SAINTS EARN MOORE OF IT
Late rally seals place in final for hosts
DUBLIN JHC ‘B’ SEMI-FINAL
ST BRIGID’S………………………………………………. 2-9
ST VINCENT’S…………………………………………….. 1-9
Daire Walsh
A LATE 1-1 salvo from midfielder Stephen Moore proved decisive at Russell Park on Sunday morning, as St Brigid’s dug deep to secure their place in the Dublin JHC ‘B’ decider at the expense of St Vincent’s.
In a fiery encounter, the 38th-minute dismissal of opposing centre-back Tom Russell had offered Brigid’s a numerical advantage for the majority of the second period (Vincent’s centre-fielder Oisin Lanigan and Brigid’s substitute Colin Hawks were also given their marching orders in stoppage-time), but a dramatic goal by Moore two minutes from the end of normal time ensured the progression of the Navan Road outfit.
The hosts had suffered an agonising defeat at the hands of near rivals St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh in last year’s semi-final, but with home advantage at their disposal on this occasion, they enjoyed a dream start to the proceedings.
Corner-forward Eoin Thynne was on hand to flick a long-range Macdara Butler free beyond the reach of Vincent’s netminder Tom Carroll inside the opening minute of the play.
As it transpired, this early three-point cushion was hugely beneficial for Brigid’s during the first-quarter, with both teams struggling to find the target from a number of promising opportunities.
Damien Russell did open the Vincent’s account with a successful fifth-minute free from a distance of 50 metres, but Brigid’s inside forward Ciaran O’Sullivan split the posts from a tight right-hand angle 14 minutes into action.
Vincent’s did narrow the gap to two points courtesy of an excellent individual score by half-forward Eoin McGrane, only for Brigid’s to respond with a fine point of their own from Fergal Counihan.
Yet, as the first half developed, Vincent’s were beginning to settle into their customary rhythm of play. Dead-ball experts Russell and O’Sullivan did swap scores, before morale-boosting strikes by the Vincent’s midfield duo of Lanigan and O’Sullivan (two) ensured that the sides were on level terms (1-3 to 0-6) in time for the interval.
This left the tie delicately poised when the action resumed, but after the deadly accurate O’Sullivan had restored the Brigid’s cushion 34 minutes in, Vincent’s suffered a hammer blow when the influential Russell was dismissed on a second yellow-card offence.
As a result, Vincent’s centre-forward Richard Brennan dropped back into a defensive role, leaving Butler as the free man in the Brigid’s rearguard. Vincent’s needed to adjust quickly to this set-back, but to their credit, they forced their way back into the reckoning.
McGrane regained parity for the Marino men from a difficult 41st-minute free, and at the very end of the third-quarter, Lanigan registered a clinical three-pointer after getting on the end of a well-worked move.
This threw down the gauntlet to the home team, and even though O’Sullivan fired over three points in quick succession, the resilient Vincent’s gave themselves some breathing space with scores from Cian McGrane and Eoin McGrane in the 53rd and 54th minutes respectively.
The 14-man visitors were always under pressure, however, and after O’Sullivan had contributed his seventh point of this penultimate round fixture, another long-delivery by Butler was finished to the net by Moore.
An off-the-ball incident led to red-cards for Hawks and Lanigan, but owing to a late point from Moore (who had moved to the edge of the square for the closing moments), Brigid’s ultimately edged a tight affair.
SCORERS – ST BRIGID’S: C O’Sullivan 0-7 (7f), S Moore 1-1, E Thynne 1-0, F Counihan 0-1. ST VINCENT’S: D Russell 0-4 (3f, 1 ’65’), O Lanigan 1-1, E McGrane 0-3 (2f), C McGrane 0-1.
ST BRIGID’S: C Cahill; J Hanley, J Jordan, E Mulvihill; B Smith, M Butler, C O’Doherty; S Keegan, S Moore; JP Costigan, D Kennedy, F Counihan; E Thynne, K Morris, C O’Sullivan.
SUBS: C Hawks for Costigan (40), K Fox for Morris (40), D Brooks for Hanley (50), A Thynne for O’Doherty (59).
ST VINCENT’S: T Carroll; C Brennan, E Clerkin, C O’Meara; G O’Meara, T Russell, C Meehan; D Russell, O Lanigan; E McGrane, R Brennan, E O’Connor; B Quinn, M Harney, L Burns.
SUBS: S McHugh for Quinn (34), A Brennan for C Brennan (36), C McGrane for O’Connor (45).
MENTORS – ST BRIGID’S: D O’Doherty, M Sullivan. ST VINCENT’S: Fergal Curley, Fintan Curley, F Brady, P Gilheany.
REFEREE: Tom Tansey (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh).
WIDES – ST BRIGID’S: 7 (5+2). ST VINCENT’S: 16 (11+5).
CONDITIONS: Warm and sunny conditions with a slight breeze.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Ciaran O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s).