by Geordie McGuckin
Reserve Shield Championship (Final)
St Ergnat’s Moneyglass 2-08 St Brigid’s 0-10
St Ergnat’s from Moneyglass upset the odds at Chapel Hill, Glenavy on Friday evening when they collected the Reserve Shield at the expense of firm favourites St Brigid’s.
The South West men were certainly cast in the role of outsiders in this one but despite looking less than assured in the opening couple of minutes they soon gained in confidence and with an excellent blend of youth and experience within the ranks they were good value for a four point win.
St Brigid’s did start in confidence and when they gave employment to the scoreboard attendant a couple of times in as many minutes they looked the real deal.
Moneyglass did look less than assured in the early stages but getting it together in a defence which grew in stature as the game progressed they began to settle to the task on hand.
St Brigid’s having gotten away in style were finding it difficult to make penetration thereafter but the city men had a 0-04 to 0-01 advantage at the end of the opening quarter.
A well delivered Brendan Leonard point had seen them at 0-03 to 0-01 and when the mid-field followed suit after a good Ryan Mc Greevey point which was delivered in confidence got Moneyglass off the mark.
A less than confident opening quarter from the Moneyglass men but they were getting it together and more assured in the second fifteen minutes with the defence standing tall and Benny Conway slotting into the role of sweeper to perfection.
Seamus Devlin was causing the Brigid’s defensive unit problems aplenty as he soloed out of defence and such dash opened the way for Ryan Boyd to add their second point.
The St Ergnat’s men were moving forward in confidence and the next phase was to see them grab the scores which were to underline what was to prove a thundering success as Conal Prenter and Stephen Magill bagged goals apiece.
The dashing Prenter who has certainly learned his trade well in the nursery that is St Pats Maghera collected a superb Ryan Mc Greevey delivery to nip away from his marker and slot home in the 22nd minute.
The Moneyglass men were on a roll confidence not a problem now, and after the South Belfast men were reduced in number with the dismissal of wing half forward Martin Ramsey they were dealt another blow a couple of minutes later.
Ramsey was issued a second yellow for a high challenge on the incoming Seamus Devlin in the 23rd minute and the former just made it to his new vantage point on the sideline when he witnessed a second Moneyglass goal from the boot of Stephen Magill.
Callum Mc Stocker had made interception to halt a St Brigid’s 25th minute offensive and a swift counter which followed to involve the fleet footed Seamus Devlin and Ryan Boyd saw the latter place Stephen Magill to finish with a superb strike and a goal which established a 2-02 to 0-04 advantage.
Ryan Mc Greevey added a further point to the South West side’s tally delivering over the bar in the 27th minute and although Eddie Mc Keever did reply in kind at the other end a minute later a Conal Prenter 32nd minute free following a foul on Paul Tohill, which yielded a point saw Moneyglass take the break with a 2-04 to 0-05 lead.
The opening phase of the second thirty minutes did remain scoreless for the opening ten minutes but it did take a couple of good saves from the St Brigid’s net minder to ensure such.
The South Belfast side’s keeper Steven Morrissey denied both Paul Tohill and Gavin Murray in quick succession.
Conal Prenter did end the barren spell when he sent a 30 metre free all the way over the bar in the 41st minute and when another Callum Mc Stocker interception and a Ryan Boyd delivery sent the corner man away on the left to split the posts again Moneyglass were at 2-06 to 0-05 with the clock at 44 minutes,
The last quarter and Moneyglass looked in charge and even when St Brigid’s did manage to make inroads through a well disciplined St Ergnat’s defence to nick a 46th minute point Ryan Boyd replied in kind at the other end a minute later.
St Brigid’s were striving to regain as a lofted delivery opened the way for Simon Ramsey to collect a point but once again the Moneyglass men made quick reply as Benny Conway delivered over the bar at the other end.
St Brigid’s were down and in arrears but they were not about to give in to what looked an inevitability as they took the game back to Moneyglass as the South West side visibly tired.
Mid-fielder Brendan Leonard fired over back to back points and Peter Lundy added another but the St Ergnat’s men soon regained in composure with the experience of such as Ryan Boyd, Benny Conway, and Sean Mc Glinchey adding visibly to the cause.
The clock had ticked past the allotted 60 minutes and although St Brigid’s persisted in their quest for more scores a 63rd minute Joe Finnegan point was as consolation as the St Ergnat’s men greeted the final whistle as winners at 2-08 to 0-010.
With Cargin having taken the Reserve Cup a couple of nights earlier at the same location Moneyglass ensured that the second Reserve title will also reside in the parish of Duneane for a while.
Teams
Moneyglass
Danny Mc Erlaine, Ronan Neeson, James Laverty, Callum Mc Stocker, Seamus Devlin, Kevin Mc Peake, Sean Mc Glinchey, Declan Neeson, Ryan Mc Greevey (0-02), Stephen Magill (1-01), Ryan Boyd (0-02), Gavin Murray, Conal Prenter (1-03), Paul Tohill, Benny Conway (0-01)
St Brigid’s
Steven Morrissey, Joe Mc Keever, Michael Donnelly, Niall George, Michael Cummings, Brendan Mc Donald (0-01), Paul Finnegan, Eddie Mc Keever (0-01), Brendan Leonard (0-03), Martin Ramsey, Chris Quinn, Peter Lundy (0-02), Joe Finnegan (0-01), Simon Ramsey (0-02)
Referee Vincent O’ Boyle (Cuchullian’s)
