ST. BRIGIDS SENIOR RESERVES CREATE A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY
McQuillans Ballycastle…………..2-05
St. Brigids……………………………2-14
ANTRIM ACL Div.5
Ballycastle
There is an old saying that “Winners are not those who never fail, but those who never quit” and for St. Brigids Div.5 squad this is certainly the case. A few early season setbacks were followed by some sensational victories but it was the steady progress this team made in the latter half of the season that saw them travel with confidence to league rivals Ballycastle in a bid to earn the right to play Division 4 next season. There was no doubting the Ballycastle threat as they had beaten every team in the league… except of course St.Brigids! The scene was set then for a winner takes all battle…
St.Brigids burst out of the blocks and let Ballycastle know in no uncertain terms their intent for this match as they raced into an early lead. Sharpshooter Jimmy King was first on the score board with a converted free kick. This was quickly followed by two points from midfielder Duncan McAuley after great work from Ryan Brolly and Conor Mullan. Thomas Niblock stretched the lead ever further with a super long range shot before Jimmy King popped over another free kick.
St.Brigids were simply awesome in the early stages of this game and played with a ferocious intensity that Ballycastle couldn’t match and they were clearly caught cold in the early stages. A fired up St.Brigids maintained their early penetration and looked invincible at times as they notched over score after score, most coming directly from turn over balls underlining the St.Brigids hunger and desire for promotion.
St.Brigids had gone eight points up to no reply as further scores coming from King and Taylor before the introduction of the excellent Aidan Cole following an injury to Barney Conway. The strength in depth of the St.Brigids squad was to be further tested as the influential Richard Smyth had to retire due to a shoulder injury… but Paul Finnegan was on hand to directly replace like with like.
Ballycastle did fight back but simply could not break down a well drilled St.Brigids defence – A defence who have conceded less than any other team in any other divison in Antrim!
The second half did see a McQuillans rally as St. Brigids dangerously embarked on defending a healthy lead. Team captain Brian Loughran was then thrown into the action for Collie Connolly who had run himself into the ground after being laid up with flu all week. Ballycastle quickly registered their first point and started to impose some authority around the middle third. A further point was quickly followed by a somewhat fortunate goal as a nasty deflection saw Emo McMahon stranded and the ball rolled into the net. McQuillans did register further scores and indeed a further goal after a scrappy goalmouth scramble. St.Brigids did bounce back and quickly regained their shape and composure as they pressed forward for scores. Defenders Gary Brennan and Ciaran Mackle both kicked excellent scores before big Conor Mullan rattled the cross bar in what looked like a certain goal. The Malone men finished with strength and scores from substitute Conor Mackle, and one each from Taylor, Niblock and King meant this team had now had secured the vital promotion place they had worked so hard for all year.
This was the game that the Naomh Bríd boys had been waiting for and had been preparing meticulously during this period. It was no surprise therefore that they would posses an extreme hunger and desire taking the homeside by surprise from the outset. The South Belfast men put together a first half display to savour and one that exceeded anything witnessed throughout the season so far and showed that this squad of players posses the potential for even bigger and better things over the next few years. Watch this space!…
In a game that meant so much, all players deserve credit for
