Simonstown 7 – 20.
Skryne 1 – 7
Skryne travelled to Simonstown Gaels home ground on Sunday evening 2nd of September to open their Feis Cup campaign and in the process learned the difference between Junior B and Intermediate grade football. The early September weather was as near perfect as you could get with the temperature in the high teens and hardly a puff of wind in evidence, making ideal conditions for a good game of football. Simonstown the intermediate grade team showed what a class side they are and in the end ran out very convincing winners over theTara side. In all fairness to Skryne they battled gamely throughout but the experience of playing at a higher level meant The Gaels always had the upper hand.
The game got underway shortly after 7pm and Simonstown wasted no time settling to their task when they split the Skryne uprights in the 1st minute laying down a marker for the visiting team. The custodian of the Tara sides net was called into the action a minute later when she pulled off a point blank save to deny the home side at least for the moment. Simonstown again struck on the 3rd minute with another well taken point from play to which Skryne responded when half forward Melanie Kirwan pointed a placed ball.
The Gaels struck points from play on the 4th and 5th minutes before they tore open the Tara defence with goals on the 6th and 7th minutes to leave a gulf between the sides at this early stage. Simonstown were now dominant throughout the park and were finding each other with well directed passing movements adding to the Tara side’s woes. The Gaels added a further four points between the 10th and 14th minutes to stretch their lead almost beyond reach at the mid way point of the opening half.
Skryne entered this cauldron without the services of their senior County player Colleen Jordan who was precluded from lining out given she had played Championship football with Meath this season. However, even the services of Colleen could not have fully bridged the gap now clearly apparent between the sides.
Simonstown temporarily laid aside their shooting boots when they struck two wides on the 15 / 16th minutes. I did say temporarily as they were back on the scoreboard on the 21st minute with a pointed free kick and the same minute saw Skryne keeper Roisin Gryson pull off another goal line stop to in someway halt the onslaught.
The fluency of the home sides game had to be admired and the 24th minute saw another ball go over the Tara sides crossbar followed within a minute with one going under the Skryne crossbar to register a third goal for the Gaels and stretching their lead even further in the dying minutes of the half. They added to this a minute later with a further point from play to which Skryne replied with a well worked point from play from the boot of corner forward Eimear O’Brien.
TheTaraside had now made some changes with Saoirse McGrath moving from corner forward to corner back exchanging places with Aoife Swan and Niamh O’Brien replacing full forward Michelle Whelan who came into this game carrying an injury.
The final score of the half went to Simonstown when they added a point from play leaving the half time score:
Simonstown 3 -12. Skryne 0 – 2.
The second half got underway with Skryne facing an uphill battle but determined to make a better fist of it over the next thirty minutes. Simonstown got the better start, however, when they pointed from play in the 31st minute putting it up to the Tara side. Skryne keeper Roisin Gryson was again called into the action a minute later when she was forced into another goal line save proving once again she is the rock behind the Tara sides defence.
The 33rd minute saw a good move from the Tara side rewarded with a point when Ashling Bowens converted a free kick from 20 mtrs following on from a foul on centre fielder Catriona Keoghan. The next few minutes saw wides exchanged between the sides before Simonstown again hit the target with points from play on the 37th and 39th minutes
Skryne were now playing a more composed style of football .and the 40th minute saw Ruth Moore pick out Aoife Swan who put the ball between the Gaels uprights chalking up another point for the visitors. The Tara side were back on the scoreboard minutes later when the inform free taker Ashling Bowens converted another free kick from around 25mtrs to slightly eat into the Simonstown lead.
The Tara side were enjoying their best period so far in the game; however the Gaels were determined to extinguish any thoughts of a comeback when they found the back of the Skryne net again in the 43rd minute. As if to inflict further misery on the visitors evening Simonstown struck again with a point from play on the 46th minute, followed almost immediately with another goal to register their fifth goal of the evening..
The Gaels were now determined to push home when they pointed from play on the 48th minute followed by a goal on the 49th minute much to the approval of the home support. In all fairness to the Skryne side they were still battling gamely when substitute Niamh O’Brien had an excellent point from play on the 50th minute.
Simonstown responded with three points from play between the 51st and 56th minutes to put the result well beyond any doubt. The Tara side were still not prepared to throw in the towel when the 58th minute saw Melanie Kirwan set up Catriona Keoghan for their one and only goal of the evening. Skryne were back on the scoreboard a minute later with another point from an Ashling Bowens free kick before Simonstown finished out the scoring with a goal to register their seventh goal of the evening and run out as comfortable winners.
Skryne Team – Roisin Gryson; Onagh Morley, Niamh Lynch, Aoife Swan{0 – 1},; Deidre Kennedy, Eimear Finnety, Megan O’Brien; Ashling Bowens{0 – 3}, Catriona Keoghan{1 – 0}; Melanie Kirwan{0 – 1}, Ruth More, Eimear Clarke; Eimear O’Brien{0 – 1}, Michelle Whelan, Saoirse McGrath. Subs – Niamh O’Brien {0 – 1} for Michelle Whelan {Injury}.
