Bride’s cling on to win IFC title

ST BRIDE’S ST FECHIN’S 2-10 2-9

THE curtain-raiser at the Clans was a much tighter affair as St Bride’s pulled through to clinch the Intermediate crown by the minimum margin.

The first half was close throughout and the bride’s just managed to adjourn with their noses in front, 0-7 to 0-5

The second half asaw the Brides quickly off the mark as Sharon Callan placed a lovely left footed curler over the bar.

The Fechins were quick to reply with Hayley McDonnell and Rachel Kinch scoring in quick succession to reduce the Brides lead to a point.

The Fechins at this stage were taking the game by the scruff of the neck and continued to keep the ball in the Brides half.

This however left them open to the counter and on seven minutes Caoimhe Hoey got the first goal of the game for the Brides as she lobbed the ball over Caoimhe McQuillan in the Fechins goal.

Callan increased Bride’s lead to five points in the eleventh minute and she found the net with a thirty metre free and pointed two minutes later to establish a nine point lead for the Brides.

St. Fechins worked hard to get back in the game and reduced the deficit on twenty one minutes with a fine goal from Hazel Haughney after good work from Hayley McDonnell.

The Brides were forced to reorganise as Aisling McKean was sinbinned for ten minutes. Catherine McGlew pointed the resultant free to give hope to the Fechins.

With the game approaching the end of normal time the Brides Aisling McEnteggart was penalised and sent to the sideline for ten minutes as they held on to their five point lead.

The referee played eight minutes of injury time at the end of the game with St. Fechins pressing hard against thirteen.

The Brides were no sooner back to fourteen players when Kate Wynne found herself sinbinned as she stopped a Fechins attack in the final minutes. Rachel Kinch pointed from the free and the Fechins kept the pressure on to the end. St. Fechins did find the net to reduce the margin to one point as Hayley McDonnell finished off a shot in the last minute.

This was to prove too little too late as referee Paul Burke blew full time as the ball entered play leaving St. Brides as 2016 Intermediate champions.