One week after their championship fixture against the same opposition Skryne played this A league, Division One match against Duleek Bellewstown in Duleek on Saturday evening. By comparison, while last week’s contest was played on a bright sunny evening, Duleek hosted this match in dark misty conditions. The one constant in the weather was the diagonal direction of the wind which didn’t have much bearing on either game. Skryne fielded a much changed team from last week with four absentees, which included the influential Ciaran lenehan and County tied Meath goalie Paddy O’Rourke. They were also without Declan Morley and Kevin Mulvany. To add to this Ian Davis was forced to cry off through injury twenty minutes into the first half.
Brian Davis got Skryne of the mark with a point in the first minute but the home side cancelled this out and then went one ahead in the second and third minute. Neill Burke equalised for Skryne with five minutes gone but a minute later Duleek Bellewstown were back in front again with another point. With fourteen minutes gone Anan Carty had the match level again but once again on sixteen minutes the home side put over another. Aidan Tuite made it four apiece on twenty minutes and a minute later Duleek got back their advantage. On twenty six minutes Dukeek broke the pattern of the game when they went two points ahead. However, their advantage was short lived when Paddy Fox made a burst forward, passed to Neill Burke who found the in-rushing Alan Carty and Alan gave Ricky Nolan no chance in the Duleek goal. Conor O’Brien put over another minor to give Skryne a two point lead going into the break on a score line of Skryne 1 – 5; Duleek 0 – 6.
Skryne increased this advantage to six points between the thirty third and forty third minute with points from Brian Davis, Mark Battersby (2) and Neill Burke. Duleek reduced the lead to four points with scores on forty four and fifty minutes but these proved to be their only scores of the second half. Skryne however added a further three points from Carty, Battersby and Burke to run out convincing winners at the final whistle.
On the night this was a good team performance from the Tara men. Some of the most notable contributions on the night came from the replacements forced on the team through the non availability of others. Most notably Donie Ryan, Neill Burke and goal scorer Alan Carty were particularly busy. Other regulars like Harry Rooney and Mark Battersby and goalie Ian Gillette, were also to the fore. However, it was principally an excellent team performance which prevailed on the night.
Final score Skryne 1 – 12, Duleek Bellewstown 0 – 8.
Skryne: I. Gillette, N. Lenehan, D. Ryan, M. Jordan, P. Fox, R. McCabe, S. O’Brien, A. Tuite, (1) H. Rooney, C. O’Brien(1), N. Burke (3), B. Davis(2), A. Carty(1 – 2), M. Battersby (3), I. Davis,
Subs:T. McKeown for I. Davis (25 min), V. Reilly for Jordan (53) T. Farnan for Lenehan, (54), M. Harrington for Tuite (58)
