Sunday 4th May senior men where at home against Davitts. There was no reserve game as Davitts don’t have a second team. In fact it looked like they didn’t have a first team, when at 3.00, the throw in time, the only Davitts player at Musgrave was their full-back who wasn’t striping out due to injury. He reassured the referee, Collie Mc Knight, that the team were on their way. They did turn up and advised that they had just managed to get the basic 15 players, with their manager doing goals and assistant at full-forward.
The game got under-way and within seconds Ruairi O’Neill pulled up and Peter Lundy was on. The first score was within 2 minutes a point by Ronan Mc Grady, followed quickly by another by Jack Dowling. Davitts responded with a point at the 6 minute mark. Then Peter Lundy got on the score sheet with two points within a minute of each other. The ball was moving at pace and this was causing Davitts trouble in keeping up with the St Brigids players. 7 unanswered points (Andy Duffy, Ronan Mc Grady, Peter Lundy and 4 from Cormac Mc Grady, with only 1 being a free) were scored in a row to bring the score at half-time St Brigids 0-11 Davitts 0-1.
Having squandered significant half-times leads in the games against Portglenone and Ballymena, Declan’s focus at half-time was on making certain players didn’t fall into the same position.
The players had obviously had listened as the first three scores of the second-half were points ( Jack Dowling and 2 Cormac Mc Grady). The game was effectively over as Davitts first score was a point 15 minutes into the period. It then rained subs as Declan and Andy started to get fresh legs into the game Philip Loughran was replaced by Fergal Sherry, two minutes later Barry Mc Mahon was off and Andrew Sweeney (back from injury) was on, then after another 2 minutes Ciaran Malone was replaced by Duncan Macauley, Ronan Mackle by David Brennan. During this time St Brigids had added a well taken goal by Cormac Mc Gardy and two points ( one each Ciaran Malone and Kevin Gallagher). Davitts scored a point with 8 minutes remaining.
Breaking forward from half back came Colm Moane on a great solo run before slotting the ball over the bar. Declan did call out “great score”, however that was Colm’s last kick in the game as he was substituted by Andrew Brennan maybe a bit harsh Declan!
Duncan Macauley and full-back Ryan Daly got a point each when Davitts scored the final point as the referee blew the whistle.
