Dee Rangers 5 – 11
Skryne 5 – 7
Skryne lost out to Dee Rangers in the U19 Ladies League on Sunday afternoon 14th October in their home ground FatherMcManus Park. The conditions were soft underfoot after the recent heavy rain but thankfully it remained dry throughout the game.
Match referee Jenny Rispin got the game underway at 12pm and the home side were first off the mark when Catriona Keoghan took a pass from half forward Saoirse McGrath and finished to the Rangers net with just one minute gone.
Encounters between the sides had always been tight in the past and the 2nd minute showed things were not going to be any different on this occasion when Dee Rangers rattled the back of the Skryne net to tie up matters in the opening minutes.
Dee Rangers were now piling on the pressure and again found the back of the Skryne net on the 3rd minute to put them in front for the first time in the game. The visitors were back on the scoreboard in the same minute when a high ball into the Skryne goalmouth found the back of the net to open up a significant gap so early in the game.
The visitors now sensed the Tara side were on the back foot and struck again on the 4th minute with an excellent point from play, followed a minute later with a further point to open up an eight point gap at this stage of the half.
Skryne sides are not known for rolling over and the 7th minute showed they had no intention of so doing when Saoirse McGrath picked out Catriona Keoghan who in turn split the Rangers uprights to claw back the lead slightly.
Dee Rangers were determined to keep the home side pinned back when they responded with another excellent point on the 10th minute to restore their eight point margin.
The home support were now getting behind their team and the Tara side centre forward Melanie Kirwan obliged when she had a point from play after taking a pass from full forward Ruth More on the 12th minute.
The sides were batting hard with no quarter asked or given, however, the home side saw their next attempt go wide of the uprights in the 13th minute to which the visitors responded with a point from play a minute later.
Dee Rangers saw their next attempt at goal frustrated when Skryne keeper Roisin Gryson pulled off a first class save on her goal line to keep her sides hopes alive on the 15th minute. The custodian of the Rangers net pulled off an almost identical save a minute later when she denied centre forward Melanie Kirwan’s attempt at goal to maintain her side’s advantage.
The Tara side were determined to keep in touch and the 17th minute saw some great link up play with Saoirse McGrath, Ruth Moore, and Eimear Clarke combining to set up Niamh O’Brien for a well taken point from play to keep Skryne well in the chase.
The home side were back on the scoreboard within minutes when centre forward Melanie Kirwan took another point from play to eat into Dee Rangers lead. The sides exchanged wides on the 27th minute with Megan O’Brien and Sophie Rooney playing their part in the Skryne back line.
We were now in the closing stages of the half with the home side continuing to pile on the pressure and this pressure saw the Rangers keeper forced into another goal line save this time from corner forward Eimear Clarke frustrating the home sides attempt to narrow the gap.
Dee Rangers had their final point of the half on the 28th minute to which Skryne responded with an Eimear O’Brien point on the 29th minute, followed by two wides from the home side to leave the scores at the break: Dee Rangers 3 – 5. Skryne 1 – 5.
The second half got underway with Dee Rangers two goals to the good and Skryne trying to claw back the deficit.
TheTara side saw their first attempt stopped on the line coming from a shot on goal from half forward Eimear O’Brien on the 31st minute. This was followed with another goal line save from the Dee Rangers keeper the shot coming from the boot of centrefielder Catriona Keoghan to again deny the home side a minute later.
Dee Rangers struck the first score of the half when they had a point from play on the 34th minute to firmly lay down the challenge to the Tara side.
Skryne responded a minute later when Ruth More set up Melanie Kirwan in front of goal and she finished the ball over the bar to leave six points between the sides. The visitors saw an attempt at goal brilliantly stopped on the line by the Skryne keeper Roisin Gryson to keep her side in the game.
The Skryne back line were now laying their bodies on the line with full back Onagh Morley showing all her experience controlling matters in that sector assisted by Megan O’Brien and Orla Cragie keeping Dee Rangers at bay.
The game was now going at a hectic pace and the 40th minute saw Skryne corner forward Eimear Clarke again denied in front of goal when she saw her shot stopped on the line.
The next attempt proved more successful for the Taraside when they were awarded a close range free kick following on a foul on the incoming Saoirse McGrath. Melanie Kirwan found Eimear O’Brien from the free and Eimear finished to the back of the opponents net to put Skryne right back into the game on the 45th minute.
Dee Rangers responded with a brilliant point from play from about 30 mtrs to keep the pressure on the home side. The 49th minute saw Skryne half forward Saoirse McGrath make a run from mid field and pick out the running Melanie Kirwan with a pass. Melanie sent a shot to the Rangers net to leave just a point between the sides on the 49th minute.
Dee Rangers now sensed the urgency of the situation and had the ball in the back of the Skryne net on the 50th minute. There was some confusion about this goal as the umpire had called a square ball but the referee allowed the goal. The visitors were back on the scoreboard on the 51st and 53rd minutes to stretch their lead further and leave Skryne with a bit of a mountain to climb.
The Tara side had no intention of wilting when we saw Catriona Keoghan make a run from the middle of the field to bury the ball into the back of the opponents net to leave three points between the sides on the 54th minute. The deficit was cancelled out a minute later when Catriona Keoghan found Eimear Clarke with a well timed pass and Eimear made no mistake when she finished to the Rangers net to leave the sides level in the closing stages.
Dee Rangers again got their tails up when they had a point from a free kick on the 56th minute followed with a goal minutes later to put them back in front.
Skryne responded through Catriona Keoghan who took an excellent point from play and the scoring was closed out by a Dee Rangers pointed free kick leaving them with full points from this hard fought encounter.
Skryne Team – Roisin Gryson; Sophie Rooney, Onagh Morley, Ashling Kelleher; Deidre Kennedy, Orla Cragie, Megan O’Brien; Catriona Keoghan {2 – 2}, Niamh O’Brien{0 – 1}; Saoirse McGrath, Melanie Kirwan{1 – 3}, Eimear O’Brien{1 – 1}; Cody Swan, Ruth Moore, Eimear Clarke{1 – 0}. Subs – Aoife Swan for Melanie Kirwan {Injury}
