Skerries Town 9 Glenmore Dundrum 2
After three weeks of cup action, Skerries Town returned to the bread and butter of the league last Sunday when they hosted bottom of the table Glenmore Dundrum in Park Lane. Recent form would have made them favourites but the final result of 9-2 in Skerries favour defied all predictions. The signs were ominous for the visitors right from the first whistle as the home side took a grip on the game and were sharper, stronger and faster right throughout the field.
In the first ten minutes, the Glenmore keeper had to repel goal bound shots from Brendan Moore, Mark Doyle and Ross Hopkins, but eventually in the 15th minute a corner from the left was nodded home by Stephen Hogan. Worse was to follow for the visitors when a short kick-out to the full back was intercepted by Hopkins who played in Doyle for the second goal. Pressure was continuous and before the half-time break Ben Hunter nipped in for the third followed by Doyle’s second.
On the resumption, the situation got even worse for Glenmore when their right winger was sent off for a crude tackle on James McIlwaine that required side-line treatment for a bloody nose. When he came back onto the pitch, he responded in the best possible fashion by banging in two goals to add to Glenmore’s misery. Further goals were added by Richie Glynn with a 25 yard shot that went in off the post before Colm Lee and Brendan Moore completed the Skerries tally. In the last five minutes, Glenmore were awarded a penalty and that plus another late strike brought this one sided affair to a close.
This performance sets up Skerries for next week’s FAI Intermediate Cup 3rd Round tie with Leixlip Utd. – a team who are presently performing in the top tier of the Leinster Senior League. If Skerries can bring their form of recent weeks into next week’s game then maybe a cup upset is on the cards.