J.M. Food Services Football League Division 2 Round 11

Walterstown      1-03 Trim    5-15  

Trim travelled to Walterstown on Sat evening in the hope that any points won would secure their place, and a favourable draw, in the Division 2 semifinals. Walterstown, at the other end of the table however could only wish for results that might take them out of the bottom four.

On a bright but showery evening, Trim commenced proceedings in the first minute when they swooped up the field and laid the ball off to the in-form Tom Carmody who slotted the bottle low into the left-hand corner of the Walterstown net. This immediately set the pace for what was to follow. Carmody struck again minutes later when he ran on to take a nicely struck point. Kyle Ennis was already in high gear probing the Walterstown defence while both Conor Quigley and Declan Dowling were controlling matters from behind. An incisive turnover from James Toher set Trim up for their second goal when he put David Lernihan through for a devastating goal. Only 10 minutes gone and Walterstown had yet to effectively visit the Trim half of the pitch. But on the 13th minute they showed some sign of coming into the game when a messy defensive passage of play saw them hit the Trim net with a goal of their own. But lest the local supporters thought that this might be a rallying cry they were to be sadly disappointed – points from Carmody, Toher and Bourke say the visitors open a lead of 9 points with only 16 minutes gone. But for the hard work of the Walterstown defence and goalkeeper, shots from Caulfield, Toher and James Murray could have easily added to the visitor’s tally. But an incoming tide can only be held back for so long. In the 28th minute, the Meath and Sigerson Cup star Ciaran Caulfield ran onto a James Murray pass to rattle the back of the home net. On the stroke of half time Carmody capped a fine first half performance with a further point for the visitors.

Half time:   Walterstown     1-01          Trim       3-06

Coming out for the second half there was no sense that Walterstown had any real prospect of getting back into the game unless early goals would jumpstart some very flat batteries. Unfortunately for them, Trim just resumed business as usual and by the 9th minute had added 2 points each from Carmody and Caulfield and another from substitute Ian Byrne. On the 10th minute a turnover by Carmody put another substitute, Tadhg Carty through for a well taken goal that effectively brought the game to a premature end.

The Trim sideline team, conscious of the forthcoming semifinal, brought on further subs including Eoin O Reilly for Trim’s omnipresent and ever-reliable goalkeeper Paul Munnelly.  Points by Byrne, Bourke, Sweeney and Carmody finished out the Reds scoring with the home team replying with two of their own in the dying minutes that could have been more except for a super save from O Reilly in the Trim goal.

Similar to the election results across the water only 24 hours earlier, this clash could only be described as another Red landslide! Trim impressed throughout but will need to make sure to bring this attitude and energy into a most important clash next against Seneschalstown.

Walterstown will need to take stock of the events on Saturday evening and tread very carefully next time out.

Full time Walterstown 1-03 Trim     5-15

Trim:  P Munnelly; C McGinley, B Bolger, C Downes; D Murtagh; D Dowling; E Sweeney (0-01); J Toher (0-02); R Bourke (0-02); C Quigley; J Murray; C Caulfield (1-02); K Ennis; D Lernihan (1-00); T Carmody (1-06)

Subs: E Ryan for Carmody; I Byrne (0-02) for K Ennis; T Carty (1-00) for Murray; P Quigley for D Murtagh; M Murray (1-00) for C Quigley; E O Reilly for Munnelly; M Cole for D Lernihan;