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J.M Food Services – Football League – Division 2  Round 4

Trim  3-15 St Patrick’s      0-11
📝 Martin Bourke 📷Eliz Payne

On Saturday afternoon, Trim sitting in second place in the league, and on the back of 2 good wins, greeted bottom of the league St Patrick’s to St Loman’s Park.

From the outset St Patrick’s attempted to bring the fight to the Reds resulting in Eoin O Reilly in the Trim goal being called upon early to make a great save. This was immediately followed up with a text book block by Padraig Walsh to deny the visitors the opening score.  Nearly 8 minutes of cat and mouse football followed before Conor Quigley opened the scoring for Trim with a nicely struck point. Early on It was apparent that St Patrick’s were finding it difficult to get the ball beyond the half way line - this was a testament to Sean Fitzgerald and Tadhg Carty’s high work rate in the centre of the field where they constantly broke down ball and drove forward. 

Eventually this work gained traction and Trim hit the defining, purple patch of the match. Led in the 12th minute by Eoin Sweeney who gathered the ball on St Pat’s 45’ - Sweeney jinked and weaved to off balance 2 opposition defenders to casually pop the ball over the bar.  Less than a minute later, Sean Fitzgerald gathered the ball far out on the right-hand side and drove the ball into the heavens to land a beautiful 2 pointer. From the kickout, Trim surged forward again with the ball finding its way to a nimble Sean Foley who unloaded towards the ever-dependable C Quigley who notched another point. Before the crowd on the side line could draw breath, the ball was again gathered in midfield and worked through the half forward line where Tadhg Carty was waiting to slot the ball low into the St Patrick’s goal.   

Moments later the surge continued with Ian Bermingham releasing Fitzgerald who, this time, shot wide by the narrowest of margins.  St Patrick’s now were clearly on the ropes and fighting desperately to defend against an avalanche of blows from a rampant home side. But the Reds were far from finished. Mercilessly, Trim surged forward again a minute later to release David Lernihan who hammered the ball low into the St Patrick’s net once again. Despite the unrelenting wave of attacks St Patrick’s did manage to eventually break out of their own half and get their first point of the game on a well-worked move that saw the ball fisted over the bar in the 18th minute. But relief only lasts so long when, in the 20th minute, business was resumed with Trim driving forward with the ever-watchful Declan Dowling starting a move from defence that eventually found the ball to Lernihan who absolutely smashed the ball into the roof of the St Patrick’s net to secure his 2nd goal and Trim’s third of the match. So, in case anyone has lost count, in the space of 8 minutes Trim had hit 3-04 to St Patrick’s single point.  While the Trim forwards were radiating in the glory, much credit had to be given to the defensive play of Bolger, Dowling and McGinley and the never-ending running of Daire Lynch. 

Although only 20 minutes were gone, it was difficult to think anything other than the game was effectively over. But proud teams like St Patrick’s never stop playing and, a minute later, they carved out a very good point while under pressure from the attentions of 3 Trim defenders.  Unfortunately for them, Lernihan was not quite finished, and replied with another well struck point on the 22nd minute which was answered by the visitors a minute later with a converted free that still left them adrift by a 3-03 margin.  In the final 4 minutes of the half, Trim moved further ahead when the unstoppable Quigley struck a beautiful 2-pointer only to be capped off on the 29th minute by another Lernihan point from a free straight in front of the St Paterick’s posts.

Half time. Difficult to see a visitor comeback after such a dominant home performance but……..!!

Half time:   Trim 3-09 St Patrick’s            0-03   

Immediately on the restart, the powerhouse midfielder Carty got proceedings underway with a nicely struck point. Moments later Lernihan struck the upright from a free only to make amends a minute later with yet another point from a free. Sean Foley who had been keen all evening to get on the scoreboard did just that in the 5th minute with a beautifully struck point to put the home team further ahead.  But credit to St Patrick’s who, despite the appearance of the scoreboard, hit 2 nicely worked points of their own by the 13th minute.  With the rays of spring sunshine now brightening proceedings, Foley was now well out of hibernation and launching his customary darting runs to unnerve the St Patrick’s defence – effforts that eventually saw him secure a nice point in the 17th minute that was answered by St Patricks from the kick out by a beautifully struck point of their own. Ian Byrne got in on the action with a point of his own 2 minutes later to further extend the Trim lead.

One of the encouraging things about this Trim squad is the preparedness of management to bring through young players. It is a proud moment for any young player to make his senior debut for the club and in this regard, the appearance of Caoimhin O Neill onto the pitch was a tribute to him, his family and all the underage coaches who collectively got him to this point. 

With Trim rolling in substitutions in the final 10 minutes, the response from St Patrick’s could easily go unnoticed when they hit 3 really well worked points in a row from players who clearly had decided to play to the very final whistle. Foley struck again in the final minutes for a point that was answered with the final score of the match going to St Patrick’s.

While this victory was secured in an eight-minute period in the first half, undoubtedly, the Trim management will remind everyone, that with the new rules and good 2-point kicking, large margins can and will be overturned during the remainder of the season.  They may also point out to the lads that, on paper, Trim were outscored in the second half by 0-06 to St Patrick’s 0-08 – harsh but true.

This Trim squad are now displaying a work ethic and a team comradery that is very commendable. As an observer standing on the sideline, one cannot but notice the influence of the new manager Ken Robinson. There is clearly a real connection and mutual regard between the manager and players that one must believe is now resulting in a squad that wants to deliver for a very respected management team. Encouraging signs….but early days.

The Management, Players and Club wish to pass on our good wishes to Daniel Fox for a speedy recovery from a nasty shoulder injury sustained during the game.

Trim:  E O Reilly; D Dowling; C McGinley; B Bolger; P Walsh; C Quigley (0-04); J McGowan; P Quigley; E Sweeney (0-01), S Fitzgerald (0-02); T Carty (1-01); D Lynch; I Birmingham; S Foley (0-03); D Lernihan (2-03); 

Subs: C O Reilly for I Bermingham; A Fox for C McGinley; I Byrne (0-01) for E Sweeney; D Fox for B Bolger, M Dempsey for D Fox; N Sweeney for S Foley; C O Neill for S Fitzgerald