O’Neill’s All County Football League – Division 2

St Brigid’s 1-14 Moneyglass 1-14

John McIlwaine reports from Musgrave Park

St Brigid’s missed the chance of clinching promotion to Division 1 when they were held to a draw by Moneyglass in Wednesday evening’s Division 2 league game at Musgrave Park. As things turned out their Belfast neighbours Gort na Móna did the Saints a massive favour when they beat fellow contenders Aldergrove up at Turf Lodge, and with Tir na Óg winning down in Dunloy there are four teams still in contention for a promotion place. St Brigid’s still hold the upper hand with a two point advantage with just two game remaining, but their opponents in those games are both Gort na Móna and Tir na Óg so it promises to be an intriguing run in when the league resumes after the championship break

Early in this game it looked like the men from Musgrave Park were on their way to a comfortable win when they opened up a 1-3 to 0-1 lead after just twelve minutes. Wing half back John Blaney opened the scoring inside thirty seconds with a point from forty metres and two minutes later James Smith added another from play. Seanchann Duffin opened the visitors’ account on six minutes with a point from a free but St Brigid’s went straight down the field and got a slice of good luck when John Blaney’s shot for a point looped over the Moneyglass goalkeeper Mark Carey and into the net. Carey had to be alert to tip a Jack Dowling shot over the bar on 12 minutes, a score that put the home side five clear and apparently in a dominant position but Moneyglass upped their tempo and started to play much more direct football as they clawed their way back. Two pointed frees from Conall Prenter and two excellent scores from Seanchann Duffin suddenly had the gap back to a single point, and though Ronan McGrady fired one over at the other end for St Brigid’s the flow of the game was now towards Moneyglass.

Conall Prenter cut the gap to one again with a neat finish from close range and soon afterwards Seanchann Duffin, one of four brothers on the team, brought the St Ergnat’s men level. Things got even better for the visitors when Prenter edged them ahead and when they won the kick-out and sent corner forward Jack McCoy clear they were two to the good. St Brigid’s were treading water at this stage but just before they break they mounted their first serious attack in quite a while and were on goal only to be denied by a sharp save by Carey in the Moneyglass goal. However Ronan McGrady fired over the resultant 45 and in first half injury time James Smith fired a shot inches over the bar to bring his team level at the break.

The south Belfast side continued on the front foot after the interval and points by Michael Cummins, Ronan McGrady and John Blaney put them three clear and apparently back in control. It was not to be as Moneyglass battle back and two excellent points from corner forward Dermot McErlain brought them back to within a point. The gap remained at one as points by Webb and Smith for the home side were answered by similar scores from Colum Duffin and Conall Prenter for Moneyglass but the St Ergnet’s men appeared to have struck a telling blow on 48 minutes when a flowing move the length of the field was finished brilliantly to the net by full forward Prenter.

Suddenly they were in front and bossing the game, but they missed a couple of easy chances to increase their lead though a fine strike by Seanchann Duffin did put them two clear as the game entered the home stretch. Two points from Roan McGrady free brought St Brigid’s level but Moneyglass must have felt they had victory in the bag when Patrick McCormick edge them back ahead in injury time, but it was not be as Ronan McGrady landed a later point from a close range free to earn his team a share of the spoils, and a vital league point.

ST BRIGID’S: J Allen; J Toner, C King, A Brennan; J Blaney (1-2), P Finnegan, O Boyle; E Clarke, M Cummings (0-1); J Smith (0-2), R McGrady (0-6, 0-4fs, 0-1 ‘45’), P Lundy; P Webb (0-2), J Dowling (0-1), E Carleton.

Subs: S McKenna for Brennan (38mins), B Sinnott for Carleton (47mins), T McCrudden for Lundy (50mins), F McKernan for Blaney (black card, 57mins).

 

MONEYGLASS: M Carey; M Neeson, T Duffin, S Kelly; P Mackle, C Boyd, P McCormick (0-1); C Duffin (0-1f), N Boyd; S Duffin (0-5, 0-1f), G Murray, F Duffin; D McErlain (0-2fs), C Prenter (1-4, 0-2fs), J McCoy (0-1).

Subs: R Doyle for McCoy (37mins), S McGlinchey for Murray (38mins), D Laverty for Mackle (42mins), L Brady for N Boyd (57mins).

REFEREE: Fiontan McCotter (Sarsfield’s)

Pics by John McIlwaine