Fairyhouse Steel – Senior Football Championship – Group D Round 3

Trim  1-08  Skryne 1-16   

 📝 Martin Bourke 

📷 thanks to Órla Crocock for the excellent photos 📷  along with some Club photos  - Album on Facebook  

On Saturday, Dunsany played host to a large crowd for what was an important match for both Trim – who were looking to avoid relegation play offs and Skryne - who had their eye on the next step and possible silverware.

Playing with the wind in the first half, and without their injured, influential captain Conor Quigley, Trim set about their task with an energy that announced that they too had ambitions for the later stages of the championship. But it was the men in blue who opened the scoring in the fifth minute with an attack and well taken point down the right-hand side of the pitch. Trim settled into their formation and patiently started building from midfield by attacking the Skryne kick outs. A well taken ball by Trim’s midfielder Rob Bourke saw him delivering a clinical pass to Aaron Lynch to allow him through for Trim’s first score of the game on the 8th minute. A minute later the other member of the Lynch family, Daire pounced on a loose ball and struck a super point to give Trim an early lead. Immediately on the kickout Bourke again gathered the ball and once again released a Lynch – this time Aaron – to score from the left-hand side. Trim increased the tempo with Fitzgerald, Ennis and Murray constantly launching attacks that pushed Skryne back within their own 45”.  But ominously, much of Trim’s attempts resulted in shots wide.  By the 12th minute, Skryne had secured their second point from a free while Trim had recorded 5 wides. On the 17th minute Aaron Lynch again converted a free for Trim that was answered minutes later by a Skryne point that brought the margin to the bare minimum. What was apparent however was that despite Trim’s early dominance and superior possession, Skryne were calmly increasing the tempo and their share of the ball. But for a wonderful block by Brian Bolger on the 21st minute, things could have been worse for Trim. Hardworking Trim half back Eoin Sweeney rallied the troops with a surging run that drew the free that was converted by Lynch on the 23rd minute. While play and momentum had been with the Trim forwards in the first quarter it was now the time for the Reds defence to roll up the sleeves and repel an ever confident and slick Skryne attack. But in their efforts, Trim persistently conceded frees that the referee did not hesitate to give in front of the Trim goal.  2 points resulted for Skryne which could have been compounded in the 28th minute when an excellent surge by Skryne saw the ball rocket off the Trim upright for what looked like a certain goal. As the nerves jangled for Trim their keeper Paul Munnelly was increasingly called into action. In the final action of the half, he rose to parry the ball out from another Skryne free only to see a blue jersey gather and tap over.

Despite a really good start to the half, Trim must have gone to the dressing room wondering had they missed an opportunity to be comfortably ahead – but thankful to be only one point down. 

Half time:   Trim  0-05    Skryne 0-06   

Ten seconds into the restart Skryne announced their intentions with an attack down the centre of the pitch and an early point. This was followed a minute later by another easily taken point. Trim needed to step up their effort which they duly did with 2 well taken points by Lynch – one from a free and another from a well worked move from a quick free.  James Murray, who was playing well throughout, then launched a direct attack through the heart of the Skryne defence and despite being clearly fouled still managed to release a shot for a wonderful point. Notable in the Trim defence were the efforts of Bolger who was withstanding big tackles in an attempt to stem the increasing Skryne flow.  Despite this, a way too easy attack by Skryne saw them take the lead in the 10th minute. Trim tried to bolster their attack by swopping in David Lernihan for the not fully injury free Carmody. But back came Skryne again straight through the Trim defence in the 12th minute to secure another point. Moments later another good save by Munnelly in the Trim goal kept the Reds in touch only for them to concede yet another free to allow Skryne convert from a very difficult angle. The Blues now had a lead of 3 points.  Minutes later a big hit on Bolger resulted in a yellow card for Skryne but that was soon forgotten when they were gifted another point from terribly loose Trim play.

The arrival of substitute Padraig Walsh added steel to the Trim defence but it could not deter Skryne from converting yet another free followed in the 23rd minute by a well taken point straight through the centre. Although the game was slipping away, Trim to their credit did not concede and the never tiring Aaron Lynch hit the upright moments later followed shortly thereafter by a narrow miss by Murray. But any futile ambitions were soon to be shattered when, in the 25th minute Skryne carved the Trim defence wide open, rounded the Trim goalkeeper and rolled the ball into the back of the net to give them a lead of 9 points.

Although the game was effectively over, surely one of the highlights of the match came in the 28th minute when Ciaran Caulfield for Trim gathered the ball in the middle of the field and cut out towards the left wing to unleash a shot that travelled like a bullet over the goalkeeper and into the top right hand corner of the Skryne net – but for the absence of fake tans and jewellery on the pitch - this one could easily have been worthy of a slot on Match of the Day.  But it was all too little too late.  2 further points by Skryne closed out the game with a deserved win of 8 points that will see them go on with confidence to the later stages.

For Trim this must have been a very frustrating outing. Although well in the game with 37 minutes gone, they failed to score again until the final moments when the game was out of reach. Persistent fouling by the Reds in front of an unforgiving referee must be an issue that they’ll discuss at the next team session. Some excellent performances by Trim – most notably Bolger – simply can’t compensate for indiscipline. But this is a team that has big performances in them yet. The championship is far from finished and they need to stay focused. 

As Ronaldo was spotted hanging around the Dunsany car park waiting to get Caulfield’s autograph, the Trim faithful dispersed with much to think about.

Well done to Skryne on a deserved win.

Full Time Trim  1-08    Skryne 1-16   

Trim:  P Munnelly; D Murtagh; B Bolger, C McGinley; E Ryan; D Dowling; E Sweeney; R Bourke; S Fitzgerald; J Murray (0-01); C Caulfield (1-00); D Lynch (0-01); K Ennis; T Carmody; A Lynch (0-06)

Subs: D Lernihan for T Carmody; P Walshe D Dowling