Skerries RFC 39 – 24 Omagh RFC
Skerries consolidated their hold on second spot and kept on the coat-tails of Division 2C leaders Enniscorthy when overcoming Omagh in another high-scoring encounter at Holmpatrick.
On what was a beautiful day, this was the Goats fifth consecutive win. A win that firmly establishes them as promotion contenders, with Omagh now nine points behind in third spot in the table.
The visitors started off the better and a few lapses in concentration allowed the away team a well worked try which was converted 0-7. On 15 minutes Paul O’Loghlen converted a penalty which lifted the home team. They started to make an impression on the play and after a series of scrums Skerries were awarded a penalty try to leave the score 10-7 after 26 minutes. On 34 mins, after a good maul, Paul O’Loghlen jinked in under the posts to score a try which he converted 17-7. On 38 minutes Omagh scored a good try off a lineout, which was converted to leave the score 17-14 to the home team.
Skerries put huge pressure on the visitors and deep into injury time Michael Turvey scored an excellent try to leave the score 22-14 to Skerries at half time with all to play for. Cormac Marrey was outstanding in the first half with his front row colleagues Kieran Leonard and Johnny Sherwin also showing up well. Both second rows O’Hare and Fay Watt worked really hard and the back row of Jenkinson, Turvey and McAuley, after a slow start, began to dominate.
Omagh started the better in the second half and after a move down the blindside their winger scored to leave score at 22-19. On 56 minutes, Skerries produced the play of the game, with excellent passing culminating in Conor Lennox scoring in the corner 27-19. After 62 minutes, and after a series of lineouts, Skerries were awarded another penalty try for a collapsed maul leaving the score 34-19.
Skerries did not let up, and Eoghan Carron scored an excellent try after a huge team effort, to leave the score 39-19 with 10 minutes to go. To Omagh’s credit, they continued to press right up to the end and were rewarded with a well worked try from a maul. Substitute Mark Oliver then made a crunching tackle to stop the Omagh winger from a certain try. Skerries were on top at the end, but with no further scores, the home team won out with a final score of 39-24.
The half backs of Carron and O’Loghlen had big games and the rest of the backs Lowndes, McGrath, Lennox, Jones and Gordon all contributed to a huge result. All subs added momentum when brought on and increased the options for the coaches. Man of the match was Cormac Marrey who was outstanding in the scrum and hugely effective in the loose. Onwards and upwards again next week, with a difficult trip to Cork to play Sunday’s Well. All support welcome for this match.
Match Pictures at link: https://www.skerriesrfc.ie/photos/ (incl. U10 half-time heroes)
The Skerries team and substitutes were:
15. R. Gordon
14. L. Jones
13. K. McGrath (c)
12. D. Lowndes
11. C. Lennox
10. P. O’Loghlen
9. E. Carron
8. R. McAuley
7. B. Jenkinson
6. M. Turvey
5. P. Fay Watt
4. T. O’Hare
3. J. Sherwin
2. K. Leonard
1. Cormac Marrey
16. Con Marrey
17. R. Halligan
18. T. Scuffil
19. R. Woods
20. M. Oliver