St Brid e’s make loud statement en route to quarter-finals
ST BRIDE’S booked their place in the Intermediate Championship quarter final as Group B winners when they held on to defeat Clan na Gael in an eventful game at Dowdallshill on Friday evening.
While the Knockbridge men were celebrating their progress at the final whistle, the Clans were left to rue a series of missed chances in the second half when they game was there for the taking.
For the opening three quarters of this game, the Knockbridge men looked to be firmly in control and on their way to a comfortable victory. However, they lost their grip on the game in the final 15 minutes and found themselves pinned back by a Clans side that, somewhat unusually, started with a team wearing the numbers one to 15.
The Dundalk men created a series of chances but just couldn’t apply the finishing touch as they kicked a number of wides from good positions, to let the Brides off the hook.
In the end they were too reliant on the kicking of Robbie Curran, who scored seven points from placed balls, as they finished the game with 13 wides, nine of which came after the break. Curran will be disappointed to have missed two frees but the most notable wide came just a minute from the end when the Clans were two points behind. A brilliant move released Billy Smith in front of goal but just when he seemed destined to win the game, his shot could only find the side netting.
The Brides took full advantage of their reprieve as they broke from the restart and saw Michael Keane kick a fine point to clinch victory.
In the end it was a first half goal from Cathal McKenna that proved the difference between the teams in what turned out to be a very eventful night for the Brides man. Having started on the bench, McKenna was sprung into action after just nine minutes following an injury to Paddy Reilly. Within three minutes had had the ball in the back of the net and also picked up a yellow card for an off the ball incident in between two late first half points.
He would go on to score an important point in the second period but his game ended prematurely as he collected a second yellow in the final minute.
The game itself was played at a lively pace between two of the main contenders for the title and saw the Clans get off to the better start. Curran opened the scoring from a free before McGeown elected to shoot over the bar when he was through on goal.
However, the Brides took a grip on the game and levelled with quick fire points from Sean Brennan and Paddy Reilly. Aaron Hoey, who celebrated his 40th birthday during the week, put the Brides ahead before Sean Marry added a fourth.
The crucial score came on 14 minutes when an effort from Mark Hoey came off the upright and into the grateful arms of McKenna who planted it into the bottom corner to make it 1-4 to 0-2.
At half time it was 1-6 to 0-4 and when the Brides scored two points in quick succession from Brennan and McKenna in the 42nd minute they led by 1-9 to 0-5 and were on course for a comfortable win.
However, the Clans refused to give up and dominated the remainder of the half and although they got back to within two points, their total of six wides in the final quarter proved decisive as the Brides just about held on.
ST BRIDES: Darren Breen; Ronan Bailey, Laurence Steen, Padraic Mackin; Michael Keane 0-1, Andrew Smyth, Conor Deane; Mark Hoey, Alan Dunne; Shane Devin, Aaron Hoey 0-1, Sean Brennan 0-3; Kevin Hearty, Paddy Reilly 0-1, Sean Marry 0-1. Subs: Cathal McKenna 1-3 for P Reilly, Emmet Kirk for A Dunne, Stephen Kettle for S Brennan, Johnny Culleton for S Marry, Gareth Hall for A Hoey.
CLAN NA GAEL: Sean Smith; Ian Carr, Leo Martin, Donal Boyle; Craig Long, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Micheal McDonald; Robbie Curran 0-7, JJ Quigley; Conall McKeever, Paul Gore, Mark Newell; Paul Crewe, Mark McGeown 0-1, Billy Smith 0-1. Subs: Ray McCabe for M Newell, Drew Duffy 0-1 for S Fitzpatrick, Kevin Carroll for C Long.
REFEREE: Jonathan Conlon