J.M.B. Sportsfields – Football League – Division 2 Round 6
Trim 4 -29   St Michael’s 0-14
📝 Martin Bourke

Although sitting close to the foot of the league table, St Michael’s travelled to league leaders Trim on Saturday evening in the hope of much needed points. Some on the Trim sideline, while cautiously confident, could recall the drubbing that the same men from Carlanstown had delivered only 12 months previously – so points would have to be earned.

On a beautiful evening, and with Trim playing with the benefit of a refreshing breeze, the home team started lively with Padraig Walsh in defence launching an attack to free Harry Purcell to deliver a well-taken point in only the 3rd minute. A minute later, strong running from young Cathal O Reilly resulted in a free that allowed David Lernihan take the ball further out the field to confidently secure the first 2 pointer of the game. St Michael’s rallied but were thwarted by Jack McGowan in defence who found Purcell who again struck low over the visitor’s cross bar. Not to be out done, Sean Foley followed up moments later with a beautifully struck point of his own.

The most bizarre incident of the game followed when an attack from the Reds resulted in an own goal by the St Michael’s defence only to be disallowed by the referee for reasons not immediately apparent to the watching crowd. Undeterred, Trim surged forward from the kickout with Foley darting up the right wing and cutting in to slam the ball low and hard into the left corner of the net. With only 10 minutes on the clock, it was already difficult to see how the visitors could make a comeback. Any attack by St Michael’s was being repelled by strong work by Gerry Dwane, Walsh and McGinley who ensured the ball moved effortlessly up the field. Tom Carmody got his name on the scoreboard with a very well struck 2 point free before St Michael’s eventually got off the mark in the 16th minute with a well taken point from an attack down the left wing. Trim responded with venom with a Conor Quigley point followed immediately after with another Lernihan 2 pointer.

Moments later Quigley, who was now flying, laid the ball off to Lernihan who this time rattled the back of the Michael’s net – and then followed up with another point on the 20th minute. Trim’s Eoin Sweeney got into the action himself a minute later with a sweetly struck point of his own before the visitors replied with 2 points from frees. Any hope of a resurgence was dashed when that man Carmody ran on to a well-judged pass from Lernihan and slotted the ball into the net. Although now mortally wounded, St Michaels battled on and replied with a really well taken 2-pointer from play. In the closing minutes of the first half Carmody added another 3 points with only a single point in reply by the visitors. Nobody in the ground could see any prospect for St Michael’s as the teams went to the dressing rooms at half time.

Half time: Trim 3-16St Michael’s 0-06

St Michael’s opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a nicely taken point from play only to be rocked back again when Quigley won the ball and off loaded to Purcell who neatly passed to Daire Lynch to strike the ball low to the back of the net. In the following 8 minutes Trim delivered 6 more points from Lynch, Caoimhin O Neill and Carmody (4) with a mere 2-point reply from the visitors. With the Reds management now rolling on subs, the excellent Cathal O Reilly struck a beautiful point just as he was about to be called to the sideline. Carmody also wanted to end his campaign in glory when he struck yet another 2 pointer before whimpering off the field complaining of blisters and extolling his prowess as a hard tackling defensive forward!!!

Meanwhile, back on the pitch, Trim’s Foley, once again was running riot with his typical Brazilian brand of Gaelic football where he jinked, dodged and weaved to an extent that any decent spectator could only feel sorry for his markers……but it wasn’t just carnival entertainment. In a ‘man of the match’ performance, Foley added another 3 points from play punctuated by further points from Lynch and Niall Sweeney. St Michael’s added another few points but really couldn’t match the opposition.

To much relief, the final whistle sounded. This was a one-sided affair from the opening minutes. Trim worked hard to retain their position at the top of the league table and have all the hall marks of a team that are not going to easily give up that position. Importantly, Trim look like a team enjoying their football and enjoying working with a very good team on the sideline.

Like the weather, everything is sunny at the moment……but this is Ireland – and the weather can change…! Let’s keep the focus.
Full time: Trim 4 -29St Michael’s 0-14
Trim:

E O Reilly; C McGinley; G Dwayne; P Walsh; P Quigley; J McGowan; E Sweeney (0-01); C Quigley (0-03); S Fitzgerald; H Purcell (0-02); D Lynch (1-01); C O Reilly (0-01); S Foley (1-05); D Lernihan (1-05); T Carmody (1-09)
Subs: C O Neill (0-01) for S Fitzgerald; B Bolger for E Sweeney; D Coleman for H Purcell; N Sweeney (0-01) for D Lernihan; M Murray for C O Reilly; C Downes for T Carmody; A Donohoe for C McGinley