Goats Take Tumble On The Piste At Pearsonstown

Barnhall 36
Skerries 6

Public confidence in the teletext was seriously undermined for a time on Saturday evening. Not just for the old fashioned 18-4 scoreline that flashed up for the game between Highfield and Suttonians, more so for the bizarre 36-6 result from Pearsonstown. Only in the rarefield air of Fantasy Football could such a ridiculous tally accrue. The highly motivated Goats were as likely to lose by 30 clear points as David Garry was to get a lead role with the Royal Ballet. Over at Holmpatrick the small screen was deserted in favour of a phone call that might access the facts. Ochon! The truth was more baleful again. The score was confirmed.. And it was further established that the hitherto hermetic Skerries rearguard which had only conceded four tries in seven AIL matches actually leaked a half-dozen tries without scoring any in reply. That's one for Ripley!! Those who had crossed the Liffey Valley and had walked the pitch before the game knew that a freak result was always likely. After an overnight freeze only the top millimeters had thawed and the surface pock-marks were solid and treacherous. The ground was patently unsuitable for rugby. Indeed it was only just adequate for the the minutes silence which preceded the game. The prospective winter holiday makers DUFF, EARLY and LAWLESS could, with advantage, brought along their skis and honed their technique for the piste. It will be argued that conditions were the same for everyone, which is true of course - in the same way that conditions would be the same for all members of a symphony orchestra playing the Hungarian Rhapsody while traveling through Cavan by bus. The individual performances would inevitably be uneven and Liszt himself might have difficultly in recognizing the end product.

None of this is by the way of dredging up a mitigation of the Skerries defeat or of suggesting that Barnhall were anything but worthy winners. The Barnhall display, in fact, was one that Skerries should have no hesitation in applauding. It was the work, not of mercenaries, but of a substantially home produced team and, far from subscribing to the popular juggernaut ethic, it featured the style of rugby to which Skerries are aspiring this season.

With GRAY compulsorily rested in the wake of last week's concussion KELLEHER was at No.8 for the visitors and BUTLER filled the No. 6 shirt. In the backs LAWLESS reverted to the last line and DUNNE came in for his first AIL start on the right wing. Almost straight away DUNNE made a confident cover catch of an infield kick and a penalty award allowed Skerries to lift the siege. Skerries dominated the opening ten minutes. DEMPSEY kicked two penalty goals from the 22 and there was no hint of a dire denouement.

By half-time the omens were readable. The home backs were ventilating the ball in manifest comfort and switching the direction of play with enviable facility. When Skerries attempted to imitate them they invariably came to grief through lack of oxygen. Flawed kicking out of defense too contributed to the cumulative pressure on the Goats. Butler fell in the heat of battle and there was T.J. transcending great personal sadness to bring the mythical magic sponge to the afflicted. BUTLER stood up to resume but instantly slumped like a punch drunk boxer and was led away, KEANE exploding off the bench to take his place.

On the half-hour Barnhall's persistent probing paid its initial dividend. Intelligent support play unbolted a wide door for the eldest of the three Burke brothers and he made it to the line half-way out. MORGAN'S conversion gave his team the lead for the first time. Skerries surged back in search of a retaliatory score and it was all systems go inside the home 22 when KEANE'S attempted liaison with DUNNE was scooped up by left wing MORGAN. On the prevailing surface the turn and chase was a tedious manoeuvre and MORGAN went all the way to paradise.

Without ever achieving any real fluency Skerries kept themselves in the game for en extended period. O'SULLIVAN was again covering a big acreage but his week largely in the defensive mode. The rolling maul occasionally gave promise of tangible recompense but ultimately the task of keeping it upright was too much. As the last quarter approached DEMPSEY had an opportunity to make it 9-12 but he seemed to lose his equilibrium in the kick. Skerries were about to enter their purgatory.

Necessarily circumspect cover defending allowed MORGAN another try in the corner and then full-back BURKE showed pace and timing to offer his team a coveted bonus point. Barnhall were now thoroughly galvanized and the Skerrigoat partisans had taken to scanning the sky for elegantly flying swans and stuttering biplanes. anything rather than look at what was happening at ground level. Some had already left when MORGAN and BURKE repeated their dose and the American style musical salute was blasted out for the last time. Coach CARRON would have preferred more felicitous events to occupy his mind on the beaches of Florida. But the period of mourning should never endure long past the final whistle. The trade mark of a team of substance is a readiness to absorb lessons and retain morale. This Skerries squad should be in no doubt whatever about its intrinsic ability. And it should note the fact that Ards won.