CYM Terenure 0 Skerries Town 4
Skerries Town resumed league action last Sunday with a trip to bottom of the table CYM Terenure. On form this should have been a straight forward three points but a chronic injury crisis within the Skerries squad forced Manager, Brian Donnelly, to engage a “Back to the Future” strategy by calling up two of the original Downside Boys from the Club’s Over 35 , viz. Neil Gallagher and Ben Gahan, to augment his depleted forces. Considering they had already won Senior medals with the Town before three of the present squad were born, this made for an intriguing 90 minutes in Dublin 6. But at the referee’s final whistle the smiles were all with the visitors as they ran out comfortable 4 nil victors.
On CYM’s long, narrow pitch Skerries faced the wind and the slope in the first half and took the game to their hosts from the kick-off. With James McIlwaine and Seamus Farrell lively on both wings, the home defence were under constant pressure and eventually this pressure paid off when a Farrell run and cross landed on the head of his brother Kevin who planted the ball in the top corner. Five minutes later it was McIlwaine’s turn as he sailed past his marker and his pin point cross left Seamus Farrell to nod home from three yards. To go in at the break was now paramount and with Gahan a calming influence in midfield the visitors survived any attacks that CYM threw at them.
On the turnover, Skerries continued to be on the back foot for the first 20 minutes, but solid defending by the back four in front of a very competent Ian Tolan meant that goal chances were at a minimum.
As the game entered the last quarter, Skerries regained the initiative and despite missing many chances, the decisive 3rd goal came in the 75th minute. A move started in mid-field by Richie Glynn with a pass out left to McIlwaine who then found Seamus Farrell on the right, and was in the penalty area to receive his cross and leave the keeper helpless from close range. This ended the game as a contest but McIlwaine was still not satisfied and shortly before the final whistle he finished off a fine individual effort to double his tally and leave the score 4-0.
This was a welcome win for Skerries and sets them up for next week’s last game before the Christmas break with a home game against Navan side, Parkvilla, who are presently sitting second in the table. Hopefully, the injury list will have reduced and enable Skerries to secure another win and enjoy the break.
The last word has to go to Neil Gallagher who said he enjoyed the game tremendously but was a bit disappointed that a couple of lads on the team had never even heard of Oasis!