Brigid's caught cold by Glen's whirlwind finish
Brian Derwin palms home St. Brigid's goal during this afternoon's All-Ireland club senior football final at Croke Park. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
After 55 minutes, St. Brigid’s had one hand on the Andy Merrigan Cup.
How they ended up losing this game will haunt them over the coming weeks and months.
Jerome Stack’s side were the superior team, making a mockery of their underdogs tag to deservedly lead by four points with five minutes remaining.
Brian Stack, Pearse Frost, Ruaidhrí Fallon and Ben O’Carroll were leading the “Green and Red” juggernaut to a famous victory.
Then, out of nowhere, it all went wrong.
Maybe it was inexperience as a sense of panic appeared to set in within sight of the winning post.
But once Conor Glass, who was the only Glen player embracing the occasion instead of being suffocated by it, pounced on a Brigid’s mistake to rifle the ball past a stranded Cormac Sheehy, Brigid’s winning position became precarious.
A free from Emmett Bradley followed alongside what looked the insurance point from Conleth McGuckian.
Shane Cunnane narrowed the deficit from a free and was presented with another chance from a 45-metre free to restore parity.
But his effort drifted the wrong side of the post, and Brigid’s chance had gone.
How Brigid’s were only level at half time was a mystery.
With their clever running and neat interplay dragging Glen defenders all over the place, a 0-8 to 0-4 lead after 28 minutes hardly reflected their dominance.
Then, unbelievably, Glen drew level as a goal from Jody McDermott was quickly followed by a point from Ethan Doherty to leave it 0-8 to 1-5 at half time.
But Brigid’s made a blistering start to the new half as a Brian Derwin goal was followed by a delicious score by the same player.
Apart from a Conor Glass ’45, Glen had the look of a beaten team. They ballooned shots wide and, generally, seemed to lose their bearings.
Even when Eddie Nolan pushed his side 1-11 to 1-7 ahead with five minutes remaining, an inspirational response from under the Hogan Stand by corner-back Michael Warnock looked like a mere consolation score.
But Glen were only warming up, and their whirlwind finish caught Brigid’s cold.
Maybe, after last year, their name was on the Andy Merrigan Cup after all.
GLEN: C. Bradley; M. Warnock (0-1), R. Dougan, C. Carville; E. Mulholland, C. McFaul (0-1), C. Mulholland; C. Glass (1-2, one ’45), E. Bradley (0-4, three frees); E. Doherty (0-1), J. McDermott (1-0), T. Flanagan; A. Doherty, D. Tallon, C. McGuckian (0-1). Subs used: C. Convery for Mulholland (25 mins), S. O’Hara for Carville (43 mins), C. McCabe for Doherty (56 mins).
ST. BRIGID’S: C. Sheehy; P. Frost, B. Stack (0-1), R. Dolan; R. Fallon (0-2), A. Daly, R. Stack; E. Nolan (0-2), S. Cunnane (0-1, a free); B. Nugent (0-2, one free), P. McGrath, C. Hand; B. O’Carroll (0-2, one free, one mark), B. Derwin (1-1), C. Sugrue (0-1). Subs used: J. Cunningham for Derwin (43 mins), C. Gleeson for Nugent (56 mins).
Attendance: 18,567.
Referee: B. Cawley
