BALLYMENA SHOW THEY ARE NOT ALL SAINTS
The St. Brigid’s senior team travelled to Ballymena on Sunday last and were a much improved side from the one which drew with St Enda’s one week ago. The home side made good use of the breeze in the first half to register a two points to nil lead before James Loughrey pointed from play in the fifth minute.
Against the run of play Joe Brolly followed a long through ball and tapped it over the stranded keeper’s head to put the Boys in Blue ahead. The Braidmen responded by further tightening their grip in the the midfield sector with McVeigh and Logan in the ascendancy supplying the two McCanns who were looking lively in attack.
Manager MacSherry was hoping to clone Mr fixit, Deaghlan O’Hagan, such was the need to plug the gaps. Only for the ageless Mackle in nets pulling off a couple of stunning stops the game have would have moved out of St Brigid’s reach. An overworked defence were having their metal tested. But slowly Aidan Owens and Joe McKeever began to stem the tide and points from Mel MacSherry and Brolly meant that St Brigid’s trailed at half time by 1:5 to 1:3.
The wagons were circled at half time. The injured Richard Smyth retired and the self appointed midfield supreme John McGuckian took on the challenge of winning possession in midfield. Duncan McAuley and Mickey Donnelly duly won their personal battles. However, despite looking a lot more solid, the match was evenly poised, the timely introduction of Mark Sweeney was one of two factors that transformed the second half. The other was the sending off with a straight red of Peter McCann for the All Saints for dissent.
The home club continued to protest that McCann was no doubt one of the afore-mentioned Saints but meanwhile John Mackle was wisely finding the spare man Sweeney with kick outs. Ballymena had stretched their lead to 3 points at this midway stage of the second half and just had a good five minute spell of dominance before the red card.
However the wagons began to roll in the next five-minute purple patch when Naomh Brid tagged on a goal and six points. The goal courtesy of Mark Sweeney and points from himself and the impressive Dara Edwards saw the game move out of the reach of the still protesting home team.
Manager MacSherry was able to relax in the last ten minutes, as only a seemingly soft converted penalty for the All Saints finished the game off on a score line of 2:12 to 2:8.
A quick return to normal form for Joe Brolly 1:6 and virtuoso performances from John Mackle, John McGuckian and Mark Sweeney was enough to see St Brigid’s move to within touching distance of League leaders Rosssa who Naomh Brid play next Sunday.
Team :John Mackle, Joe McKeever, Richard Smyth, Paul Finnegan ,Aidan Owens, Barry MacMahon,Deaghlan O‘Hagan, Michael Donnelly and John McGuckian, Benny Reilly,Dara Edwards,Ryan Brolly, Mel MacSherry, Joe Brolly and James Loughrey
Subs used: Duncan McAuley, Mark Sweeney, Chris McCann, Andrew Brennan
