Momentum key says manager Jerome Stack as St Brigid's recover to defeat Castlehaven
MOMENTUM KEY: St. Brigids' Brian Derwin with Michael Hurley of Castlehaven. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady
St Brigid’s wobbled. Wobbled big time. And still they wound up in the winners enclosure. Their season will wind up in Croke Park.
In front by four at the turnaround, the conquerors of Corofin and Connacht did not add to their tally in the 17 minutes after half-time. It was part of a 22-minute barren period running either side of the break.
During their scoreless third quarter, the composure that defined their first half finishing completely deserted them.
It began with Paul McGrath piercing the cover for an early second half goal chance. He had spare men to either side. Instead, he blazed wide.
It was one of five third quarter wides. Add in a Ben O’Carroll attempt dropped short and they left six white flags behind them.
Brigid’s had spent the entire opening half hemming the Haven in and pointing the semi-final beyond their reach. They then spent the entire third quarter bringing their opponents back into contention.
“There was our shot selection, and if we had got a bit of momentum there, that could have changed things. I don’t think it was confidence, but momentum is a big thing,” remarked Brigid’s boss Jerome Stack when raking over their difficult third quarter.
“But the biggest element was Castlehaven who threw everything at it and got that dominance. It has happened to us before for periods in games and still by the end, which is the most important, we came in the last four or five minutes. Fellas didn’t lose their heads.”
Brigid’s were fortunate to still be in front when Robbie Dolan broke their 22-minute white flag wait.
Michael and Brian Hurley points had halved the deficit from four to two, 1-7 to 0-8. On 43 minutes, a Brian Hurley over-the-shoulder pass put Rory Maguire inside. His Roy of the Rovers goal effort met the crossbar. Though easy to observe, a more subtle trigger pull was required.
From play, Brian Hurley spelled a level of trouble and menace that Roscommon defender Brian Stack had not experienced in Brigids’ journey to the last four. But from the placed-ball, Hurley endured an afternoon he won’t look fondly back on. Three frees of his and a pair of 45s did not raise white flags.
Two frees he did convert brought Castlehaven within the minimum on 54 minutes. It was the first time they had stood that close.
Then arrived arguably the outstanding and decisive score of this semi-final. Brigid’s sub John Cunningham, with his first meaningful involvement on 55 minutes, dissected the posts from 45 metres.
Paul McGrath lifted them three clear and on the road to Croker three 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. O’Carroll chipped over. Game over.
A first All-Ireland final appearance for the Kiltoom club since 2013. That was the afternoon of their first and only Andy Merrigan triumph.
Half-back Ronan Stack is the sole survivor from those to see Croke Park gametime 11 years ago.
“I was 21, 22, so I was just joining the team in 2013. They’d been in a semi-final and a final before. It’s very different now. The majority of the team are younger. They watched that team and wanted to be there themselves,” said Stack.
“They’ve all put in the work. It’s just a pleasure for me to play with them at the later stage of my career and have Brigid’s competing at this level is absolutely brilliant.” Brilliant were Brigid’s at the off. They swamped the Castlehaven defence and didn’t allow them settle.
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. No matter what Haven hand was put successfully in to temporarily disrupt a Brigid’s attack, there hovering was another green and red shirt to stoop, retrieve, and strike.
By the fourth minute, Jerome Stack’s side were three ahead. Brian Derwin and Nugent’s second establishing an early buffer that would extend during a purposeful and profitable opening quarter.
On 12 minutes, a Michael Hurley turnover at one end finished with a 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.
Young O’Carroll was another Brigid’s player paying rent in the opposition half to cause a myriad of problems.
Castlehaven didn’t have enough operators doing likewise. They were chasing more than creating. The respective crossbars didn’t help either. Jack Cahalane did in the first half what cousin Rory would do later.
No Croke Park for Castlehaven. Brigid’s will go there all the better for having wobbled and survived.
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).
B Hurley (0-7, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘45); C Maguire (0-2); M Hurley (0-1).
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.
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.
C O’Driscoll for Browne (HT); J O’Driscoll for O’Sullivan (57); M Maguire for C Cahalane (60).
D Coldrick (Meath).
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