After 11 weeks of preparation including five challenge games St Brigids Seniors finally got down to real business with their league opener away to St Agnes. While the game could not be described as a spectacle, this was not the cause of the visitors who attempted to play football throughout and did enough to secure the points in a scrappy affair.
It was the home side that started stronger and opened the scoring after two minutes. With five minutes gone however, St Brigids began to find their feet and looked as if they were going to tear their opponents apart. Niall McDonald rifled home a screamer to the roof of the net in the seventh minute, followed quickly by points from Ruari O’Neill and Chris McCann. Joe Brolly pointed a free midway through the half and within a minute O’Neill’s goal attempt scraped over the bar. When the same player hit the cross bar moments later a rout seemed on the cards. The visitors took their foot off the gas however in the last third of the half, with both sides adding just another point to their totals.
Half Time: St Agnes 0 – 2
St Brigids 1 – 5
The second half started scrappily and basically descended from there. Brolly’s marker decided to become intimate with him forcing Joe to prove he doesn’t just talk the talk. Two pointed frees and one from play was the pundit’s response to the special attention he was receiving. Elsewhere Richard Smyth finally woke up and enjoyed his short career as captain with a sterling second half display. James Loughrey celebrated his call up to the County panel by telling the ref how wonderful he was. The ref responded by showing James how yellow his card was. Devastated Deaghlan O’Hagan was still coming to grips with the four-step rule, while Chris McCann led the line topping off a fine performance with a well-taken point.
With time running out and the points in the bag, the visitors decided to resort to Junior football, and after Paul O’Hara, Seamus McArdle and Eunan (he hasn’t gone away you know) Conway all failed to clear their lines, St Agnes grabbed a consolation goal with the last kick of the game.
Full Time: St Agnes 1 – 5
St Brigids 1 – 9
Two points secured but at the cost of a nasty knee injury to Mark Kelly picked up late in the game. Best wishes to Mark for a speedy recovery.
Team:
Paul McCrudden, Seamus McArdle, Richard Smyth, Paul O’Hara, Deaghlan O’Hagan, Gregory McGonigle, Andrew Magill, James Loughrey, Conor Mullan, Duncan MacAuley Chris McCann (0-2), Benny Reilly, Ruari O’Neill (0-2), Joe Brolley (0-4, 3 frees), Niall McDonald (1-1).
Substitutes Used:
Aidan Owens, Ryan Brolly, Mark Kelly, Andrew Brennan, Eunan Conway.
