Syddan 1-09 Trim 0-12

By Martin Bourke

Following a successful outing against Moynalvey in the opening game of the league, Trim travelled to Syddan seeking to inject momentum into their league. From the outset it was clear that Syddan had plans of their own by opening the scoring in the 4th minute with a well struck free kick. A good break by Ben Holden for Trim 2 minutes later gave a free converted by David Lernihan.

Syddan were first to settle, and despite good pressure play from Tadhg Carthy and Ian Bermingham they added 2 more points by the 14th minute. Daire Lynch came in on the tail of a well-worked team move to keep Trim in touch with a nice point. But Syddan were moving nicely at this stage and added 3 more points from play without reply including the score of the match from an impossible angle out on the left wing. Trim repeatedly kicked wide or short into the waiting hands of the Syddan goalkeeper. Spectators wondered whether these missed attempts would be costly at the end.

Good pressure from Trim’s Ben Holden won a free in front of the Syddan posts that allowed Lernihan grab his second of the day, only for Syddan to come back up the field and add a point that put them up by a comfortable 4 points. But the faithful on the side-line knew that, in the holy season of Easter, resurrection is never fully out of the question - and sure enough the Reds started to rise again.

Starting with a neat Ian Byrne move that won a free, David Lernihan stepped up to score 3 points in a row in the space of 3 minutes followed by a sweetly struck point from play by David Murtagh.

Half time score Syddan 0-7 Trim 0-7

Trim restarted with a real sense of purpose. Kyle Ennis was tireless in his work rate and constantly probed the Syddan defence. In the 7th minute the Reds managed to take the lead for the first time in the game with a well taken free by Sean Fitzgerald following a free on the hard working Angus Shortt. That man Lernihan again popped up to deflect a ball over the Syddan crossbar to give Trim a little bit of breathing room with a lead of 2 points. But Syddan stuck to the task and totally caught Trim off guard to surge down the field to score the only goal of the game in the 10th minute followed by a point shortly after. Momentum was now back with Syddan and, despite hard work from Paul Munnelly in the Trim goal and Declan Dowling in defence, the home team kept applying pressure. In the 17th minute some relief arrived for Trim in the shape of Daire Lynch who struck a super point to bring Trim within a point. The game was now there for the taking by either team.

In the dying minutes, Declan Dowling gathered well in the middle of the field to set up Murtagh who put the ball over the Syddan crossbar – the game was level. Back came Syddan who drew a clumsy free in front of the posts that allowed them go one up. In the 29th minute the very industrious Trim sub Padraig Walsh drew a free that was missed. It felt as if the Reds had lost their chance for any points. But then in the 33rd minute, Lernihan stepped up and slotted the ball over the bar to make things level with the last kick of the game.

While Trim may well rue multiple misses, Syddan put it up to them from the start and will probably feel unfortunate not to have got all the points. Trim to their credit stuck to the task throughout and showed true character to ‘win’ a draw.

Final score Syddan 1:09 Trim 0:12

Trim: P Munnelly; C Downes; B Holden; D Dowling; D Murtagh (0-2); D Lynch (0-2); E Sweeney; T Carty; R Bourke; S Fitzgerald (0-1); K Ennis; I Bermingham; D Lernihan (0-7); A Shortt; I Byrne

Subs: P Walshe for E Sweeney; N Sweeney for C Downes;