St Brigid's hold on to edge out battling Castlehaven
LOCAL HERO: St Brigids' Ronan Stack celebrates after the game with supporter Donie Himrock.
St Brigid’s wobbled. Wobbled massively. And yet they still wound up in the winners enclosure. Their season will wind up in Croker.
Ahead by four at the break, the conquerors of Corofin didn’t add to their tally throughout the opening 17 minutes of the second half. It was part of a 22-minute barren period running either side of the break.
During their scoreless third quarter, composure in pulling the trigger deserted them.
It began with Paul McGrath piercing the Castlehaven cover for an early second half goal chance. He had spare men on either side. Instead, he blazed wide.
It was one of five third-quarter wides. Add in a Ben O’Carroll point attempt dropped short and they had left six white flags after them.
Brigid’s were fortunate to still be in front when Robbie Dolan broke their white flag wait.
Michael and Brian Hurley points had cut the deficit from four to two. 1-7 to 0-8. On 43 minutes, a Brian Hurley over-the-shoulder handpass put Rory Maguire in the clear. His Rov of the Rovers goal effort met the crossbar and came back out.
Two Brian Hurley frees would bring Castlehaven within the minimum on 54 minutes. It was the first time they had stood so close to the Connacht champions.
Then arrived arguably the outstanding and decisive score of this All-Ireland club semi-final. Brigid’s sub John Cunningham, with his first touch, dissected the posts with a thumping kick from 45 metres out on 55 minutes.
Paul McGrath lifted them three clear and on the road to Croker two minutes into injury-time.
Castlehaven chased a goal. Robbie Dolan intercepted on his own ‘45. Brigid’s’ broke and countered. Dolan was there at the end drawing the foul for a penalty. Ben O’Carroll chipped over. Game over.
The win sends St Brigid’s into their first All-Ireland final since 2013. That was the afternoon of their first and only Andy Merrigan triumph.
For Castlehaven, a fourth defeat at this stage of the competition.
The half-time scoreline showed Brigid’s in the box seat by four. It was an interval advantage, though, that had the sting taken out of it by back-to-back Haven points in the final 80 seconds of the half.
For both Brigid’s and the men chasing them, there was a notable difference in a lead and gap of six rather than four.
Psychologically, Castlehaven would have taken some degree of solace at the shrunken target in front of them. And no doubt they were hoping Brigid’s were ever so slightly put off by having an impressive first half body of work deliver a lead of only 1-7 to 0-6.
Brigid’s brought chaos from the very beginning. They swamped Haven and hemmed them in in their own half. Before the Cork champions could settle, their All-Ireland semi-final opponents had surged three in front.
Even after two Mark Collins blocks in the third minute, Bobby Nugent found the thimble of space to kick the opener.
That was really the story of the half for the Haven rearguard. No matter what hand was put successfully in to temporarily disrupt a Brigid’s attack, there hovering was a green and red shirt to stoop, retrieve, and strike. Their finishing was drenched in composure.
By the end of the fourth minute, the Connacht champions were three in front. Brian Derwin and Nugent’s second establishing a very early buffer that would extend during a purposeful and profitable opening quarter for the Roscommon representatives.
On 12 minutes, their advantage grew to five. A Michael Hurley turnover at one end finished with a Brian Derwin goal at the other. 1-4 to 0-2.
A Ciarán Sugrue point five minutes further on and they were six to the good. Ben O’Carroll was another Brigid’s player paying rent in the opposition half to cause a myriad of problems Castlehaven’s one first half goal chance, via the right boot of Jack Cahalane, crashed against the crossbar. Brian Hurley was off target with two frees and dropped a 45 short.
In fairness to the latter, he also had Roscommon defender Brian Stack reeling. He sniped a pair from play and converted another pair off the ground to account for all bar one of his team’s interval total.
The second half would swing significantly, largely owing to Brigids’ misfiring. They found their lost composure late on. They continue on.
B Derwin (1-1); B Nugent (0-3, 0-1 free); B O’Carroll (0-3, 0-1 pen); C Sugrue, R Dolan, J Cunningham, P McGrath (0-1 each) Scorers for Castlehaven: B Hurley (0-7, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘45); C Maguire (0-2); M Hurley (0-1 each).
C Sheehy; P Frost, B Stack, R Dolan; R Stack, A Daly, R Fallon; E Nolan, S Cunnane; C Hand, P McGrath, B Nugent; B O’Carroll, B Derwin, C Sugrue.
Subs: J Cunningham for Derwin (44); M Daly for Cunnane (54); C Gleeson for Nugent (63).
: Darragh Cahalane; R Walsh, T O’Mahony, J O’Regan; Damien Cahalane, R Maguire, C O’Sullivan; M Collins, A Whelton; S Browne, C Maguire, C Cahalane; M Hurley, B Hurley, J Cahalane.
Subs: C O’Driscoll for Browne (HT); J O’Driscoll for O’Sullivan (57); M Maguire for C Cahalane (60).
: D Coldrick (Meath)
A collection of the latest sports news, reports and analysis from Cork.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
