Skehan's injury-time point seals win for O'Mahonys

Johnny Gorry and Martin Ennis soldiered for many years together in the green and gold of Meath, helping the county to an All-Ireland SHC B title in 1993. Now they are part of the Navan O'Mahonys management team, and seconds after this SHC victory over Trim at Kilmessan on Saturday evening they gleefully exchanged high fives on the sideline. They had every right to be delighted with the outcome of this game which finished with both sides a man short after O'Mahonys' Richie Hogan and Trim's James Andrews were sent off in different incidents. The game finished in a flurry of excitement with the winning score garnered by Paddy Skehan, his shot from the right-hand sideline two minutes into injury time bisecting the posts. It was a fine score, a worthy match-winner. O'Mahonys haven't always made the brightest of starts to their championship campaigns. Now they have made it two wins from two and this was a significant scalp. Trim have been touted as the team to watch out for this year, a new side with the wherewithal to threaten the Kilmessan, Kildalkey dominance. O'Mahonys displayed an appetite for victory that indicated they will have a significant say in this year's championship. "Workrate," was how Gorry described it afterwards when looking for reasons why his side bounced back from a indifferent first-half performance and an 0-4 to 0-7 interval deficit to clinch victory. "Workrate and hunger," added the O'Mahonys coach. "We won because the lads believed in themselves, we didn't make the best of starts but we kept battling, kept going. The hunger they showed was unreal, fantastic, I am delighted for them." The uncertain start Gorry referred to included the dismissal of Hogan after 10 minutes. The O'Mahonys full-back and his direct opponent Alan Douglas were booked as early as the third minute after referee Stephen Masterson had twice consulted his umpires following some off-the-ball incidents. A short time later another incident led to Hogan making the long, lonely walk. Masterson did well to exert his control over what threatened to develop into a niggly, nasty encounter. Eventually the teams settled down to play some hurling with Skehan slotting over the first score after seven minutes from a free. The Brews Hill side appeared rattled by the dismissal of one of their main players and this was reflected in Skehan's free-taking. He spurned a number of relatively easy chances in that opening half. However, like his colleagues, he recovered his poise in the second-half to fire over some fine scores from frees and play, with his seven points a major factor in helping his team across the line. Skehan's performance exactly mirrored how the game went for his team with an indifferent first-half showing giving way to a more focused, confident performance after the break. On a calm, mostly sunny evening wind wasn't a factor. The Navan side used their experience and the physical power to eventually unsettle a young Trim outfit who will have learned some harsh lessons from this outing. Niall McKeigue, Shane McKeigue, the entire defence, Brian Dillon and Andrew Snow all gave barnstorming displays. Both McKeigues as well as Derek Loughran fired over first-rate scores, using some neat stickwork, to arrow the ball between the posts. The one stone under the O'Mahonys door was the massive tally of 18 wides. If they can get their shooting right opponents could really suffer. Trim registered 15 wides with Dimmy Higgins also firing against the bar. After their opening round win over Dunboyne they had every right to feel confident going into this game. They produced some first-rate, enterprising hurling during the second-quarter only to subsequently concede the middle ground. Douglas showed the way for Trim with a number of fine scores from placed balls and play. James Toher and Niall Murray mopped up a high quota of ball in midfield in that opening half and with a decent supply of ammunition the pacy, skilful Neil Heffernan was able to bag two good scores from play with Toher and Damien McGee also firing over. That all changed in the second-half. Trim lost the edge in midfield, the supply to Heffernan & Co dried up. They were left to forage on scraps. Some poor shooting didn't help; neither did the dismissal of Andrews on 42 minutes when he picked up a second yellow for a foul. Before he walked Trim's difficulties were already evident. The sides were level three times in the last, breathless 14 minutes. When a draw looked inevitably up stepped Kelly to become the hero and fire O'Mahonys to victory. Navan O'Mahonys - J Burke; C Reilly, R Hogan, D Hogan; D Moran, K O'Rourke, S Crosby; A Snow, B Dillon (0-1, free); D Murtagh, N McKeigue (0-1), P Skehan (0-7, four frees), M Kelly (0-1), S McKeigue (0-1), D Loughran (0-1). Trim - B Carley; J Lee, C Doyle, S O'Toole; J Andrews, R Fitzsimons, R Andrews; J Togher (0-1), N Murray; S McGee, J Toole, D Magee (0-1); D Higgins, A Douglas (0-7, five frees, '65'), N Heffernan (0-2). Sub - L Massey for McGee 21 mins, Referee - Stephen Masterson (Boardsmill).