Despite Naomh Brid’s league season ending in a nine point home defeat to the Antrim senior champions, there were sufficiently encouraging signs from the performance of Conor MacSherry’s young charges to provide a degree of confidence ahead of next week’s u21 championship tie with Rossa. This was a very useful precursor to next Saturday’s clash, as while St Galls had rested a number of senior regulars, their line-up was still liberally laced with a clutch of All Ireland club medal holders that included Gallagher, O’Hare, Burke, Stewart and CJ McGourtey. Despite falling quickly into arrears from three St Galls scores from play, the Malone side eventually settled and frees from McGrady and Mooney overhauled the deficit briefly before a Stewart goal atoned for a couple of earlier near misses for the visitors who continued to boss proceedings.
Half time: Naomh Brid 0-4 Naomh Gall 1-4
In the second period O’Hare continued to rule the roost at midfield and the Milltown domination in the crucial quarter was unbroken despite a succession of ineffective positional switches. It’s a thankless slog to compete against a machine that has lifted 10 out of the last 11 past Antrim championships but in fairness to the home side, despite the match being long decided with a second St Galls goal and a succession of points, they kept their effort and discipline going right to the final whistle. There was plenty of quality football and, crucially, endeavour, on display to suggest that Naomh Brid can deliver next Saturday away to Rossa.
The standout player for Naomh Brid before his precautionary withdrawal was corner back Ciaran Mackle, who had a stormer in the first half.
Full time: Naomh Brid 0-7 Naomh Gall 2-10
Team: M Salters, M Kelly, M Malone, C Mackle, B Synnott, G Bogue, P Lundy, B Kelly, C Mooney, J Dowling, A Sweeney, C McGrady, R McGrady, P Mooney
