Naomh Brid performed virtual hari kari at Toome on Wednesday evening when they surrendered a seemingly unassailable lead to two injury time goals against league leaders Cargin. While the one point defeat was cruel on the 14 who finished, it served as yet another costly reminder of the southsiders’ failure to close out matches when in command. And so with just two league rounds remaining, Conway’s men remain stuck on 12 points and in need of at least one more win to escape relegation.
Any ideas Cargin may have had of securing a simple home win on their way to the title were immediately dispelled as the visitors raced into an early three point lead within two minutes with McGrady leading the way. The Erin’s Own side did ease their way into the game with a trio of points but not before Naomh Brid had doubled their score through an O’Neil top corner bullet from a McCann palm down. The picture got brighter still for the blues on nine minutes when Smyth found McCann who was upended on the edge of the square and Donnelly made no mistake from the spot kick for the second time in four days. Naomh Brid were full value for their six point lead as their handling, passing and movement flummoxed the hosts. Cargin did pull back two points before play was halted with the referee having to retire to injury midway through the half. While the break seemed to break Naomh Brid’s momentum, Cargin were wasteful in attack and failed to trouble the scoreboard for the rest of the half. Meanwhile McGrady, first from a free drawn by Loughrey and then from play thanks to O’Neill’s pass, restored the lead to six at the interval.
Half time: Cargin 0-5 Naomh Brid 2-5
On the restart O’Neill sent through Donnelly who was bundled to the ground and McGrady tapped over to extend the advantage. But their fortunes were to change on 38 minutes when the impressive McLaughlin, who had kept Tomas McCann well under wraps, controversially received a second yellow card when he spread himself to make what looked a fair challenge. The defence was hastily re-organised and Naomh Brid responded superbly with first a McCann point from Loughrey’s pass and then a score from Loughrey himself in a move involving Sherry and O’Neill. By now Naomh Brid had amassed a nine point lead to test Cargin’s numerical advantage to the full with 18 minutes remaining. Slowly Crozier and the rangy Carron at midfield supported by Scullion were turning the screw but a return of four points amidst a smattering of wides over the next 15 minutes looked to be short of the mark, especially as a converted free from Cunningham on 58 minutes restored a healthy six point lead. But no sooner had the league points been mentally bagged than Scullion was allowed to waltz through a succession of accommodating defenders before his lay off to O’Boyle was drilled home, reducing the margin to a goal on 61 minutes. Now severely under the cosh, Naomh Brid were defending deeply and disaster soon followed when the hapless Sweeney’s hand pass, under pressure, eluded McSorley and everyone else to nestle in the back of the net. At this stage a shell-shocked and tired Naomh Brid would happily have settled for a draw but the referee found a few spare seconds for the crowning point by McCann in the most bizarre of endings.
Full time: Cargin 2-10 Naomh Brid 2-9
Team: W McSorley, J McKeever, A Christie, M Rooney (D MacAuley), B Reilly, C McLaughlin, F Sherry (B McMahon), R Smyth, M Sweeney, D O’Hagan, R O’Neill (1-0), J Loughrey (0-1), C Donnelly (1-0), C McCann (0-2), C McGrady (0-5) (N Cunningham (0-1))
Man of the match: J Carron (Cargin)
