skryne designed_Layout 1 19/11/2013 15:20 Page 2
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SKRYNE
kryne reached the knockout stages of the hoganstand.com Senior Football Championship for the first time since they last claimed the Keegan Cup in 2010 but there was disappointment when a strong rally in the closing stages fell short in a quarter-final against Wolfe Tones.
It will be recalled that a brilliant performance of point kicking enabled the Tara men to overcome the concession of four goals and defeat Seneschalstown in a memorable final three years ago. Liam Harnan was manager then and when he stepped aside former Dublin forward Barney Rock took over. This year former Meath minor manager Pat Coyle was in the hot seat, with Paul Clarke, Pat McCabe and Ciaran Murphy completing the backroom team, and with a panel of players which contains many youngsters they must have been encouraged by a campaign which saw them finish fourth in Division 1 of the All-County A League and reach the last eight of the championship. Ahead of the commencement of the
Jarlath Jordan
race for the Keegan Cup Skryne had won their opening two league matches against Blackhall Gaels (2-13 to 0-1) and Simonstown Gaels (2-11 to 2-10), drawn with Summerhill (0-12 to 1-9) and lost to Seneschalstown (0-12 to 110). For the main event they were drawn in group B along with Summerhill, Rathkenny, Oldcastle, St Patrick’s and Donaghmore / Ashbourne and it was against 2011 champions Summerhill
that they opened up with a battling victory in very windy conditions at Bohermeen. Two goals in the final nine minutes were vital in a 2-8 to 1-10 win in a match which only swung into life in the closing stages. Skryne were guilty of shooting 15 of the game’s 28 wides and they trailed by 0-2 to 1-4 at the interval after Seanie Dalton had scored the Summerhill goal late in the first half. The ‘Hill looked more likely to win for much of the second period but the switch of county goalkeeper Paddy O’Rourke to the edge of the square aided Skryne’s cause considerably and when he gathered an Ian Davis free in brilliant fashion and then found the net the Tara men were level (1-7 each). Summerhill edged to the front again by 1-9 to 1-7 but when Mark Battersby scrambled home a goal and then added a point Skryne were two ahead. Goalkeeper Felim O’Rourke then denied Micheal Byrne at the expense of a 45 which broke to Barry Dardis whose goal-bound effort was deflected over for a point. That had all the appearances of a
TARA MEN BACK ON FORM
The senior squad that defeated Summerhill in the championship at Sean Newman Park, front l/r: Paul McGoldrick, Patrick Fox, Kevin Mulvaney, Kevin O'Reilly, Dermot Brennan, Ciaran Lenehan, Mark Battersby, Niall Lenehan, Ronan McCabe, Conor O'Brien, Jack Conroy. Back: Cian Byrne, Tommy Farnan, Patrick O'Rourke, Oisin Ciaran Coyle, Felim O'Rourke, Ian Davis, David McGoldrick, Aidan Tuite, Harry Rooney, Alan Carty, Neil Burke, Conor Keogh, Declan Morley
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