As the large crowd filtered out of Creggan on Sunday afternoon the post-match dejection in the Naomh Brid dressing room was palpable as the players silently reflected on their second successive championship semi-final failure. Whether or not it was down to the big occasion, Naomh Brid’s performance in a four point defeat to Cargin was well below par, which was a particular disappointment as this match was undoubtedly there for the taking. If desire and application sufficed alone, Naomh Brid would have surely prevailed, but perspiration was not enough to thwart the classier Erin’s Own outfit on the day, for whom midfielder Michael McCann was the stand-out player.
Naomh Brid’s nerves were settled by an early Edwards point but it was Cargin who then took control scoring four points on the trot with the central diamond of Scullion, Crozier, the McCann brothers and Carron in the busy engine room. It could have been almost curtains for the blues on 15 minutes had Cargin not wasted a soft penalty decision as the ball shaved the post to the relief of keeper McSorley. Then in an immediate turn of events Loughrey sasheyed through a phalanx of defenders before threading a perfect ball to McCann who was upended in the box for a second penalty in as many minutes. Donnelly kept his cool to steer home low into the corner and the sides were level. It could have been better still shortly afterwards when Loughrey started a move that left McCann one-on-one with the keeper who blocked the delayed shot and the chance was gone. McCann did though make amends with a smartly fisted point from O’Neill’s pass. Unlike Naomh Brid’s errant place-kickers, Cargin’s free taker McCann made little of the breeze, ominously slotting over three points from difficult angles as they made the most of their opportunities. However, it was Naomh Brid who stole a quick march on the stroke of half time as Sweeney and Loughrey with an exquisite long range point gave the underdogs a narrow advantage.
Half time: Cargin 0-7 Naomh Brid 1-5
Cargin were handed the initiative straight from the throw in with a foul which was promptly punished with an equalizer. Playing with a stiffening breeze and backed by a large vocal following they pinned the southsiders back for long periods while not overly troubling the scoreboard. But the introduction of Ciaran Close was to add further fire power to the Cargin attack in which Tomas McCann was already a rampant figure. Michael McCann was having a stormer at midfield in which Naomh Brid played second fiddle throughout. A succession of personnel and positional changes failed to alter the stranglehold in that crucial sector as the southsiders attack lived on scraps with the full forward line in particular struggling to win aerial delivery. Despite Cargin’s overall dominance, Naomh Brid clung on with substitute McGrady clipping over a couple of frees and McCann firing over from close range after Donnelly’s effort came off the woodwork. However, with six minutes left and only two points down indiscipline would prove costly as a scoreable free decision was overturned and Cargin won the hop ball leading to an inspirational point by Michael McCann. The goal that was then needed never looked like coming and Close nailed the final insurance point that sent the Erin’s Own men to a Casement final with All Ireland champions St Gall’s.
Full time: Cargin 0-15 Naomh Brid 1-8
Team: W McSorley. J McKeever, A Christie, M Rooney, B Reilly, B McMahon, D MacAuley (B Synott), R Smyth (C Taylor), D Edwards, J Loughrey, R O’Neill (B Leonard), M Sweeney, C Donnelly (R O’Neill), C McCann, N Cunningham (C McGrady)
Man of the match: M McCann (Cargin)
