Ratoath outpoint neighbours to secure tilt at the title

SFC SEMI-FINAL

Ratoath............... 0-5-12 (22)

Skryne .................0-2-7 (11)

This heavyweight SFC semi-final was decided on points with Ratoath delivering enough decisive jabs to wear down Skryne and secure their place in the final with an emphatic victory at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday.

The crucial winding blows came in the form of five two-pointers, with the outstanding Jack Flynn landing three of them to ensure Ratoath ground out the win in a game that fizzled out in the final quarter.

Daithi McGowan also played a massive role in ensuring Ratoath seized the initiative in the second-half with his six points from play valuable when everything was totted up.

It was a comprehensive routine win for Ratoath as Skryne struggled to scale the heights they have proven they are capable of. Their big game players never got a grasp on the contest and as that reality dawned on Ratoath, Paul Galvin's troops pulled away.

Despite taking the lead with a fourth minute two-pointer from Darragh Campion Skryne were pegged back 90 seconds later by a brilliant two-pointer from Liam Kelly and from there they never led again.

Ratoath led by four at the break and 11 seconds after the restart Flynn's second two-pointer made it 0-8 to 0-2.

Skryne did threaten to make a game of it in the third quarter when they got back to within a point, but just one further point in the last 22 minutes wasn't enough to sustain their challenge as Ratoath outscored them 0-11 to 0-1 in the closing quarter.

Ratoath were ruthlessly effective and professional in their application. Flynn lorded the skies and their defensive set up, especially against the wind in the opening half, proved difficult to break down.

Skryne resorted to trying to use the wind to land two-pointers in that opening 30 minutes, but they kicked four such opportunities wide and squandered other decent chances too.

Unlike in their quarter-final win over Donaghmore/Ashbourne when they kicked 23 wides Ratoath were much more efficient. They did drop three chances short and kicked four wides in that spell, but they also landed two-pointers from Kelly and Flynn (free) either side of points from Daithi McGowan and Bryan McMahon to lead by 0-6 to 0-2 after 22 minutes.

Conor McGill was also denied a goal in that spell by a fine save from Ian Gillett before Billy Smyth cleared off the line.

Kelly also squandered another decent goal chance for Ratoath before Darragh Campion was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card for a high challenge on Flynn.

Skryne felt aggrieved at half-time as the referee blew for the break when Paddy Carpenter was on the attack after the hooter had sounded. That decision incensed the Tara men and added to the frustration of their poor first-half display which left them 0-2 to 0-6 adrift at the break.

Flynn's two-pointer after the break stretched Ratoath's lead, but then Niall Finnerty hit his straps with two converted frees and a brilliant score from play to close the gap to 0-5 to 0-8.

Points from Daithi McGowan and McMahon settled Ratoath, but Skryne came storming back again with Conor Donohoe pointing within seconds of coming on before Finnerty kicked a brilliant two-pointer to make it 0-8 to 0-10.

Flynn put three between the sides again moments later, but another Campion free and a fine point from Smyth narrowed the deficit to one, but that proved to be as good as Skryne's challenge could get.

Cian Rogers almost blasted a goal, but his effort was blocked by Jack Swan. In the 38th minute Flynn landed another two-point free and that sparked an avalanche of scores with McGowan kicking a two-pointer and two single scores along with points from McMahon, Glen O'Reilly (free), Rogers (two) and Ronan Byrne, while all Skryne could muster was a Conor O'Brien piledriver that was deflected over.

It summed up Skryne's day when little went right for them, but take nothing away from Ratoath who very much issued a strong warning sign.

Ratoath - Conor Rooney; Callum Brady, Conor McGill, Sean Brazil; Gavin McGowan, Ben Wyer, Liam Kelly (0-2 two-pointer); Jack Flynn (0-7 one two-pointer, two two-point frees), Ben McGowan; Cian O'Brien, Glen O'Reilly (0-1 free), Daithi McGowan (0-6 one two-pointer); Bryan McMahon (0-3), Bobby O'Brien, Cian Rogers (0-2). Subs - Ronan Byrne (0-1) for B O'Brien 44m, Cian Crawford for Brazil 49m, Oisin Cunningham for C O'Brien, Liam Corbett for D McGowan both 60m, Andrew Gerrard for McGill 62m.

Skryne - Ian Gillett; Jack Swan, Ciaran Lenehan, Niall Lenehan; Paddy Carpenter, John O'Regan, John Finnerty; Daniel Fitzpatrick, Harry Rooney; Padraig Finnerty, Niall Finnerty (0-5 two frees, one two-pointer), Shane Smyth; Conor O'Brien (0-1), Darragh Campion (0-3 one free, one two-pointer), Billy Smyth (0-1). Subs - Oisin Keogh for P Finnerty half-time, Conor Donohoe (0-1) for Carpenter 37m, Charlie Swan for J Finnerty, Andrew Canavan for B Smyth both 53m.

Referee - Kieran Olwell (Moynalty).