Fairyhouse Steel – Senior Football Championship – Relegations Play Off Quarter Final

Trim  2-13    Curraha 1-11   

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 As a beautiful, late summer sunset gave way to the floodlights in Batterstown on Thursday night Curraha and Trim strode onto the pitch to see who would anchor themselves in the Senior ranks and who would have to go down the tortuous road of further playoffs in an attempt to avoid dreaded relegation. Having finished 3rd in the group stages, Trim might have felt aggrieved at their predicament but knew that those are the rules and now they either had to put up or shut up. Curraha on the other hand might well have anticipated being in this position and one wondered whether they were relishing their underdog status.

Within 20 seconds of the throw in it very quickly became a case of underdogs versus sleeping dogs when Curraha launched down the left wing and crossed the ball to a waiting forward who casually slotted the ball into the Trim net. Clutching at straws, if there was anything reassuring to be taken from this is that Trim unfortunately have been in this position many times before and tend not to panic. Minutes later Trim shook themselves and started moving the ball into the forwards. Aaron Lynch immediately swung into jinking mode that drew a free that he converted to get the Reds up and running. From the resultant kick out Trim started pressing the Curraha midfield with Bourke and Fitzgerald asserting themselves. Reassuring for Trim was the return of the ever-reliable James Toher to the centre half back position where he invariably steadies the ship. But the defence is made of more that one man, and it was Eoin Sweeney and Conor McGinley that showed the early form with excellent harrying and tackling. And they needed to be alert as Curraha repeatedly showed immense pace to get up the field.  By the 7th minute Trim had levelled the game through points from Aaron Lynch’s low free that was tipped over the cross bar, followed shortly after by another free sweetly struck by David Lernihan. Minutes later Curraha, on the back of another swift attack, converted a free of their own to retake the lead which was added to with a further free from the right-hand side in the 13th minute. But the Trim backs were holding up well with Brian Bolger and Ben Holden standing strong and persistently intercepting dangerous ball. Encouraging for Trim was the accuracy of their passes into their forward line that constantly found danger man Lynch who at this stage seemed to be permanently marshalled by 3 Curraha men who, in turn, were duly tormented by his constant wriggling, twisting and turning.  Big Fitzgerald was working hard in midfield when, in the 17th minute he released Eoin Sweeney on a surging run that split the Curraha defence and drew the free that was easily converted by Lynch.  Shortly after, Lynch added to his tally with a super point from the left-hand side to level the game - only to see Curraha retake the lead with a beautifully struck point on the run on the 21st minute. But back came Trim - and Lynch - with another free to once again level the match on the 22nd minute. Trim were looking composed despite the danger from Curraha, when Bolger in the full back line, found Toher who calmly pierced the Curraha defence to find Lynch who slotted over. Not to be outdone by his sibling, Daire Lynch swung into action with a super point of his own on the 27th minute that was added to shortly after by a magnificent point from a David Lernihan free kick way out on the sideline.

After a shaky start, Trim went in at half time 3 points up and looking pretty composed.  Curraha needed to have a rethink. 

Half time:   Trim 0-09    Curraha 1-03   

On the restart, the sleeping dogs were now well awake when Fitzgerald gathered the ball from the throw in and released Lynch to convert over the bar with only 15 seconds on the clock. 2 minutes later Bolger again launched a pass to Fitzgerald that got the ball into the small square from where Lernihan blasted to the net. 2 minutes gone and Trim were in charge. Despite replying with a point of their own, Curraha were quickly down to 14 men when an off the ball foul saw a black card flashed. The resultant free was converted by Lynch to put the Reds up by 7 points …and with an extra man.

But Trim were not prepared to ease up quite yet. Dowling upped the tempo in what was transpiring to be a great performance by the Trim defence with Holden and McGinley very effective throughout. In the midfield Robert Bourke constantly fielded and launched incisive passes.  Once again, in the 14th minute a magnificent diagonal, cross field ball from Trim found Lynch and, despite his attentive markers, he duly added another to his impressive tally. But just when things were looking comfortable for Trim with their 8-point lead, back came Curraha with 3 well taken points in the space of 2 minutes. The Reds sideline sensed a turning of the tide and replaced the exhausted Fitzgerald with Ian Byrne. Moments before his own replacement, James Murray received a super pass from Caulfield and slotted over the bar to restore Trim’s 6-point breathing room.  But with time still to run on the clock, David Murtagh, who had been impressive with his work rate throughout, was awarded a black card on the 27th minute that was followed shortly after by 3 further Curraha points to bring them within an uneasy 3-point margin. But this Trim team don’t fluster and didn’t look to be under any real threat. With 32 minutes showing on the clock a well worked team move by Trim got the ball into their grateful substitute Ian Byrne who walloped the back of the Curraha net with a crashing shot. Game over – senior status secured for Trim – a tense time awaits a lively and hardworking Curraha. 

As a magnificent burnt orange, harvest moon rose above the pitch, Trim players and management could give themselves a well-deserved pat on the back for a job and a season well done.  Trim GAA need to be playing senior football and this group of players under the guidance of Paul Clarke should be proud of what they have secured for 2025. Encouraging for Trim are the younger players that are now showing a hunger to step up to the senior level. Inevitably, others decide to move on – and one such stalwart is Robert Bourke who may have played his last senior game for Trim after a magnificent career that spanned every age level in the Club starting with the nursery section under the guidance of Peter O Callaghan – from small acorns….. 

We thank everyone for the enjoyment of the season past and wish everyone well for the future. 

Trim  2-13    Curraha 1-11   

Trim:  P Munnelly; C McGinley; B Bolger, B Holden; D Dowling; J Toher; E Sweeney; R Bourke; S Fitzgerald; J Murray (0-01); C Caulfield; D Lynch (0-01); D Murtagh; A Lynch (0-09); D Lernihan (1-02)

Subs: T Carty for D Lernihan; I Byrne (1-00) for S Fitzgerald; E Ryan for J Murray