Dineen-inspired Brendans take their time seeing off Causeway

COUNTY SHC ROUND 1 REPLAY St Brendans 1-13 Causeway 2-7

ST Brendan’s made no mistake at the second time of asking when they defeated Causeway in the replay in Austin Stack Park last Saturday evening.

Causeway had come back from a four point deficit in the drawn encounter to level matters at the death, but there was to be no such dramatics this time as a goal from St Brendans’ Tim Hannifan, in the very last minute of the game, gave the Ardfert side a three point lead that they were determined not to surrender.

When Causeway look back at the DVD of the game they will point to the sending off of full-forward Sean Leahy in the 13th minute of the second half for a second yellow card,as having a major impact on their fortunes.

At the time they led by three points, 2-6 to 0-9, but for the remainder of the contest they were outscored by their opponents by 1-4 to 0-1. The fact that Causeway only contributed a point from a free by Paul McGrath for the remainder of the game was detrimental to their cause and ultimately handed the game to St Brendans.

Causeway did play with a strong breeze into the Horan’s End of the ground the first half, and they got a tonic start when full forward Sean Leahy scored a superb goal after only 45 seconds.

Leahy, a tall and rangy player, when he took on a good delivery in from Jason Leahy and struck low and hard to the back of the net. There was a small bit of a fracas between a few players straight afterwards, and Sean Leahy was one of three players to receive a yellow card in the incident, something that was to cost him dearly later on in the game.

St Brendans were going short with their puck outs and were soon on the scoresheet with a John Egan free from 45 metres. Egan finished with eight points overall, and his accu- racy from play and frees was instrumental in St Brendans win.

Keith Carmody of Causeway and Kevin Hannafin of St Brendans then swapped points, before St Brendans hit two on the bounce from Tom Moloney and full-forward

Eric Leen to make it 1-1 to 0-4. With both teams playing a sweeper system, the attackers were finding it difficult to garner scores. Causeway did strike for goal number two in the 14th minute from corner-forward Stephen Murphy, following good work around the middle of the field from Muiris Delaney. Causeway seemed to be taking a firm grip on proceedings and another point from 60 metres by Mark Murphy pushed them 2-2 to 0-4 ahead. To their credit St Brendans responded with two points of their own from John Egan, one from play and a free as the St Brendans back line, with Rory Horgan and Darren Dineen most prominent, began to roar into the game.

As the game ebbed and flowed, Causeway enjoyed a purple patch once more and hit three points without reply before the half-time break, with Thomas Casey from distance, Anthony Fealy and a Paul McGrath free, pushing them 2-5 to 0-6 ahead.

St Brendans attacked once more, and Causeway goalkeeper Tadhg Flynn was forced to pull off a wonder save on the stroke of half time, after Kevin Skinner’s pull on a pass from John Egan looked destined to hit the top corner of the net.

Flynn’s reactions were superb though, and he reached high and acrobatically to knock the sliotar out for a 65’, which Egan duly converted, to leave Causeway four ahead at half-time, 2-5 to 0-7.

Causeway substitute Brandon Barrett put his team five ahead after six minutes of the second period with a superb point over his left shoulder from way out on the right hand side of the pitch.

St Brendans replied with a point from a John Egan free, and another superb long range effort from play, to keep his team within touching distance once more. A minute later Darren Delaney in the St Brendans goal was forced to make a good stop from Jason Leahy, as Causeway attacked with intent once more.

Then came the sending off of Sean Leahy for his second yellow after a mistimed shoulder, and the game was completely turned on its head from here on. Darren Dineen with an inspirational point from 80 metres for St Brendans led to an immediate response in the 47th minute from Causeway through a Paul McGrath free, but that was as good as it got for the men in maroon.

Points from Egan(free), David Griffin and Egan again from play, pulled St Brendans level and with Dineen mopping up everything at the back, it seemed inevitable that they would push on for victory.

Tim Hannafin’s goal duly arrived in the 60th minute, and try as they might, Causeway couldn’t find a way through the resolute St Brendan’s defence to get the vital scores to bring them back into the game. The full time whistle sounded and St Brendans emerged victorious on a 1-13 to 2-7 scoreline.

CAUSEWAY: Tadhg Flynn, Mark Murphy(0-1), Billy Lyons, Bryan Murphy, Jason Leahy, Thomas Casey (0-1), Tommy Barrett, Eamon Fitzgerald, Muiris Delaney, Paul McGrath (0-2f), Colum Harty, Anthony Fealy (0-1),Keith Carmody (0-1), Sean Leahy(1 goal), Stephen Murphy (1-0) Subs: Padraig Harty for E Fitzgerald, 17, Brandon Barrett (0-1) for M Delaney, halftime, John Mike Dooley for C Harty, 55, Stephen Goggin for B Barrett, 60

ST BRENDANS: Darren Delaney, Rory Horgan, Jerry Wallace, Fionan Horgan, Kevin Hannafin (0-1), Darren Dineen (0-1), Kevin Orpen, David Griffin (0-1), Seamus Skinner, Tim Hannafin (1-0), Tom Moloney (0-1), Kevin Skinner, Cian Hussey, Eric Leen (0-1), John Egan (0-8, 4f, 1 65’) Subs: Stephen Leen for J Wallace, 47, Padraig O’Mahony for K Skinner, 49

REFEREE: Jason Mullins (Limerick)