Brilliant ‘Bridge are back on top
A BIT of dressing-room unrest beforehand ultimately did Knockbridge hurlers no harm whatsoever as they ended their four-year Louth Senior Championship ‘drought’ with a comprehensive victory in Sunday’s final.
This was a repeat of the 2016 decider when St Fechin’s proved much too strong for the ‘Bridge, and it looked like a repeat might be on the cards as Cathal Ryan’s charges built up an early head of steam to lead by four on two different occasions.
However, a goal on the stroke of halftime left just a point between them, and in the second period it was virtually all one-way traffic as Knockbridge took total charge to run out 11-point winners.
The omission of both Stephen and David Kettle from the reds’ line-up was a major surprise, with no indication of either player being injured. There was a hint of disharmony in the camp, and perhaps that disrupted Knockbridge in the early stages.
Certainly they were slow out of the blocks, but perhaps that had as much to do with not having played a championship match in five weeks.
From the start referee Kevin Brady adopted a policy of letting the game flow at every opportunity, which made for an entertaining spectacle.
Whatever the cause of those initial Knockbridge woes, the result was that St Fechin’s scored the opening three points through Paddy Lynch, Seaghan Conneely and Paul Matthews whose physicality had the opposition defence working overtime.
Gary Hall had the reds’ opening point after eight minutes, which was immediately cancelled out by Lynch, but on 11 minutes the ‘Bridge were back on level terms. Mark Wallace made a great interception in midfield and sent a high ball in towards Hall who rose highest to bat the sliotar to the net.
The sides then swapped points through David Stephenson (Fechin’s) and Shane Fennell from a free, but Lynch popped over a free to edge his team ahead once more and they then raised a green flag of their own as Stephen
son followed up to finish off
mis-hit Michael Ryan ground stroke from close range.
After Shane and Michael Ryan pointed at either end, the Fechin’s lead still stood at four, but the latter also missed another goal chance as his attempt bounced the wrong side of the upright and Lynch then increased his team’s wide count for the half to nine.
Fechin’s might feel they should have been out of sight at that point, but with the short whistle just a few seconds away Knockbridge grabbed themselves a scarcely deserved lifeline as a Fennell shot somehow trickled into the corner of the net despite keeper Stephen Hackett appearing to have it covered.
Starting the second half just one in arrears - 1-7 to
2-3 - Knockbridge proceeded to take total control against a Fechin’s side who crumbled with alarming speed.
Three quickfire points from Fennell (two frees) and a nonchalant Hall point from play signalled the reds’ intentions and Fennell then converted a long-range free and a ‘65 to leave Knockbridge four ahead going into the last quarter - 2-8 to 1-7.
Sean Marry then got in on the act with a point, but the score that ended the final as a contest was a controversial one. Gerry McKeown’s point effort was initially caught just under the crossbar by Hackett but then spilled momentarily, and when the keeper clutched the sliotar at the second attempt he was judged by the umpire to be over his own line.
Hackett was yellow-carded for his protesttest and at 3-9 to 1-7 there was no way back from there for the Fechin’s who had now conceded 2-6 without reply.
Lynch belatedly converted a free in the 52nd minute - his side’s first score in almost half an hour - and substitute John Crosbie then pointed after Lynch’s ground stroke had been blocked by Knockbridge keeper James King.
If Fechin’s had scored next then nerves might have crept back into their opponents’ play, but instead the ‘Bridge slammed the door shut by scoring another 1-3 in double-quick time.
Marry squeezed over a point from a tight angle, sub Ronan Mulholland then scrambled in their fourth goal after Hackett had saved from Fennell, and McKeown and Fennell completed their tally going into stoppage time.
In the final moments Conneely had a shot saved by King before the Fechin’s number 10 popped over his second
point of the
game, but Knockbridge were already home and hosed. KNOCKBRIDGE: James King; Conor Kerrigan, Ronan Byrne, Stephen Hoey; Mark Wallace, Conor Deane, Andrew Smyth; James Costello, Shane Kerrigan 0-1; Liam Molloy, Peter Brennan, Shane Fennell 1-6 (0-5f); Sean Marry 0-2, Gary Hall 1-2, Gerry McKeown 1-1. Subs: Ronan Mulholland 1-0 for C Kerrigan (HT), Robert Wallace for Costello (59min), Sean Brennan for Fennell (60 +1), Ricky McKeown for P Brennan (60 +2), Ciaran Deane for S Kerrigan (60 +2).