Skryne Ladies took to the field against Oldcastle in this Junior B League fixture on Monday evening 21st May and came away in the end with a hard fought victory. This game was played in the Skryne home ground,FatherMcManus Park in what was a beautiful mid May evening with hardly a puff of wind in evidence. The match referee Martin Mannering got the game underway at 7.45 pm and the assembled supporters were served up a thrilling game of football from start to finish.
OldCastlewas first out of the traps when they were through on goal but saw their attempt dramatically stopped on the line by the custodian of the Skryne goal Roisin Gryson in the 1st minute. A minute later saw the visitors chalk up the first score of the evening when they struck a point from play. This was immediately responded to by the home side when half forward Catriona Keoghan split the uprights to bring the side level at this early stage. The Tara side were back on the scoreboard in the 3rd minute when Eimear Finnerty team captain rattled the back of the Old Castle net to put her side in front. The 4th minute saw Skryne keeper Roisin Gryson again called into the action when she pulled off another first class save to deny the visitors. However, a minute later they found their way around theTara side’s keeper and found the back of the net to again level matters. The game was now going at a frantic pace with both sides determined to stamp their mark on this game as early as possible. The 5th minute saw Skryne send one wide of the posts until full forward Michelle Whelan took a delivery from Aishling Bowens and made no mistake when she found theOldCastle net to restore the home side’s advantage.
The Tara side were now getting a slight edge on proceedings, however, they saw their next attempt go right of the uprights before their centre forward Colleen Jordan converted a free kick to add another point to the Skryne tally. OldCastleresponded to this score with a point from play on the 10th minute before the sides each missed the target a minute later. The 12th minute saw the county player Colleen Jordan take an excellent left footed point from play after some first class passing form the Tara side. Skryne were in the ascendency coming towards the mid way stage of the half and this was borne out when full forward Michelle Whelan struck two points from play on the 13th and 15th minutes to leave the home side six points ahead at this stage.
Old Castle were determined not to make things easy for the Tara side when they split the uprights to put a dent into their opponents lead on the 17th minute and this was responded to by another Colleen Jordan point this time form a placed ball. The Skryne side now had the bit between their teeth and were getting the better of exchanges throughout the field. However, the 20th minute saw them hit two wides before their opponents struck for a point on the 21st minute to stay in touch. This was now end to end stuff when the Skryne power house Colleen Jordan burst through for centrefield leaving a number of her opponents in her wake and found the back of the Old Castle net to extend her side’s lead on the 21st minute.
The mentors were running onto the pitch with water at every opportunity such was the temperature which we were totally unaccustomed to so far this year. The Skryne side next struck another wide before they went on a bit of a scoring spree with a point each coming from Eimear Finnerty, Colleen Jordan and U16 player Eimear O’Brien to push the home side further in front on the 25th minute. The Tara sides mid field pairing Aishling Bowens and Eimear Finnerty were dominating in that sector and were the springboard for many of their side’s scores. This Old Castle side had proven to be a first class side so far in this League campaign and they demonstrated this when they struck an excellent goal on the 26th minute to stay in touch. Skryne were awarded a close range free kick when Collen Jordan was hauled down on her way through on goal but they unexpectedly put this wide of the post before the Tara side’s full forward Michelle Whelan had another point from play to complete the home side’s scoring for the half on the 27th minute.
Old Castle were still applying the pressure coming towards the end of the opening half but saw two attempts in close succession sail wide of the posts, before they hit their last score of the half which came from a free kick to add on another point. This left the scores at the break:
Skryne 3 – 10. Old Castle 2 – 5.
Skryne started the second half with an eight point advantage and with the words of team manager Mick Whelan ringing in their ears to keep their focus as this was a quality side they were up against. The home side were awarded a free kick on the 32nd minute which they failed to convert, however, County player Catriona Keoghan took a point from play a minute later to stretch theTara side lead. We referred to the quality of theOldCastle side and the next fifteen minutes or so certainly demonstrated this when they struck a purple patch.
The 34th minute saw Old Castle take a point from play followed a minute later with a well worked goal. On the 36th minute they tagged on a further point coming this time from a placed ball before they hit a wide on the 40th minute. The visitors goal keeper was forced into a goal line save on the 42nd minute before they struck a further two points on the 43rd and 46th minutes. Old Castle now sensed game on and were starting to dominate proceedings with Skryne under severe pressure. The visitors were awarded a free kick from close range but sent this right of the upright. The 48th and 49th minutes saw them hit two further points from play to tie up matters. The signs were looking ominous for the home side bur the mentors and home supporters were urging them to pick the game back up. These urgings obviously worked when the dynamic Meath County player Colleen Jordan found herself on the end of a long pass from Eimear Finnerty Skryne centrefield player. Colleen does what she does best when she powered through on the opposition goal and rattled the back of the net to send the Tara Ladies back in front by a goal on the 51st minute.
We were now witnessing a fine display of football put on by two fine sides and the supporters in their short sleeves displaying their approval. The performance from Skryne team captain Eimear Finnerty can only be described as outstanding and in the dying minutes of the game she certainly led by example. The 52nd minute saw the home side awarded a close range free kick and Colleen Jordan did the honours when she tagged on another point to leave some daylight between the sides. Old Castle were not to be out done when they struck back for a goal a minute later to leave the minimum between the sides. The home side now had their tails up when Aishling Bowens found the pacey corner forward Eimear Clarke with an excellent pass. Eimear left her marker trailing in her wake to find the back of the opponents net to again restore order for the home side. The exchanges were now intense throughout the field with either side refusing to yield an inch. The visitors struck a wide on the 54th minute and the next few minutes saw both sides finding it difficult to make any progress such was the quality of the marking. Old Castle struck a point from a free kick on the 58th minute to narrow the gap. Howeve, the home side responded with points from Eimear Clarke and Michelle Whelan on the 30th minute to kill off the opposition challenge and leave the final score:
Skryne 5 – 14. Old Castle 4 – 12.
Team – Roisin Gryson; Niamh O’Brien, Deidre Kennedy, Megan O’Brien; Ruth Moore, Orla Cragie, Emma Fitzpatrick; Aishling Bowens, Eimear Finnerty{1 – 1}; Catriona Keoghan{0 – 2}, Colleen Jordan{2 – 5}, Saoirse McGrath; Eimear O’Brien{0 – 1}, Michelle Whelan{1-4},Eimear Clarke{1-1}. Subs – Melanie Kirwan for Saoirse McGrath {Injury}.
