Skryne Ladies took to the field for an away game against Balivor on Sunday evening 3rd July and came away well on top to register a win in the Junior B Championship for 2011. This was a sweltering hot evening with barely a puff of a breeze and given Skryne had the bare 15 players this was always going to be a tough task. The absence of a number of key players did not help matters but the team that lined out were determined not to let this hold them back. Skryne opened up the scoring within the first five minutes with a point from play arising from some great link up play. However, this was countered almost immediately with a goal from the Ballivor side. Skryne struck back with another goal followed up by a further four points without reply to leave the score at the midway stage at 1-5 to 1-0 in favour of Skryne. The blues had the better of the exchanges throughout the remaining first half to finish the half on the scoreline:
Skryne 2 – 10, Balivor 2 – 3.
Balivor started the second half determined to steal a march on the Skryne Ladies and narrow what was a considerable gap. However, it was Skryne who hit the first three points of the second half to stretch their lead further. Balivor hit back with a goal against the run of play to keep in touch. Skryne were now dominating in all sectors with the forward line razor sharp in front of goal converting most of the opportunities coming their way. The Skryne rear guard were dogged in their determination to halt any notions Balivor had of a comeback and broke down any incursion into their territory. The midfield pairing of Eimear Finnerty and Coleen Jordan were dominating in that sector as well as contributing handsomely to the scoreline. We were now half way through the second half with a scoreline: 2-15 to 3 – 3 in favour of Skryne. The water carriers were kept busy running on with water at every available opportunity as the late evening sun was intense.
Skryne continued to pile on the pressure with their half forward line of Saoirse McGrath, Ruth Moore and Kayleigh Farrell giving their opposite numbers a torrid time with their pacey running game. By this stage all the half forwards had chalked up a number of scores a piece. The full forward line of Melanie Kirwan, Michelle Whelan and Anita O’Sullivan were dominant almost scoring at will everytime the ball came into their sector.
The game was slipping away from Ballivor in the final quarter of the game. However, they some how breached the rock solid Skryne defence to hit a point and a goal to narrow the gap slightly. This was to prove no more than a sting from a dying wasp as these scores turned out to be their last of the game. As if to hammer home this point Skryne’s Coleen Jordan broke through from centrefield to bury the ball into the back of the Balivor net to put the opposition firmly in their place. The stand in custodian of the Skryne goal Una Morley was having a solid game between the posts flanked by her back line trio of Niamh Lynch, Deidre Kennedy and Rachael Whelan who yielded very little ground to the opposition throughout the evening. They were helped in their task by the half back line of Gillian O’Sullivan {team captain] who led by example and the every busy duo Mary Bennett and Oral Cragie who put in a Trojan effort throughout the evening. When the referee blew the game up Skryne ran out substantial winners on a scoreline:
Skryne 4 – 18. Balivor 4 – 4.
Team – Una Morley; Rachael Whelan, Niamh Lynch, Deidre Kennedy; Orla Cragie, Gillian O’Sullivan, Mary Bennet; Coleen Jordan, Eimear Finnerty; Saoirse McGrath, Ruth Moore, Kayleigh Farrell; Anita O’Sullivan, Michelle Whelan, Melanie Kirwan.
