Last year's runners-up Wolfe Tones are through to the semi-finals of the hoganstand.com SFC having fended off a Skryne rally in this last eight fixture at Pairc Tailteann on Friday night.

Wolfe Tones 3-12
Skryne 3-10

The 'Tones ticket to the last four looked secure when they led by seven points heading into the last ten minutes. Skyrne sub Kevin Mulvaney netted in the 52nd minute but looked to have done so illegally. Having consulted with his umpires, referee Patrick Nelis allowed the score to stand.

Four minutes later Skryne had the deficit down to the minimum. First, Paddy O'Rourke - who spent most of the hour on the 'forty' despite being listed at full-forward - ignited a move that end with corner-back Mark Jordan goaling.

Then O'Rourke sent over a free for a foul on Mark Battersby and suddenly just the minimum separated the sides, 3-10 to 3-11, with 56 minutes gone. Then Skryne number 14 was narrowly wide with free from almost 60 metres.

That was as good as it got for Pat Coyle's men who lost corner-back Declan Morley to a second yellow card near the end while a close range Cian Ward free closed the scoring and brought his tally to 1-9.

With younger brother Fiachra operating as an effective target man, the Ward brothers made life difficult for the Skryne rearguard posting 1-10 between them.

With Mark Battersby to the fore, Skryne upped their game in the third quarter. Their efforts to hit the front proved fruitless as Wolfe Tones struck for with Fiachra Ward providing the assist for Eanna Harrington (40 mins) and Cian (44 mins) to register.

That left it 3-9 to 1-8 heading into the final quarter. Matters improved for Darren Fay's men with Cian Ward adding a free. When Paddy Fox added an excellent point, it seemed only to improved the complexion of the scoreboard from Skryne's perspective rather than the overture to a rally.

The opening six minutes were tepid, yielding just a single score a Cian Ward free. By the tenth minute the 'Tones had added three further scores, pick of them being the game's top scorer's second point, an excellent effort off his left boot having cut in from the right at the town end.

Wolfe Tones' number 15 then added one with his right boot from about 40 metres. Meanwhile Fiachra Ward provided the assist for a Stephen Sheppard point, the second of the game.

Skryne's opening score arrived in the 11th minute when team captain Ian Davis netted a penalty at the hospital end after he was fouled. Three minutes later the scores were tied for the only time when wing-back David McGoldrick sent over a close range free.

Parity was brief. Cian Ward converted a 40 metre free. The Ward brothers continued to torment the Skryne rearguard and combined to created the opening for Sheppard to palm home a goal in the 18th minute to leave it 1-5 to 1-1.

A score from play still eluded Skryne, but a second McGoldrick free trimmed the deficit somewhat. Respite was brief for the Tara men as Cian Ward tagged on two more points for Wolfe Tones to leave it 1-7 to 1-2 25 minutes in.

Skryne's nominal full-forward Paddy O'Rourke sent over a close range free before Paddy Fox posted his side's first score from play. The Ward brothers effective combination yielded another Wolfe Tones point.

Paddy O'Rourke's long range effort yielded the final score of the half and left Skryne - second best for much of the opening 30 minutes - just three points, 1-5 to 1-8, in arrears at the break.

Skryne hopes soared as Mark Battersby added two points from play within four minutes of the restart to trim the deficit to the minimum, 1-7 to 1-8. Wolfe Tones response meant they had enough in hand to stave off the efforts of wearers of royal blue and white.

Wolfe Tones - David Nolan; Niall O'Reilly, Ciaran McLoughlin, Richard Brady; Shane Glynn, Eoghan Harrington, Niall McLoughlin; Stephen Corrigan, Alan Callaghan; Mark Coleman, Stephen Sheppard (1-1), Eanna Harrington (1-0); Alan Fox (0-1), Fiachra Ward (0-1), Cian Ward (1-9, 0-5 fs). Subs - Paddy Caffrey for Glynn (52), David Coleman for O'Reilly (58).

Skryne - Felim O'Rourke; Declan Morley, Martin Mulvaney, Mark Jordan (1-0); David McGoldrick (0-2 fs), Ciaran Lenehan, Ronan McCabe; Aidan Tuite, Harry Rooney; Paddy Fox (0-2), Ian Davis (1-0 pen), Conor O'Brien; Brian Davis, Paddy O'Rourke (0-4 3fs), Mark Battersby (0-2). Subs - Kevin Mulvaney (1-0) for O'Brien (45), Dermot Brennan for McGoldrick, Allan Carty for McCabe (both 48), Kevin O'Reilly for Davis (50).

