Kevin Mulvaney was the star turn as Skryne got their Commons Hardware SFC Group A campaign off to a winning start with seven points to spare over champions Seneschalstown at Walterstown on Saturday night. Skryne .................... 1-12 Seneschalstown ....... 0-8 The Skryne full-forward finished with five points from play as Trevor Giles' men overcame a sluggish opening period to run out deserved winners over depleted opponents who kept plugging away until the end. Seneschalstown might have snatched something from this fixture but for a brace of excellent saves from Skryne netminder Paddy O'Rourke from Brian Clarke at the latter stages of a mediocre encounter. County man Joe Sheridan also had two piledrivers blocked around this time with Skryne corner-back Vinny O'Reilly making a timely intervention in the 54th minute while his team-mate Aidan Tuite got in hand in the way of another effort from the Seneschalstown number 14. The Seneschalstown talisman managed just one score, another goal attempt that skied over the bar in the 49th minute that left it 0-8 to 1-11. Though the game was slipping away from them they conjured up the aforementioned chances that might have earned them something from this fixture. With Damien Sheridan the dominant force around midfield, Seneschalstown bossed the early exchanges and had two points on the board within three minutes (frees from Brian Sheridan and Shane Clarke). When wing-back Gary Conlon sent over the first score from play it was 0-3 to 0-1 for the champions after seven minutes but they were go another 22 minutes without registering. The opening-half was quite disjointed and wasn't helped by some strict refereeing. When Brian Clarke, the man of the match of last year's SFC decider, sent over a 45 in the 29th minute, it was 0-4 to 0-2 to the Yellow Furze side. Three points on the spin, Mulvaney (two) and Aidan Tuite, left it 0-5 to 0-4 at the break to Skryne, who consolidated their position with a goal from the experienced Mick O'Dowd within two minutes of the resumption. From there to the end only one outcome looked likely and but for a fine save by David Lyons, James Hegarty might have added a second goal for the Tara men. David McGoldrick landed the subsequent '45' and it was 1-7 to 0-6 after 40 minutes. A brace of Mulvaney points plus one each from Giles and McGoldrick copperfastened Skryne position. That sequence was punctuated by fine Tony McDonnell point. The Seneschalstown corner-forward was shown a straight red card late in the game and is set to miss his side's next SFC outing. Skyrne - P. O'Rourke; A. Curry, M. Harrington, V. O'Reilly; J. Gibbons, J. Quinn, J. Looby; D. McGoldrick (0-2,1 45), A. Tuite (0-1); J. Hegarty, T. Giles (0-1), D. Rogan; F. O'Rourke (0-3, frees), K. Mulvaney (0-5), M. O'Dowd (1-0). Subs - C. Lenehan for Hegarty (41 mins). Seneschalstown - D. Lyons; G. Sheridan, S. Sheridan, W. Smith; M. Carey, J. Cowley, G. Conlon (0-1); S. Finnegan, D. Sheridan; C. Macken, S. Clarke (0-2, frees), B. Clarke (0-1, 45); T. McDonnell (0-1), J. Sheridan (0-1), B. Sheridan (0-2, frees). Sub - J. Byrne for S. Sheridan (36 mins). Ref - R. Morris (Blackhall Gaels). Tweet

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