A scoring spree of 1-6 inside the opening third of the match effectively killed off this Division 3 decider at Glenavy on Sunday 22 October 2006.
Joe Brolly opened his account with a free in the second minute and scored from play on seven. In between James Loughrey split the posts after a move that ripped the home defence apart. Ruari O’Neill pounced on a rebound to net the only goal of the game before Loughrey popped up for another minor on the quarter hour. Brolly added another brace within a minute, one each from play and a free.
While the visitors had scored seven times, the home side were collecting almost the same amount of cautions. Once they finally settled to playing football they scored thee late points. Brolly almost wrapped the game up, grazing the post after an inch perfect through ball from Mark(ed) Sweeney. Joe added another free after more ill discipline gifted an easy opportunity.
Half Time: Glenavy 0 – 3
St Brigids 1 – 7
Game over then, just play out the second half and lift the cup. Football doesn’t work like that though. Benny Reilly’s point was to be the visitors only score of the half, although there were more than enough chances missed to wrap it up well before the end.
Instead St Brigids committed the cardinal sin of retreating into defence and inviting the hosts on. Gradually the lead was whittled down to two points and it took the cross bar and a scintillating save from John Mackle to keep a major score out. Richard Smyth and Deaghlan O’Hagan worked heroics while Joe McKeever, Paul O’Hara and Gareth Macklin, until his late dismissal, defended like their lives depended on it, while Gregory McGonigle marshalled the defence. Up front, along with the scorers, Mark Sweeney impressed despite some close attention including one tackle that was so late it was almost in the dark. It earned the perpetrator a deserved red card.
In the end the first half demolition was enough and St Brigids hung on to add the league title to the championship win a week earlier.
Full Time: Glenavy 0 – 9
St Brigids 1 – 8
Team:
John Mackle, Joe McKeever, Richard Smyth, Deaghlan O’Hagan, Gareth Macklin, Gregory McGonigle, Paul O’Hara, Conor Mullan, Niall McDonald, Duncan MacAuley, Mark Sweeney, Benny Reilly(0-1), Ruari O’Neill(1-0), Joe Brolly(0-5, 3 frees) James Loughrey(0-2).
Substitutes Used:
Paddy McDonald, Aidan Owens, Chris McCann, Barry Gormley.
Added to the victory of the ladies in the Reserve Championship on Saturday, when a late goal from Catherine, sister of Senior player and club Ombudsman Duncan, MacAuley, gave the girls victory by the narrowest of margins. Congratulations girls from all involved in the Senior and Reserve set up.
