a significant lead, however, Na Fianna were still well in the fight when they had a point from a placed ball. The conditions were such that both sides were finding it very difficult to establish any real fluency to their play but the Tara side were dealing with the difficult conditions better. As if to prove this point Ruth Moore who had now moved into the full forward position in place of the injured Michelle Whelan put the ball over the opponent’s crossbar to chalk up another point for Skryne on the 23rd minute. The 25th minute saw a slight bit of controversy when the Tara sides’ half forward Saoirse McGrath struck what appeared to be a definite point but was deemed wide by the match referee despite vociferous protests from the Skryne side line.
The final score of the half came from the boot of Ruth Moore Skryne full forward when she added another point from play leaving the scores at half time;
Skryne 3 – 4. Na Fianna 1 – 4.
The second half started with Mother Nature still raining down upon the assembled spectators and players alike. Each side were determined to get the second half off to a good start and the Tara side took the first step in this direction when half forward Melanie Kirwan picked out full forward Ruth Moore who finished to the back of Na Fianna net on the 31st minute putting it up to the home side. The home side respond within a minute when they slipped inside the Skryne rear guard to put one past the Skryne keeper.
Na Fianna was pressing hard in an attempt to eat into the Skryne lead; however, they saw their next two attempts go wide of the Taraside uprights. The teams were finding the going very challenging but the 40th minute saw another Skryne goal when Colleen Jordan rattled the home side net after taking a pass from substitute Eimear Clarke to maintain her side’s dominance. The visiting team were on the scoreboard again within minutes when corner forward Eimear O’Brien struck a fine point from play to stretch the Skryne lead on the 43rd minute.
To add to all the other weather related issues the evening light was fading fast adding to the difficulties both side were experiencing. The Taraside were not to be out done by anything the weather had to throw at them when Saoirse McGrath set up Ruth Moore who finished to the net claiming her third goal of the evening setting her side well on their way to a memorable victory on the 48th minute. Ruth who was playing a stormer was back on the scoreboard a minute later with a point from play driving another nail into the opponent’s coffin. The home side responded to show they were not out of the game when they finished to the back of the Skryne net to reduce the lead.
The game was now end to end in the dying minutes and Skryne next struck from play with a Colleen Jordan point on the 52nd minute followed within minutes with another Colleen point. The last Skryne score came from half forward Melanie Kirwan and the final score of the game went to Na Fianna on the 59th minute when they had a well struck point from play to leave Skryne comfortable winners on this rain soaked evening.
Skryne Team – Roisin Gryson; Onagh Morley, Niamh Lynch, Megan O’Brien; Deidre Kennedy, Orla Craigie, Eimear Finnerty; Cartiona Keoghan{1 – 1}, Kate Moore; Melanie Kirwan{0- 1}, Colleen Jordan{2 – 3}, Saoirse McGrath; Ruth Moore{3 – 3}, Michelle Whelan, Eimear O’Brien{0 – 1}. Subs – Eimear Clarke for Michelle Whelan {Injury}, Niamh O’Brien for Deidre Kennedy {Injury}, Aoife Swan for Saoirse McGrath {Injury}.