Referee - Patrick Neilis (Kilmainham)


****

Skyrne report:

Disappointment as Skryne bow out

Skryne bowed out of the senior football championship last night (13 Sept) as Wolfe Tones earned a semi-final spot with a 3 - 12 to 3 - 10 victory in Pairc Tailteann.

However heading into the final quarter Wolfe Tones thought they had this one safely under the belt when they led by 3 - 10 to 1 - 8 thanks to goals from Eanna Harrington and Cian Ward. Many in the attendance thought that Skryne would fold completely at this stage but a goal from Kevin Mulvany with eight minutes left gave the Skryne side hope of a recovery.

The goal was disputed by the Wolfe tones but it appears that in attempting to stop Mulvany the Tones goalkeeper David Nolan knocked the ball into his own goal and the score was allowed to stand. There was also controversy at the end of the game when referee Patrick Neilis allowed only one minute for broken play when most in the attendance would have expected about three minutes. The game itself got off to good start for the Oristown side with Cian Ward getting the opening score. Ward went on to score a total of 1 - 6 on the night.

Points from Stephen Shepard and two more for Ward had the Tones four points ahead with ten minutes on the clock. However the Tara men upped their game and won a penalty which Ian Davis expertly drove to the back of the net. Three minutes later Ciaran Lenehean was fouled after the ball had gone and a close in free was slotted over by David McGoldrick. Cian Ward scored a further free on sixteen minutes for a one point advantage. Then Tones took a decisive grip of the game with their opening goal. A line ball from Ward fell short and a poor clearance out of defence came back to him.

His cross was not properly dealt with and Stephen Shepard fisted it to the back of the net. Eanna Harrington made it a five point game with twenty five minutes gone. However, the Skryne side was never going to let this game get out of reach and two points from Paddy O'Rourke, one from a free, and a point from Paddy Fox for a single point from Fiacra Ward saw the teams go in at half time on a score line of Wolfe Tones 1 - 8, Skryne 1 - 5.

Two early second half points from Mark Battersby saw the deficit reduced to a single point. Battersby was having a really effective game and with thirty five minutes gone put in a good cross ball to Ian Davis but his effort to knock the ball to the net came back of the crossbar and was cleared.

Alan Fox made it 1 - 9 to 1 - 7 for Wolfe Tones with thirty nine minutes gone and a minute later Eanna Harrington got Tones second goal. Paddy O'Rourke scored a fine point from about fifty meters but this was replied to by Cian Ward with a goal. Ward followed this up with two pointed frees to make the score Wolfe Tones 3 - 11 Skryne 1 - 8.

Most other teams would have given up at this point but Skryne were not going to throw in the towel without a fight and Paddy Fox pulled a point back on forty nine minutes. Kevin Mulvany then got the previously mentioned controversial goal making it a five point game. Ward again widened the margin to six points with time running out. Skryne threw everything they had into attack and when corner back Mark Jordan found himself with the ball in front of Wolfe Tones goals he buried the ball in the back of the net.

There was still six minutes of regulation time to play and a minute later Paddy O'Rourke made it a two point game with another long range point. It was now anybody's game but try as they might Skryne could not bridge the gap and the Oristown side held out for a semi-final spot. Considerable annoyance was expressed at the end of the match for the inordinately short time allocated for broken play as the Skryne side bowed out of this year's championship but the Tara men must be proud of the never say die attitude they displayed when matters looked way beyond any normal side. However it is last years defeated finalists who march on to the semi-finals.

Skryne - Felim O'Rourke; Declan Morley, Martin Mulvaney, Mark Jordan (1-0); David McGoldrick (0-2 fs), Ciaran Lenehan, Ronan McCabe; Aidan Tuite, Harry Rooney; Paddy Fox (0-2), Ian Davis (1-0 pen), Conor O'Brien; Brian Davis, Paddy O'Rourke (0-4 3fs), Mark Battersby (0-2). Subs - Kevin Mulvaney (1-0) for O'Brien (45), Dermot Brennan for McGoldrick, Allan Carty for McCabe (both 48), Kevin O'Reilly for Davis (50).

Tones - David Nolan; Niall O'Reilly, Ciaran McLoughlin, Richard Brady; Shane Glynn, Eoghan Harrington, Niall McLoughlin; Stephen Corrigan, Alan Callaghan; Mark Coleman, Stephen Sheppard (1-2), Eanna Harrington (1-1); Alan Fox (0-1), Fiachra Ward (0-1), Cian Ward (1-7, 0-5 fs). Subs - Paddy Caffrey for Glynn (52), David Coleman for O'Reilly (58). Tweet

Most Read Stories