BRIDE’S ARE MOCH-ED
GOALS in the first and last minutes of the second-half at a soggy Dowdallshill fired St Mochta’s to a repeat of their 2016 Intermediate semi-final tussle with Mattock Rangers.
The Village boys were full value for an impressive derby victory over St Bride’s, who must wait at least another year to make that coveted Seamus Flood Cup breakthrough.
With their Division 1 status secure, Pearse Murphy’s men are done for 2018 before the kids are even back at school, but their neighbours have a bit of swatting to do yet.
The Mochs have been somewhat the bridesmaids themselves in recent years, reaching the last four in 2016, the quarter-finals last term and the semi-finals again this season, where they’ll be hoping it’s a case of third-time-lucky as they face Mattock Rangers for the third year in a row.
The Collon outfit have been favourites for IFC glory since the start and the odds have only shortened as the summer has progressed, but if St Mochta’s continue in this form, they will give John Kennedy and his troops plenty to ponder.
Led by a pumped up Declan Byrne and inspired by another wonderful midfield display by Eamonn O’Neill, the villagers started well, weathered an expected Bride’s rally and dug deep on the home stretch to win in some style.
The full-forward line partnership of Byrne and Stephen McCooey were central to their success and they plundered the all-important goals, with the former giving his side the edge just after the interval and the latter taking the edge off in the closing stages.
St Mochta’s made their intentions known with an energetic start and while three of their first four scores came from frees, they were full value for a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 20 minutes.
Their opponents were sluggish by comparison and it took them 27 minutes to score from open play and they only managed three from play over the full hour.
Ironically, they adjourned with a narrow half-time lead, 0-6 to 0-5, but Mochta’s would have been more than happy with the first-half display, if not their scoring return.
They too only managed two first-half points from open play, but with O’Neill and Darren McMahon utterly dominant at midfield, it was the Bride’s who needed to improve most after the break.
But they were behind again within a minute of the re-start as Barry Mulholland landed a peach of a delivery from the right onto the fist of Byrne, who turned the ball past Conall Devin from the edge of the square.
Byrne then won and converted a free a few minutes later to make it 1-6 to 0-6.
Favourites for IFC glory for many observers, St Bride’s were now truly up against it, but they did rally well again, albeit without ever drawing level.
Sean Marry’s accuracy was central to keeping them in the game and his free followed by a Paddy Reilly point made it a onepoint game, 1-6 to 0-8.
The excellent O’Neill came into his own at that stage, keeping Mochta’s noses in front with a brace, cancelling out frees from Marry and Sean Brennan respectively.
With 15 minutes plus stoppage time remaining, Brennan’s effort turned out to be St Bride’s last, and that was probably the biggest indictment on what was a poor display overall.
They could only huff and puff in the final quarter and the Mochta’s repelled those advances quite comfortably before making the game safe in the closing minutes with a huge free from the right by Byrne, who then set up McCooey for a really inventive fisted finish.
ST. MOCHTA’S: Jason Callan; Liam Lawlor, Philip Englishby, David Lennon; Barry Mulholland, Andrew English, Conor Garland; Darren McMahon, Eamonn O’Neill 0-3; Jamie Farrell, Gerry Garland 0-2f, Liam McGranaghan; Stephen McCooey 1-1, Declan Byrne 1-3 (3f), Emlyn Clerkin. Subs: Robert Wallace for Lawlor, Ciarán McMahon for McGranaghan, Brendan Duff for Farrell.
ST BRIDE’S: Conall Devin; Ronan Bailey, Cillian Kirk, David Kettle; Mark Hoey, Andrew Smyth, Michael Keane; Patrick Reilly 0-1, Conor Deane; James Costelloe, Kevin Hearty, Sean Brennan 0-2f; Aaron Hoey 0-1, Sean Marry 0-6 (4f, 1 s/l), Ciarán Deane. Subs: Cathal McKenna for Costelloe, Padraig Mackin for Kettle.
REFEREE: Declan Dunne.