AFL DIV. 1 MATCH REPORT: ST. BRIGIDS V CASTLENOCK

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

ST BRIGID’S 1-10

CASTLEKNOCK 0-10

By Daire Walsh

Lorcan McCarthy was in devastating form at Russell Park last night as St Brigid’s claimed local bragging rights over a spirited Castleknock in Division One of the Adult Football League.

Though there was little to separate the teams initially, McCarthy’s 14th-minute was the catalyst for Brigid’s to enter the interval with a six-point cushion (1-8 to 0-5) at their disposal. It has been a difficult campaign to date for Castleknock, who began the evening rooted to the bottom of the top-tier table.

They can take encouragement from a much-improved second half display, when midfielder Shane Boland’s dead-ball accuracy offered them a fighting chance of success. However, Kevin Bonner’s hosts ultimately dug deep to secure a hard-earned triumph – their fifth of the 2018 league season.

While Brigid’s had recorded three wins on the bounce prior to their narrow defeat at the hands of St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh last weekend, Castleknock had just one win from their previous seven encounters.

This came against Cuala on June 13, but resulting reversals to southside duo Thomas Davis and St Jude’s has left them with a lot of ground to make up in the closing weeks of the current campaign.

They deployed Peter Sherry as a sweeper in a bid to curb the attacking influence of their neighbours – and it proved to be an effective tactic during the first-quarter. After Brigid’s half-forward Cathal Doyle opened the scoring early on, his opposite number – Paul Burke – responded at the far end.

Indeed, following a series of missed opportunities by their opponents, full-forward Tommy Corcoran edged Castleknock in front with a sweet point off his left-foot. Collie Carr and McCarthy were also off-target as the action progressed, before Brigid’s finally moved into the ascendancy in the 14th-minute.

Though an effort on goal dropped well short of the posts, a lax clearance from Morven Connolly presented the alert Carr with a gilt-edged chance. His subsequent strike was superbly turned away by the Castleknock netminder, only for McCarthy to slot home the rebound.

This was a major set-back for ‘Knock – who had appeared comfortable in defence up to that point. McCarthy, on the other hand, grew in confidence as a result.

He registered a brace of scores either side of a Carr point off a tight-angle, creating significant daylight between the teams in the process. In the absence of county star Paddy Andrews, he acted as the focal point of a hight-functioning forward line.

He was ably-assisted by the midfield pairing of Laois footballer John O’Loughlin and former Dublin hurler Daire Plunkett – as well as the ever-industrious Carr and Barra O Coilean.

O’Loughlin was an influential figure for Laois in their journey to this year’s Leinster SFC decider and finished off a patient move on 27 minutes to supplement McCarthy’s additional 0-3 salvo.

Although they were struggling to contain a rampant Brigid’s outfit, Castleknock did regain focus before the break. After Boland ended a 19-minute scoring drought with a pointed free, centre-back Tom Shields split the uprights at the end of a lung-bursting run.

Boland’s second of the half in stoppage-time provided ‘Knock with further cause for optimism, though it was McCarthy and Brigid’s who drew fist blood on the resumption. They then had a golden opportunity to put the game to bed on the stroke of 40 minutes, when McCarthy picked out raiding half-back Patrick Maguire in front of goal.

However, much to Castleknock’s relief, his fierce drive crashed off the underside of the crossbar and away to safety. This kept the visitors in the frame, and they slowly – but surely – cut into the Brigid’s lead.

A triple half-time substitution – Darren O’Connor, Sean Gibbons and Michael Galvin replaced the half-forward line of Niall Millmore, Jamie Tunney and Paul Burke – gave them a new lease of life and they halted the Brigid’s momentum with a succession of turnovers in the middle-third.

A Boland free was preceded by an O’Connor contribution from play, leaving five points between the sides heading into the final-quarter. Brigid’s continued to create a number of chancedl, but it was the right boot of Boland that enjoyed the greater success rate.

He raised white flags in the 51st and 55th minutes to set-up a tantalising finale. Brigid’s lost centre-forward Mark Cahill to a black card on the hour mark and almost immediately conceded a 10th point to Boland – his sixth of the proceedings.

Brigid’s held their nerve, though, and McCarthy ended a lengthy barren spell for his side with an insurance point deep into injury-time.

Results elsewhere on the night lifts the victors up to sixth place, while Castleknock remain a point adrift of second-from-bottom Naomh Olaf with a game still in hand.

Scorers – St Brigid’s: Lorcan McCarthy 1-7 (0-3f), John O’Loughlin, Cathal Doyle, Collie Carr 0-1. Castleknock: Shane Boland 0-6 (5f), Tom Shiels, Paul Burke, Tommy Corcoran, Darren O’Connor 0-1 each.

ST BRIGID’S: Stephen Moore; Alan Daly, Gavin Kane, Fiachra O’Meara; Sean Egan, Niall Davey, Patrick Maguire; Daire Plunkett, John O’Loughlin; Mark Donnelly, Mark Cahill, Cathal Doyle; Barra O Coilean, Lorcan McCarthy, Collie Carr. Subs: Cian McCarthy for Donnelly (48), Donnelly for Carr (55), Carr for Cahill (60).

CASTLEKNOCK: Morven Connolly; Graham Hannigan, Tom Quinn, Colm Neville; Rob Shaw, Tom Shields, Greg Gibbons; James Sherry, Shane Boland; Niall Millmore, Jamie Tunney, Paul Burke; Peter Sherry, Tommy Corcoran, Kevin Kindlon. Subs: Darren O’Connor for Millmore, Sean Gibbons for Tunney, Michael Galvin for Burke (all half-time), Kevin Stevenson for Corcoran (44).

Referee: James King (Garda/Westmanstown Gaels).