ST. MICHAELS ARE TRIMMED BACK IN CORTOWN

Saturday August 24th 2019, IFC Group B, Round 4
Full time: St. Michaels 3-07, Trim 2-13,
Half time: St. Michaels 1-03, Trim 2-10.

Efficiency in front of the posts in the opening half propelled Trim to victory in this IFC fourth round match in Cortown on Saturday evening last, however had St. Michaels played the first half as they did the second, the result could have been so different.
Trim could not have asked for a better start as they went 1-5 to 0-1 in front after only nine minutes play, St. Michaels, who lined out without their influential forward Oran Meehan opened their account in the seventh minute with a Ciaran Lynch point, Shane McDonnell followed up with a good long range effort four minutes later however that score marked the start of a 15 minute barren spell for the Saints and they conceded 1-4 as their two back lines received a roasting from the Trim forwards. Hemmed in and a wall of red in front of them St. Michaels suffered dearly as Trim managed to keep them at arms length while keeping the scoreboard ticking to go 2-5 to 0-2 in front after 25 minutes play, their second major coming on 21 minutes. A Shane McCormack free on 26 minutes gave the St. Michaels lads some respite and when McDonnell rattled the net from the penalty spot a minute later following a foul in the square on Ray Reilly it improved the look of the scoreboard for his side as they went in at the break trailing 1-3 to 2-10.

Shane McDonnell floated over the opening score of the second half however it was the half time introduction of Ronan Lynch that kick started the St. Michaels revival as his presence around the middle third had an immediate effect as his foraging and deliveries into his forwards paid off handsomely. Team captain Sam Briody led by example and got on the end of an up-field move for a well worked point, Trim replied immediately with a point and from a move started with Darren O’Connell’s resultant kick-out Patrick Tobin latched on to a loose ball at the other end of the pitch to blast to the back of the net after some good work by Harry Dunne and Ray Reilly.

Neither side troubled the scoreboard attendant for the next 10 minutes and it was the industrious Tobin who was bearing down on goal when he was hauled to the ground for his sides second penalty which McDonnell duly converted for a three point game 3-6 to 2-12 in favour of Trim with just 4 minutes of normal time remaining. Trim went back up field to register only their third and final score of the half while the St. Michaels lads kept plugging away at the opposite end however they could only manage a further point from a free by Ciaran Lynch before time ran out on their valiant effort.

St. Michaels team and scorers:
Darren O’Connell; Ben Reilly, Sam Briody (0-1), Ciaran O’Reilly; Harry Dunne, Matthew Halpin, Alan Reilly; Mark Stafford, Paddy Clarke; Shane McDonnell (2-2), Ray Reilly, Shane McCormack (0-2); Paddy Tobin (1-0), Cian Sheridan, Ciaran Lynch (0-2).

Subs: Ronan Lynch for P. Clarke 30 minutes, Kevin Cassidy for A. Reilly (BC).

Referee: Frank Scully.

Report: Pascal Reilly PRO.