Naomh Brid made the perfect start to life in ACL Div. 2 with a comprehensive win against Davitt’s at Boucher Road on Sunday last.
However, the Malone boys made a tentative start, gifting Davitt’s possession and an early score. The sides then swapped points before Davitt’s broke through the away defence to rifle home a daisy-cutter to the bottom corner. Another home point followed before the referee called time on intimacy and cautioned Joe Brolly and his attentive marker.
Naomh Brid were taking time to settle but a Brolly free reduced the deficit before the evergreen Mackle pulled off an outstanding save low to his corner. A further two wides were posted before a hotly disputed Naomh Brid penalty was also spurned, to the vocal relief of the home supporters.
An O’Neill point courtesy of good approach play from McMahon left just a score between the sides at the interval, with Naomh Brid looking forward to wind advantage on the turnaround and putting a forgettable first-half display behind them.
Half time: Davitt’s 1-3 St Brigid’s 0-3
Davitt’s increased their lead with a point on the restart, but a resurgent Naomh Brid then hit seven unanswered scores – one a screamer from Dara Edwards after excellent approach play by O’Hagan and O’Neill – as they began to find their rhythm at last. The scoring spree was only briefly interrupted with a Davitt’s point before O’Reilly and the Brolly duo each slotted over. An O’Neill free in the last minute made for double scores but the home challenge had long since petered out. A welcome opening win then, but sterner opposition will surely lie ahead.
A strong central spine of McMahon, Loughrey, Donnelly and Edwards laid the platform for success, with some excellent fielding on view to boot.
Final Score: Davitt’s 1-6 St Brigid’s 2-12
Man of the Match: D Edwards
Team: J Mackle, P Finegan, R Smyth (A Owens), C Mullan, D MacAuley, B McMahon, D O’Hagan, J Loughrey, M Donnelly (C Mooney), M Sweeney (C McCann), D Edwards, B O’Reilly, R O’Neill, J Brolly, R Brolly. Subs unused: M McSherry, C Taylor, A Breen.
