Brigid’s on course for glory
Behind by a point at the interval, the Blanchardstown club outscored their opponents by 1-6 to one point thereafter. Managed by former Armagh defender Enda McNulty, they now bring real momentum with them to the decider.
Jude’s progression thus far had been something of a shock in the first place.
The consensus was that they faced a stiff a test last night against a Brigid’s side laced with class in Peadar Andrews, Declan Lally, Barry Cahill, Kevin Bonner and former Fermanagh and Cavan forward Rory Gallagher.
As with all underdogs, Jude’s needed a positive opening and they got it. A young and upcoming side, they began with real intent and benefited from Brigid’s propensity to give away frees and inability to service their forward line with any usable ball.
The problems were just as acute for the west Dublin outfit on the few occasions it did make it as far as the Jude’s goal with Niall O’Shea keeping a tight leash on fellow Dublin panellist Bonner on the edge of the small square.
Three points to one down after the first quarter, Brigid’s finally steadied themselves thanks primarily to the efforts of Allstar nominee Cahill whose nominal positioning in midfield belied his influence at the back where he snuffed out a clutch of raids.
Jude’s wides — they would finish the game with eight — weren’t helping them stave off the recovery but, though Brigid’s pulled level after 18 minutes, the Templeogue side didn’t panic and managed to find the half-time whistle with a 0-6 to 0-5 lead.
Paddy Andrews had wrapped up the scoring in the first period with a point for Brigid’s and he made it a double within seconds of the restart. The tide had turned again towards the favourites and it wouldn’t swap sides again.
Jude’s took 28 minutes to register their first point of the second period, by which time the result was a foregone conclusion.
The clincher came in the form of the game’s only goal after 45 minutes. The preceding 60 seconds had seen the Jude’s management team make four changes with their midfield being replaced in its entirety.
Whether that sowed the seeds for the goal is anyone’s guess but, when Bonner received the ball from Lally in front of the goal he was completely unmarked and couldn’t fail to find the rigging.
It was shortly after that when Brigid’s decided to put up the shutters with Mick Galvin and Dabhrach Dineen foregoing their positions in the attack for defensive duties.
St Brigid’s: R Gallagher 0-6 (4f), K Bonner 1-2, Paddy Andrews 0-2, B Cahill 0-1. St Jude’s: J Donnelly 0-3f, K McMenamin 0-2 (1f), J Reilly 0-1, T McKeown 0-1.
P Keane; M Cahill, D Cahill, A Daly; G Norton, D Lally, P Andrews; K Darcy, B Cahill; M Cahill, D Dineen, R Gallagher; P Andrews, K Bonner, M Galvin. Subs: L McCarthy for Cahill 39, C Lynch for Daly 45, J Noonan for Bonner 58, F Condron for Peadar Andrews 60.
P Copeland; N O’Shea, C McBride, A Glover; J Reilly, C Doyle, C Guckian; S Earley, B Lehane; E Crennan, B McMenamin, P Harlow; J Donnelly, S Cunningham, K McMenamin. Subs: R McDermott for Cunningham 44, T McKeown for Earley 44, C Murphy for Lehane 44, P Cunningham for Crennan 45, B Monaghan for Harlow 52,
Tom Quigley (Kilmacud Crokes).