Roscommon SFC: Stack rescues Brigid's as Pearses' back-to-back bid is put on hold
ONE MORE TIME: Mark Richardson and Pádraig Pearses will be back at Dr. Hyde Park for a replay next Saturday.
Pádraig Pearses manager Frank Canning said he was both elated and disappointed after his side over-turned a six-point interval deficit to leave the defending champions on the cusp of winning back-to-back Roscommon senior football championship for the first time in their history.
Declan Kenny and St. Brigid’s defender Brian Stack swapped points in injury time to leave the sides deadlocked but when referee Jimmy Donoghue brought the ball forward after a Brigid’s player failed to release possession, Paul Carey had the chance to win Pearses’ fourth Fahey Cup.
With the wind behind him and in a central position, it was a presentable opportunity into the Graveyard End of the Hyde, but Carey pulled his effort wide and both sides lived to fight another day, which will be next Saturday at 2.30 p.m..
“I'm elated on one hand and disappointed on the other. After ten minutes, we thought we were going to be beaten out the gate,” was Canning’s take on a game that featured two quality teams that delivered a thrilling spectator.
"So, look, the two teams put on a great spectacle and fair play to them. No winner, unfortunately, from a Pearses point of view. We thought we had it and they came back and equalised. So, we'll go again the next day."
St. Brigid’s wasted little time making use of the strong breeze at their backs in the opening half.
Led by Brian Stack, they dominated the middle third and had opened up a 0-8 to 0-1 lead after only 11 minutes, thanks to a couple of two-pointers by Eddie Nolan and Ruaidhrí Fallon.
But Pearses began to gain some traction, and a two-point free from midfielder Conor Ryan was the catalyst for keeping Brigid’s within their sights until the half-time whistle.
Brigid’s were 0-12 to 0-6 ahead at the break but when they lost Paul McGrath to a black card for an incident involving players on both sides, Pearses had the deficit eroded to just a point in jig time, thanks to orange flags from Ryan and Declan Kenny.
Then, another twist, as a superb Brigid’s move allowed O’Carroll feed the supporting Robbie Dolan at full tilt, and the defender lashed the ball beyond Pearses goalkeeper Paul Whelan for a brilliant goal after 36 minutes.
But Pearses were warming to their task, aided by Seán Canning’s strong running which was punching holes in an increasingly fragile Brigid’s defence, and when Adam McGreal fisted the ball to the net with nine minutes remaining, the defending champions had all the momentum.
A superb two-pointer from Ronan Daly saw Pearses hit the front for the first time in the 54th minute but Brigid’s refused to buckle, although Pearses had the better chances to win it as the game finished in a welter of excitement.
Afterwards, St. Brigid’s manager Anthony Cunningam praised both teams for a terrific advertisement for Roscommon club football.
“They're fantastic players, both sets of players there. You have to admire them," he said. “Sometimes too many people run down county set-ups and county players for Roscommon, but they've always been at the top table. They were just unlucky over a couple of years that they didn't make that final breakthrough.
"But the likes of the Dalys and Conor Ryan at midfield and the likes of Brian Stack and Ruaidhrí Fallon, they're as good as what's in any club in any county.
“Everyone wants to win. It was a sucker punch but we did very well to get back into it and go ahead. They had it levelled very quickly, which is a sign of a mark of a great team. Hats off to both sets of players."
B. O’Carroll 0-4 (4f), R. Dolan 1-0, E. Nolan 0-2 (one tp), R. Fallon 0-2 (one tp), B. Nugent 0-2, B. Derwin 0-2, E. Derwin 0-1, S. Cunnane 0-1, B. Stack 0-1.
C. Ryan 0-4 (one tpf, one tp), A. McGreal 1-0, D. Kenny 0-3 (one tp), R. Daly 0-2 (one tp), E. Colleran 0-2, C. Keogh 0-1, J. Tumulty 0-1, S. Canning, P. Carey 0-1 (1f)
C. Carroll; R. Smith, S. Trundle, R. Dolan; R. Fallon, B. Stack, E. Derwin; S. Cunnane, E. Nolan; P. McGrath, C. Sugrue, C. Hand; B. O’Carroll, B. Nugent, B. Derwin.
M. Daly for Nolan (52), N. McInerney for E. Derwin (58), S. Kilbride for Nugent (60), C. O’Carroll for B. Derwin (60)
P. Whelan; D. Murray, M. Richardson, C. Lohan; L. Daly, C. Keogh, A. McGreal; C. Ryan, D. Kenny; S. Canning, R. Daly, J. Tumulty; H. Darcy, P. Carey, E. Colleran.
C. Harley for L. Daly (28), N. Daly for McGreal (58), J. Nevin for Tumulty (60).
J. Donoghue (Tulsk Lord Edwards).
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