Skryne pass Tara test with flying colours

MEATH’S senior footballers are now facing into the possibility of playing on six Sundays in succession, and seven if they manage to reach the NFL Division 2 decider following the weekend’s postponement in Cavan.

The game has been refixed for this Sunday in Kingspan Breffni at 2pm, following a meeting of the CCCC in Croke Park. That refixture means that the O’Byrne Cup final scheduled for the same day will now have to be played on another date.

That probable date is Sunday March 11th, against Westmeath in Mullingar.

Kingspan Breffni failed two pitch inspections over the weekend for the NFL Division 2 tie and it now leaves Meath facing into a busy schedule.

The Meath players were already at the ground as well as many supporters when the pitch was declared unplayable on Saturday evening.

The game was then provisionally refixed for Sunday at 2pm, but with snow and heavy rain in the area they was never much chance of that materialising and the match was again postponed on Sunday morning.

Several club matches in Meath also fell foul of the weather over the weekend as well as the Meath ladies NFL tie scheduled for Roscommon.

However a number of county players got the opportunity of lining out with their clubs. Brían Conlon who was named in the starting 15 against Cavan picked up an injury as Simonstown went down to a heavy defeat to Ratoath and now must be considered doubtful for this Sunday’s clash. 2-26 1-6 FORMER inter-county goalkeeper Paddy O’Rourke was in sizzling form as newly-promoted Skryne maintained their perfect start to life back in Division 1.

Full forward O’Rourke hit 1-11 in this runaway win for the Tara men, their third on the trot.

There was no let-up in this Skryne performance right from the start and they had built up an eightpoint lead after just 10 minutes of play, with six different scorers.

By half-time Skryne were ahead 0-17 to 0-4 against the understrength Moynalvey men and out of sight.

The onslaught continued, with O’Rourke hitting the first three points of the second half.

The opening goal arrived at the three quarter-way stage when Kevin Reilly set up O’Rourke who fired low past to the Moynalvey net.

Moynalvey had a consolation goal from the penalty spot, converted by James Weldon. However, Skryne responded to that with their second goal, from Ronan McCabe.

SKRYNE: Ian Gillett; Robbie Clarke 0-1, Eoghan Greene, Declan Morley; Paddy Carpenter, Donie Ryan, Eoin Smyth 0-2; Ciarán Lenehan, Harry Rooney; Conor O’Brien 0-3, Bryan Davis 0-2, Darragh Campion 0-2; Ian Davis 0-4, Paddy O’Rourke 1-11, Mark Battersby 0-1. Subs: Michael Doherty, Kevin Reilly, Stephen O’Brien, Barry Clarke, Ronan McCabe 1-0, Mark Harrington.

MOYNALVEY: Conor Egan; Brian O’Reilly, Darren Brennan 0-2, Conor Harnan; Shane Lenehan, Stephen Donoghue, Eamon Walsh 0-1; Donal Smith, Adam Murphy; Fearghal McCabe, Ciaran Ennis, Conor Shirren; Sean Duggan, James Weldon 1-2, David McLoughlin 0-1. Subs: Dan Treacy for Harnan, Ray Ryan for Ennis, Scott Tuite for McCabe, Shaun Deering for Shirren.

WOLFE TONES 3-10 SUMMERHILL 2-8 THERE were goals galore in the opening quarter of this Division 1 tie at Kilberry, with three going to the home side.

Cian Ward found the net for the hosts after just two minutes and his brother Caolán added a second two minutes later. It was beginning to look like a stroll for the Tones following Sarán O Fionnagain’s third major, but the ‘Hill struck for a goal of their own when Conor Lyons finished to the net on 12 minutes.

Liam Shaw added a couple of points for the visitors, but at halftime it was Tones who enjoyed a 3-7 to 1-3 lead.

The second half was a much closer affair and Tones had keeper David Nolan to thanks for making a number of crucial saves.

Summerhill had points from Shaw and Diarmuid McCabe and they edged closer after Shaw converted from the penalty spot.

Shaw eventually took his tally to 1-6, but it was the holders who held out for a deserved win. WOLFE TONES: David Nolan; Oisín Mac Ghinneartaí, Shane Glynn, David Coleman; Niall McLoughlin, Éanna Harrington, Niall O Reilly; Daniel O Neill, Padraic Diamond 0-2; Thomas O Reilly 0-2, Cian Ward 1-4, Conor Sheppard; Caolán Ward 1-2, Saran O Fionnagáin 1-0, Fiachra Ward. Sub: Alan Callaghan for T O’Reilly.

SUMMERHILL: R McDonnell; J Lavelle, C Young, J Keane; P Geraghty, W Ryan, I Hughes; M Byrne, R Ryan; K Ryan 0-1, C Lyons 1-0, D McCabe 0-1; C Frayne, L Shaw 1-6, D Dalton. Subs: D Feehily for Frayne.

RATOATH 1-15 SIMONSTOWN 0-4 WITH their full quota of players Ratoath could take beating this year and with most of their intercounty contingent on duty they bushed aside the challenge of the county champions at home on Sunday.

It was the first league points for the Ratoath men at their third attempt and they were well on their way to victory after leading 0-11 to 0-1 at the break.

Conall Ahearne had four of those points, while county players Eamon Wallace and Bryan McMahon were also on the mark.

Simonstown, who lost county panellists Shane Gallagher and Brían Conlon to injuries in the opening half, had their solitary point from James Kilcullen.

The sides shared six points in the second half, McMahon, Conor Rooney and Wallace were on target for the winners, while Padraig McKeever (two) and Nathan O’Brien had the Navan sides second-half scores.

The only goal of the match was a brilliant effort from McMahon that gave keeper Robbie Burlingham no chance.

RATOATH: Shane Duffy; Ryan Kelly,Conor McGill, Ben Wyer; Brian O’Connor, Brian Power, John Gillespie; Ben McGowan, Daithi McGowan; Conor Rooney 0-4, Gareth Rooney, Ciaran O Fearraigh; Conall Ahearne 0-4, Bryan McMahon 1-4, Eamon Wallace 0-3. Subs: Brian Daly for Ahearne, Andrew Gerrard for Kelly, Paul Flaherty for Gareth Rooney, Nathan Dunne for McMahon

SIMONSTOWN: Robbie Burlingham; Shane Gallagher, Stephen Moran, Mark Devlin; Brian McGrath, Neil Kane, Mark Gardiner; Roz O’Connor, Brían Conlon; Mark McCabe, James Kilcullen 0-1, Seán Conlon; Padraig McKeever 0-2, Chris O’Neill, Nathan O’Brien 0-1. Subs: Niall McMahon for Gallagher, Shane Barry for B Conlon, Eanna O’Donoghue for Moran, Nicky O’Brien for O’Neill, Michael Gavin for Kane, Ben Hoey for McCabe.

DONAGHMORE/ASH 1-9 O’MAHONYS 1-9 STEPHEN Carton maintained Donaghmore/Ashbourne’s unbeaten start to the league with an equalising point in the final minute at a breezy Ashbourne.

It was a closely contested affair throughout, with the hosts ahead at the break 1-3 to 0-5 thanks to a Darragh McGovern goal.

The Navan side were reduced to 14 men in the third quarter, at the end of which the sides were level.

O’Mahonys scored the next three points to leave themselves in an excellent position. Menton reduced the deficit with four minutes remaining and then Dylan Brady struck another point to leave the minimum between the teams before Carton’s late equaliser.