Brilliant Brigid’s heading to Croke Park for All-Ireland club final
JOB DONE: Cormac Sheehy and his St. Brigid's team-mates are back in the All-Ireland club senior football final. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
They’ve done it — St. Brigid’s are heading back to Croke Park for the first time since their historic triumph of 2013 after showing nerves of steel in the Semple Stadium frost to get the better of Munster champions Castlehaven.
After a sublime first-half performance where the Roscommon champions’ attacking pedigree came to the fore, Jerome Stack’s side appeared to freeze in the third quarter as they spurned a hatful of chances which would have put the game beyond their West Cork opponents.
But the introduction of John Cunningham proved to be a master stroke as Brigid’s regained the initiative to get the job done.
Brigid’s were magnificent early on, and the Castlehaven defence simply couldn’t handle the movement of Ben O’Carroll and company.
While Brian Hurley almost single-handedly tried to keep Castlehaven in touch, Brigid’s spread of scorers was far better with Bobby Nugent, Brian Derwin and O’Carroll finding the range before Derwin held his composure to smash home an 11th minute goal.
There was the odd warning sign for Brigid’s as Jack Cahalane smashed an effort off Cormac Sheehy’s crossbar.
But when O’Carroll arced a wonderful effort over the crossbar to move his side 1-7 to 0-4 ahead approaching half time, the Kiltoom-based side were in the driving seat.
Points from Brian Hurley (free) and Cathal Maguire made it a four-point game at the break, but that lead was the least Brigid’s deserved.
But that fluency deserted them in the third quarter as Paul McGrath butchered a goal chance with options either side of him.
Brian Derwin missed a couple of chances too, and that gave Castlehaven all the encouragement they needed to get back into the contest.
Brigid’s endured 17 scoreless minutes in the second half before Robbie Dolan found the target. But a hat-trick of scores from Brian Hurley alongside the half’s opening score from Michael Hurley left a point between them with just seven minutes remaining.
Rory Maguire also hit a thunderous drive off the crossbar as the Brigid’s ship began taking on water.
But, crucially, they had cool heads to navigate their way out of trouble, with Cunningham announcing his arrival with a big score.
Brigid’s slowly regained their composure with Dolan and Pearse Frost leading the way in defence, and when McGrath stretched out the lead to three points in injury time, they were nearly there.
Then, in the game’s last play, Robbie Dolan disrupted a Castlehaven attack and ended up being the player on the end of a lightning quick move to win a penalty. It summed up Brigid’s attitude on the day.
Ben O’Carroll was content to take his point, and Brigid’s were home and hosed.
Another chapter in the club’s illustrious history had just been penned.
ST. BRIGID’S: C. Sheehy; P. Frost, B. Stack, R. Dolan (0-1); R. Stack, A. Daly, R. Fallon; E. Nolan, S. Cunnane; B. Nugent (0-3, one free), P. McGrath (0-1), C. Hand; B. O’Carroll (0-3, one penalty), B. Derwin (1-1), C. Sugrue (0-1). Subs used: J. Cunningham (0-1) for Derwin (44 mins), M. Daly for Cunnane (53 mins), C. Gleeson for Nugent (60 mins).
CASTLEHAVEN: Darragh Cahalane; T. O’Mahony, R. Walsh, J. O’Regan; Damien Cahalane, R. Maguire, C. O’Sullivan; M. Collins, A. Whelton; S. Browne, C. Maguire (0-2), C. Cahalane; M. Hurley (0-1), B. Hurley (0-7, three frees, one ’45), J. Cahalane. Subs used: C. O’Driscoll for Browne (half-time), J. O’Driscoll for O’Sullivan (57 mins), M. Maguire for C. Cahalane (60 mins).
Referee: D. Coldrick (Meath).
