CRAOBH CHIARAIN 2-16

ST BRIGID’S 1-16

By Daire Walsh

Craobh Chiarain moved up to fifth in the Adult Hurling League Division One table with a three-point victory over St Brigid’s at Russell Park on Tuesday evening.

Thanks to opening period goals from Alan McCrabbe and Francis Usanga, the Clonshaugh men had the measure of the hosts for much of the contest. Daire Plunkett led the Brigid’s resistance with an outstanding haul of 11 points and Sean Dunphy grabbed a goal to give them a glimmer of hope heading into the dying moments of the action.

It was Chiarain who ultimately prevailed, however, with Cian Derwin proving to be a stand-out performer over the course of the hour. This was their first competitive fixture since they were narrowly defeated by runaway leaders Ballyboden St Enda’s on June 29.

A somewhat mixed run of form preceded this encounter, but the northsiders have remained competitive throughout the current campaign. While Brigid’s edged out Ballinteer St John’s in their most recent league outing, it followed a run of three straight defeats in Division One.

Their top-flight status is secure for another season, though, and they were eager to maintain their winning form on a bright summer night at the Navan Road venue. Nevertheless, it was Craobh who hit the ground running through Derwin (free) and Stephen Kelly points.

Brigid’s eventually responded with a Plunkett placed-ball effort, only for Craobh to fire back with a similar effort by McCrabbe – an All-Star winner with Dublin in 2009. The visitors then breathed a sigh of relief on six minutes, when netminder Stephen Chester turned away Ciaran Kellitt’s powerful goal-bound strike.

Centre-back Andrew Dunphy burst forward to claim a point for Brigid’s, before Stephen Kelly and McCrabbe moved Craobh into the driving seat. As a frantic first-quarter developed, Plunkett and full-back Mark Kavanagh split the posts from inside their own half to keep Brigid’s in the race.

Traded scores between free-takers Derwin and Plunkett left the sides delicately poised, until Craobh subsequently created daylight with a brace of finely-worked goals. Capitalising on hesitancy in the Brigid’s defence, McCrabbe delivered a clinical close-range finish on 15 minutes.

Another Plunkett single gave the home team brief respite, but the lively Usanga pulled past Sky Blues netminder Alan Nolan off a resulting attack. Centre-fielders Derwin and Conor Ryan combined to propel Craobh into an eight-point cushion and it took Kellitt and Plunkett contributions at the opposite end to halt their momentum.

Derwin and Plunkett continued to be a reliable source of scores for their respective teams, albeit wing-back Gary Kelly took some of the pressure off the former with a long-range special. His direct marker, Luke Purtill, bagged his first of the day in stoppage-time, reducing the Brigid’s deficit to six (2-10 to 0-10) in time for the break.

The half-time introduction of Diarmuid Breslin added fresh legs to their forward line and he certainly kept the Craobh rearguard on their toes. Following a series of wayward shots in the early moments after the restart, Purtill registered his second point to further aid the Brigid’s cause.

Stephen McDonnell cancelled out this score almost immediately and Derwin later found the target on the right-wing to keep Craobh firmly in the ascendancy. Despite Plunkett once again bolstering his personal tally, scores were proving few and far between for both sides in the second half.

Yet, Craobh looked set for a convincing success when Derwin pushed them back into a seven-point lead (2-13 to 0-12) on the stroke of 50 minutes. To the credit of their opponents, they continued their pursuit for scores and finally hit a purple patch with the final whistle approaching.

After a two-point salvo for Plunkett, Nolan ventured forward to negotiate a close-in free. It was superbly turned behind for a ’65’, which the ever-reliable Plunkett converted with consummate ease.

Now just four points adrift, Brigid’s appeared primed for a major surge. However, Craobh held onto their composure with Derwin and Paul Kelly points keeping them six clear.

Sean Dunphy’s outstanding green flag strike on the hour mark threw a spanner into the works, though Derwin’s eighth of the tie all but sealed their triumph. A Plunkett free in time added on brought the gap down to three, but it was a bridge too far for St Brigid’s.

Their final league game takes place on Saturday, August 10, when Lucan Sarsfields pay a visit to Russell Park. On the same night, Craobh Chiarain face St Jude’s at Tymon Park and they will also have a final home fixture against Crumlin to look forward to.

Scorers – Craobh Chiarain: Cian Derwin 0-8 (5f), Alan McCrabbe 1-2 (0-2f), Francis Usanga 1-0, Stephen Kelly 0-2, Gary Kelly, Stephen McDonnell, Conor Ryan, Paul Kelly 0-1 each. St Brigid’s: Daire Plunkett 0-11 (8f, 2 ’65’), Sean Dunphy 1-0, Luke Purtill 0-2, Mark Kavanagh, Andrew Dunphy, Ciaran Kellitt 0-1 each.

CRAOBH CHIARAIN: Stephen Chester; Sean Finnegan, Aaron Kenny, Daniel Cullen; Gary Kelly, Kevin Hetherton, Stephen McDonnell; Conor Ryan, Cian Derwin; Paul Kelly, Francis Usanga, Stephen Kelly; James Finn, Ciaran McGowran, Alan McCrabbe. Sub: Billy Ryan for Finn (46).

ST BRIGID’S: Alan Nolan; Eoghan McKeigue, Mark Kavanagh, Sean Brady; Donnacha Ryan, Andrew Dunphy, David Fraine; Cathal Doyle, Daire Plunkett; Conall Burke, Sean Dunphy, Luke Purtill; Ciaran Kellitt, Kevin O’Callaghan, James O’Connell. Subs: Diarmuid Breslin for Kellitt (half-time), Dara Doyle for O’Connell (59).

Referee: Eamon Bryce (Whitehall Colmcille).