The Senior Reserves secured an important two points on Wednesday night on a fine spring evening in Musgrave. St John’s second string posted two points more than the 0-7 offered by St Malachy’s the week before but the superior scoring power of the forwards, and Brendan McDonald in particular saw through. With runaway leaders Portglenone boasting an 100% record, the scene is set for an intense battle for second place. Though a point below second, the reserves possess the second best scoring differential in the division and will hopefully produce more of the same against Eire Og next week.
As the game began with both teams wearing the same colour, the referee made the strange decision of allowing the first 15 minutes to be an all-blue affair, which must have made discomfiting viewing for the seven strong home crowd. Rather appropriately, then, the initial signs were all for a fairly even game as the first quarter proved fairly low scoring with both defences on top. Quinn and the Kelly brothers were dominant for the home team in the early exchanges, and that dominance continued for the majority of the match. On the 5th minute King opened the scoring with a well taken free after being fouled, and then St John’s equalised with a well taken effort from distance. The rest of the quarter saw a number of wides from both teams, before the referee marked the 15th minute by instructing Naomh Brid to turn their jerseys inside out, which incidentally resulted in a reversal of fortunes for the home team as well. King and Sweeney junior added two excellent scores from play before good work by the latter resulted in an expertly taken goal by McDonald, which nestled in the far corner. At this stage some very well placed kickouts from Morrissey and decent movement in the midfield sector paid dividends, as only a few minutes later a carbon copy from the full-forward after good work by Mackle left the visitors reeling. However, St John’s responded with five unanswered points–one from a ’45–to leave only a major between the sides with five minutes of the half remaining. When Ramsey won a free on the sideline, Leonard stepped up to strike the ball over the posts at an impossible angle. King added a free from close range before the visitors scored another impressive point from play.
Half Time Score: NB 2-5 St John’s 0-7.
At half-time the management stressed that the advantage had to be pressed home, and Brigid’s responded with three scores on the trot from Leonard and McCrudden from play. King then made amends for an earlier miss by converting from the 20 after Ramsey had been fouled. From the kickout McCrudden was struck by a flailing arm and received both a nasty injury and a yellow card for retaliation (though worst of all, spent five hours in casualty and missed an equally tempestuous’ El Classico’). Even when St John’s responded with another well-taken effort from the right, St Brigid’s notched up 1-3 without reply to leave an insurmountable gap between the teams–the pick of the bunch being McDonald’s third, which nestled high into the top corner after the full-forward made an excellent run into space. Niblock, Sweeney and Leonard added impressive efforts from play after the subs bench was emptied by the home side. St John’s, who were frustrated by the Naomh Brid defence for most of the match, mustered a consolatory point on the whistle.
Final Score: Naomh Bríd 3-11 Naomh Eoin 0-9
Legend has it that, in 1066, William of Normandy accidentally put his chain-mail on back to front before the Battle of Hastings, saw this as a good omen, and duly won the spoils of battle after his opponent Harald was shot by an arrow through the eye. 944 years, 6 months and 13 days later, St Brigid’s Reserves were level with St John’s before turning their jerseys inside out, scoring 3-9 on the way to victory, and Keelan near having his eye put out. There’s something in that.
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