Under 16 A Football final
St Brigid’s celebrate their win over Con Magees in the Under 16 A final at Aghagallon. Pic by John Ilwaine
St Brigid’s 2-12 Con Magees 1-6
St Brigid’s captured the Under 16 county football title when they beat Con Magees, Glenravel in Tuesday evening’s final which was played in terrible conditions at Aghagallon. The Belfast boys were ahead from the opening minute and though Glenravel kept in touch during the first half, an early barrage of scores in the opening minutes of the second period closed the door on the South West champions. The Con Magees were thrown a lifeline when Sean McKay grabbed a goal twelve minutes in the second half, but when St Brigids hit back right away to grab their side’s second goal they were home and dry.
Playing down the Aghagallon slope Calum Webb pointed for St Brigid’s in the opening minute, but Sean McKay came back with two fins scores from play (despite playing with a bad injury) to give the Con Magees the lead for the only time in the game. However the pressure was building for St Brigid’s and when Eoin Brown sent a high dropping ball in on the Glenravel square Marcus Lynch took full advantage of a defensive slip to knock the ball over the line.
Hugo Leeson and Paul Bradley grabbed a point apiece to put St Brigid’s four ahead, and though Eoin Hynds and Darragh Donaghy brought the gap back to two St Brigid’s finished the half strongly with Lynch and Campbell again hitting the target to put their side four up at the short whistle.
The Glenravel boys must have felt they were still well in the game when they turned around at the break to play ‘down the hill’, but it was St Brigid’s who prospered and they hit the first four points of the new half through Paul Bradley to stretch their advantage to eight. Glenravel fans finally got something to cheer about when good work by Callum Higgins set Sean McKay up for a much needed goal in the forty second minute. However the cheers for McKay’s goal had barely died down when the ball was in the net at the other end as St Brigid’s put together a fine flowing move which ended with Ben Doherty palming the ball home.
To their credit the Glenravel boys kept battling away and McKay and Hynds pulled a couple of scores back, but St Brigid’s were always on top and well taken scores from Eoin Brown, Paul Bradley and Ben Doherty saw them run out winners by double scores, 2-12 to 1-6
St Brigid’s
James McKenna, Shay Campbell, Daniel Foster, Donal Harrison, Thomas McCarney, Calum Webb, Ronan Boyle, Conor Slevin, Thomas O’Doherty, Eoin Brown, Hugo Leeson, Marcus Lynch, Paul Bradley, Ben Doherty, Toirealach Brolly.
Con Magees
Declan McCloskey, Shea McDonnell, Sean McCusker, Sean Higgins, Cathal Hynds, Declan McAuley, Declan McCloskey, Christopher Laverty, Eoin Hynds, Gabriel Leech, Rian Lennon, Darragh Donaghy, Callum Higgins, Shane O’Boyle, Sean McKay.
Referee – Charlie Hemsworth
Pics by John McIlwaine