Games at Easter and other Holiday periods can be very problematic as any mentor will tell you. Family trips, Weddings and other events along with the usual injuries conspire to limit the playing squad. Add to that the non availability of Div 1 graded players (St Brigids are the only club in South Antrim effected by this) and you can see it was going to be touch and go as to whether we could field on Easter Tuesday evening. However the mentors managed to round up 13 U14 and 3 U12 lads to make sure the club didn’t register a “Fail to Field”.
At throw in St Brigids squad consisted of 16 players, with our last player arriving just as we took the field. As always, the game started at a rapid pace, with both sides having early attacks in the game, a couple of wides for St Malachy’s and a couple of balls dropping short for St Brigids. As the game settled down most of the football was played in the middle of the park, where the midfielders and half back lines saw most of the ball. There were some great passages of play with Shay Campbell, James McKenna and Ronan Boyle showing their markers a clean pair of heels as they drove forward with the ball a number of times during the game. Shay’s link up play with young Joe McCarney on the right hand side of the pitch was impressive, and wrong footed their bigger, stronger opponents a couple of times in the first half. Late in the half John Higgins grafting along the back line retired injured, and was replaced with Ciaran Shearer who did a sterling job in defence a position he does not usually play in.
Tom Morrissey and Ruairi McDonnell the St Brigid’s midfielders kept their opposite numbers quiet during the first half, their tight marking meant there was no easy scores coming that area of the pitch, in fact there was only one score in the first half and it went to the lads from the Lower Ormeau. This was not a true reflection on the quality of football played by either side, but more a reflection on how closely the teams were matched.
Half Time St Malachy’s 0-1 St Brigids 0-0
The second half proved to be a different story, straight from the throw in, St Malachy’s went up the pitch and scored two goals in quick succession. The St Brigids heads dropped somewhat as they were struck by these early blows. As is commonly the case at U14 level, the full size goals are simply too big for any young keeper, and young Rueben, was simply powerless to stop the high balls coming in over his head into the net. Rueben soldiered on and delivered intelligent balls out of defence, despite the pressure coming on from St Malachy’s. Thomas McCarney and Ryan Austin stationed in front of the square, worked tirelessly to stop the attacks, again good handling and quick smart football from both lads, resulted in a number of counter attacks being launched from St Brigids square. However St Malachy’s impressive centre half back, stopped most of these incursions into their half meaning James O’Rourke, John O’Sullivan and Carter Wickham saw little ball. That said St Brigids got on the score sheet twice, with Michael Canavan whose shot looked destined for the net but end up just over the bar, and from Tom Morrissey pointed as well after some great play out on the right hand side.
As the game entered the final ten minutes, the energy levels of the young St Brigids side dropped as the first half exploits took their toll, and St Malachy’s added more scores to make the game safe.
The final score of 5-4 to 0-2 showed a good win for St Malachy’s, and they indeed deserved the victory. However the St Brigids lads could take heart from a fine performance from a young team that consisted of 11 players in their first year of U14 football and tree U12s. Special mention must also go to those three lads who stepped up to support the U14s. Rueben, Ronan and Joe were excellent and all three could have staked their claim to be St Brigids best player on the night. No fear in any of those lads.
Thanks to St Malachy’s for hosting a great game of football, tough but sporting. NBA!
