In only their second game this season the depleted Senior Reserves drew with Thomas Clarke’s GAC on a decent day at the Boucher Road. Though in possession of an impressive Roll of Honour, the Tyrone team have been plying their trade in the Junior level in recent times and were really there for the taking. Before throw-in, captain Thomas Niblock set the team the basic target of ‘finding a blue shirt’ and ‘expressing’ themselves in clear conditions, which they managed to do for all but the last 10 minutes. That short period would prove to be the Belfast team’s undoing as they let slip a commanding lead by conceding two soft goals.
The early signs, however, were good, with Brigid’s solid interplay between the defence and the attack contrasting sharply with some haphazard passing on the visitor’s part which was easily intercepted. Joe Begley and Ciaran Connolly particularly impressed in this regard. Whilst Clarkes got the first point, Brigid’s second string responded to the tune of 1-3, the goal coming from a rare high ball into Brendan McDonald/Dungannon’s Number 3 (one of whom sent it past the stranded keeper). Martin Ramsey then got the better of his man to score an impressive point from close range, and though the Dungannon side doubled their tally with a minor soon after, Brigid’s got the last two scores of the half to leave them 1-5 to 0-2 ahead at the break.
If the supply to McDonald was limited in the first half–despite his tally of 1-1–the first point of the second demonstrated a recurring feature of the rest of the game: early ball into the full forward resulting in a score. Unfortunately that was followed by 1-2 without reply from Clarkes. Still, all but one of the scores for the remainder of the game–the exception a fine solo effort by Kevin Gallagher–were set up or finished by McDonald. Indeed, with his first touch of the game, Thomas Kane, perhaps inspired by wearing Stephen McDonnell’s hoodie, scored a close range goal after some sterling work by the full-forward, and Brigid’s looked all set for the imaginary 2 points.
However, the game ended with a succession of Clarkes scores which resulted from some sloppy passing in defence. The two majors at the tail end of the game–each of which Stephen McAleer was faultless for–meant that the scoreboard flattered the visitors, who kicked away a lot of ball in both halves. With their final major the Dungannon men went ahead but the final say, and last kick of the game was appropriately with McDonald, who settled for a point when the goal was on. We’ll forgive him.
Man of the Match: Naomh Brid 14.
S McAleer; C Connolly, J Begley, N McAleer (S McCormick ht); R Mackle 0-1, A Duffy, C Mooney; T Niblock 0-2, K Gallagher 0-1; K McCrudden, L McCann (T Kane 40 1-0), C O’Hare; M Ramsey 0-1 (S O’Neill, 45), B McDonald 1-4, P McGill.
In other news, Martin Ramsey hit the worst ’45 in the history of the GAA, and Kane, like Alex Ferguson, declined all interviews after the final whistle. Training continues apace (for some).
