This Brigid’s team are a serious outfit

This St. Brigid’s team are a serious outfit. Is that news to anyone?

I’m not sure, but if there was any doubt, they emphatically dispelled it on Sunday.

The main takeaway from Sunday’s dismissal of Ballina was that the belief that the standard of club football in Roscommon is very strong at present has been copperfastened.

Brigid’s dominated the Mayo champions from pillar to post, in such a manner that the 1-21 to 3-8 scoreline actually flattered Ballina.

I remember feeling and writing after the drawn county final that we had witnessed a superb match between two excellent club teams. The tests against Pearses had Brigid’s primed to explode into Connacht action and, in truth, Ballina weren’t nearly as big of a test for them.

Ballina have some fine footballers. Mike Murray, in midfield, looked like a fine footballer who had some big plays even though he faded out of the contest for periods far too often. Evan Regan, when given half a chance, showed his undoubted class. His goal was simply breathtaking and a joy to behold.

Dylan Thornton is another who looked like a very good footballer. He got their first goal and then followed it up with a couple of big possession wins in the middle third. That was all in the first ten minutes, before his direct opponent, Ruaidhrí Fallon, decided to take over and become the most dominant player on the pitch for the remainder of the game.

Fallon was excellent. He’s showing a burst of speed now that I hadn’t been all that familiar with previously. Beside him, Brian Stack put in another Brian Stack-like performance — just brilliant all through.

Did Ballina really put Padraig O’Hora up at centre-forward just to do a man-marking job on Stack? I didn’t get it at all. That’s the last thing you want to do playing against him. Putting Evan Regan out there and dragging him out of position would have been more effective.

Still, it would hardly have affected the outcome of this match. St. Brigid’s were utterly dominant all over the pitch. The ominous thing, if you’re from Moycullen, is that I still think there’s plenty more in them.

They had ten wides and butchered another couple of easy scoring opportunities on top of that. They’ll surely be focussed on sharpening that particular element of their game for two weeks’ time.

The biggest reason for me having huge confidence in this Brigid’s team going forward is the sheer quality they possess. There are so many high-level performers that you know, even if a few of them have an off-day, there’ll be plenty of others ready to carry the load.

I’m expecting Ben O’Carroll to keep improving. After injury issues last year and into this season, we watched as he eked his way into form for the Rossies. It has been similiar with Brigid’s. I think his graph is still on an upward trajectory. He’s getting sharper with each game and I think there’s more to come.

I’d imagine Ben is a dream to play with as a midfielder. He has an ability to time his runs for the ball — when the player in possession looks up, Ben is always in front ready to receive.

One of the biggest things coaches are looking for in inside forwards is separation — are they able to create space between themselves and their marker in order to receive the pass?

Ben is the best in the county at it. When I played with Roscommon, the old guy that’s still polishing these games with his touch of class was the best lad at gaining separation. Senan Kilbride was a dream to play with. He was, and obviously still is, very clever in his movement.

It was not about making massive sprints to get on the ball. He'd wait until I had the head up and ready to kick before he’d make a subtle movement to show for it. It’s clear that the young proteges in Brigid’s were paying attention.

Brian Derwin clicked into form in the county final replay and continued in that vein on Sunday. Once again, the positioning of Bobby Nugent in the half-forward line seemed to give Brigid’s a better balance, although he left the shooting boots at home on this occasion.

Big credit is due to someone for the leap forward in Conor Hand’s performance level. Whether it’s down to a shift in instructions from management or just an improved positional sense from the player himself, he looks like a threat now every time he touches the ball.

Shane Cunnane is another one who interests me. In some ways, I think there’s more in him. He needs to attack kickouts with more conviction and back himself. On two separate occasions on Sunday, he elected to fist balls when the clean fetch was on.

It’s strange in that he seems to lack confidence in his aerial ability while he oozes confidence with the ball in hand. His kickpassing is always of the highest order and he, once again, kicked two fine scores from play.

The reward for Brigid’s is having Moycullen in the Hyde on Sunday. You’d have to expect it’ll be a much sterner test than that offered by Ballina, though my hunch is that those battles Brigid’s had with Pearses will not be surpassed in terms of quality.

It was almost an outstanding weekend for club football in the county with St. Croan’s falling by the very narrowest of margins, by way of a penalty shootout, to Kiltimagh. A win for them, along with Strokestown’s victory on Saturday. would have seen a Roscommon team in each of the Connacht club championship finals.

Two out of three ain’t bad though.

LGFA ALL-STARS

If you’ve clicked onto social media over the weekend, you’ll have no doubt been impressed by the widespread positive posts about the Roscommon LGFA All-Stars Awards Night last Friday.

I was delighted to see three St. Dominic’s girls deservedly selected. There was a fine spread of clubs across the three winning teams, and it looks like everyone had a great night.

There were plenty of interesting award winners. There was a fair smattering of current county players like Ellen Irwin, Aisling Feely and Ella Thompson who have been superb for Roscommon in recent years.

Both our county goalkeepers received awards. Caoimhe O’Reilly was excellent in goals for Brigid’s this season. Helena Cummins continued her outstanding Roscommon form into the club championships with Michael Glavey’s once again.

Two others jumped out at me, having been superb players for many years for Roscommon. Natalie McHugh was back shooting the lights out for Kilglass/Kilmore in the junior championship. For St. Croan’s, in the intermediate championship, Sinead Kenny also returned, having had a baby girl last year, and put in a string of big performances.

Speaking of babies, I saw it reported in the aftermath of the county final, that St Brigid’s Claire Grehan was the mother of two. At 43 years of age, for her to hit the performance levels she has this year was nothing short of incredible.

Had there been an award for Player of the Year, I’m sure she’d have been one of the top contenders.