Premier Football Championship Division 1 – Relegation Final
Skryne 0-14
Dunshaughlin 0-14
Skryne win on a penalty shootout by 7 – 6.
Last Thursday evening, Skryne hosted the longest game in the history of the club when Seneschalstown secured their Senior status with a penalty shoot-out win over Curraha. The record didn’t last long as Skryne’s Senior Reserve team took on neighbours Dunshaughlin in the Premier Football Championship Division 1 – Relegation Final and this game too went to extra-time and penalties with this shoot-out extending into sudden death.
It was Skryne’s goalkeeper Cian Donohoe who showed why he is nicknamed the ‘Freezer’ when, after missing his first penalty by shooting high over the bar, he redeemed himself with a penalty save to keep Skryne in the shoot-out and then he stepped up, after Dunshaughlin missed a penalty in sudden death, and slammed the ball to the back of the net to snatch a well deserved victory for Skryne in a tight, competitive game.
Skryne were the better team in the first half and really should have been further ahead at the interval, but were guilty of a series of missed chances. Andrew Canavan set the ball rolling with a point in the opening attack. Ian Davis then struck a fine placed kick from the ground, near the 40 wide on the left which flew over the black spot. Two minutes later Ciarán Quinn repeated this feat from wide on the right-hand side with the same result. Dunshaughlin replied with a pointed free of their own and then Andrew Canavan added his second(a free) to leave three between the sides at the end of the first quarter. Dunshaughlin began to edge their way back into the game with two pointed frees. However, Andrew Canavan added a fifth point for Skryne in first half injury time to ensure they lead by two at the break.
Skryne again pressed forward in the third quarter. Tom Lenehan got his name on the scoreboard two minutes after the resumption before Dunshaughlin converted a free. Charlie Swan, Ian Davis and Tom Lenehan hit a hat-trick of points for Skryne to extend their lead to five, but Dunshaughlin hit back with three points of their own. The final quarter was a nail-biting one. a superb long range point from Tom Lenehan was followed by a trio of points from the Dunshaughlin men to see them snatch the lead with just 4 minutes of normal time remaining. Tom Lenehan drew Skryne level in the final minute, but his point was quickly cancelled out by Dunshaughlin as the game moved into injury time. Skryne needed to find an equaliser and 2 minutes into injury time, they moved the ball into the scoring zone and Mark Swan delivered a perfect shot that split the posts and sent the game to extra-time with the sides level 0-12 each at the end of normal time.
Andrew Canavan edged Skryne ahead in the first half of injury time but Dunshaughlin replied to draw level again leaving nothing between them at the turnaround. It was anticipated that one score may be good enough to win the game and it was Dunshaughlin that hit the first point in second half of extra time. Skryne had to work hard to get the equaliser and when it came, it was from an unlikely source. Full-back Niall Lenehan, who would have taught some of the Dunshaughlin lads in his role as secondary school teacher in Dunshaughlin Community College, dished out a lesson of a different kind as he made a foray deep into the Dunshaughlin defence where he picked up the ball and fired it over to draw the sides level again. The final whistle blew with the scoreline 0-14 each and with a penalty shoot-out looming.
Dunshaughlin won the toss and opted to take the first penalty. The penalties were of a high quality from both sides. Dunshaughlin converted their first three penalties. Andrew Canavan and Ian Davis hit the back of the net for Skryne, but then Cian Donohoe stepped up to take his first penalty. Alas, his penalty, which was struck with plenty of venom sailed over the bar. Dunshaughlin looked odds on to win the shootout after they scored their fourth penalty. However, Timmy Lennon pulled one back with a fantastic penalty into the top right hand corner to leave it 4-3 to Dunshaughlin. Dunshaughlin could win the shootout with the next kick. However, Cian Donohoe had other ideas and he sprung to his left to save the next Dunshaughlin penalty. Skryne just needed Ciarán Quinn to score his penalty to push the shootout into sudden death. Quinner made no mistake and fired the ball to the back of the Dunshaughlin net. Both sides scored their first two penalties in the sudden death phase of the shootout. Then Freezer managed to keep out the next penalty from Dunshaughlin and then it was all down to the Freezer to win the game and with a swagger he stepped up to take the penalty and blasted it to the back of the net to secure an excellent win and another year in Division 1 in the Premier Football Championship.
WELL DONE LADS !!!
Skryne: Cian Donohoe; Jack Dardis, Niall Lenehan(0-1) Timmy Lennon; Seán McCarthy, Paddy Carpenter, Mark Swan(0-1); Aidan Tuite, Robert Gallagher; Tom Lenehan (0-4), Charlie Swan (0-1), Ciarán Quinn (0-1, 1f); Ian Davis (0-2,1f), Andrew Canavan (0-4, 2fs, 1m), Niall Morland.
Subs: Cathal Lenehan, Stephen Corry, Riain McConnell, Seán Cassidy, Ciarán Fox, Conor McManus, Luke O’ Brien, Oisín Coyle.
Penalties: Andrew Canavan – 2, Ian Davis – 2, Cian Donohoe – 1, Timmy Lennon – 1, Ciarán Quinn – 1.
