Antrim Minor Football Championship
St Brigids 1-13 Con Magees 2-9 (AET)
By Aodh OLoan
The dark skies and persistent rain in Fr Maginn Park on Tuesday evening looked more like Feb 1st than early September and indeed St Brigid herself must have been looking down on her U18 namesake from South Belfast as they overcame a deficit of 1-06 to no score after 14 minutes to eventually run out winners on the narrowest of margins. It took extra time to separate these two teams having finished level on the sixty minute mark, however in the doom and gloom, the Belfast lads dominated the extra time period and now go forward to the semi final where they will meet St James Aldergrove.
It all looked so different for the home team at the start as they choked St Brigid’s early advances and went onto notch up 1-06 without reply. Sean McKay goaled after 40 seconds and the same player popped up on four minutes to score a sublime point from distance. Glenravel were on top in midfield at this stage and quickly followed up with points from Eoin Hynds, Callum Higgins and Daragh Donaghy in the fifth, sixth and seventh minutes. St Brigid’s started to get on the ball a little at this stage but were playing laterally, rather than decisively, and failed to put any real pressure on the home team’s defence. On thirteen and fourteen minutes McKay and Eoin Hynds popped over a brace of points to leave the home team leading by nine points 1-06 to 0-00. There was an air of disbelief among the home fans and in truth there was little to suggest at that stage that they would only record four more scores between that and the end of extra time. St Brigids got off the mark on eighteen minutes when the very influential Ronan Boyle, nephew of form Con Magees player Terry Boyle, scored from play. Two minutes later Thomas O’Doherty added a point and then ace free taker Paul Bradley followed up with two points. His languid free taking style proved deadly on the night and a personal total of seven points, all from frees, was a massive contribution to his team’s eventual victory. Marcus Lynch added a point for the away team and fittingly, Bradley closed out the half three minutes into injury time with his third point, and St Brigid’s sixth, to leave a goal between the sides at half time.
In that first half, Glenravel failed to score anything after fourteen minutes as the visitors notched up six points without reply from eighteenth minute to the half time whistle.
Glenravel brought on Joe Martin for Adam Campbell at half time as they looked to stem the St Brigid’s tide but is was the visitors who opened the scoring with Bradley again on target from a free. Eoin Hynds and James McKenna exchanged points to leave the gap at two but then on forty minutes Glenravel were handed a massive boost as the visitors lost two players, and Eoin Hynds stretched the lead to three immediately on the re-start. The home side then had several chances to stretch their lead but wayward shooting let them down and they were made to pay in the forty third minute when a long ball into the Glenravel square bounced awkwardly in the muddy surface and ended up in the roof of the net. Seconds later Marcus Lynch pointed to put the away team ahead for the first time in the game and the momentum had swung firmly in the visitors favour. Glenravel looked shaken but Sean McKay popped up when most needed to goal with five minutes left on the clock to restore their lead to two points, and at this stage they now looked most likely to advance.
However their efforts to hold out come up short and they conceded two late frees which the ice-cool Bradley slotted over to level the game and force it into extra time as the night skies grew ever darker.
In the first half of extra time, St Brigid’s dominated possession and put over a brace of points in the opening minutes through Bradley and Thomas McCarney however on the stroke of half time Eoin Hynds reduced that lead to a single point. Referee Joe McCavana turned the teams round quickly but again the Belfast lads dominated possession and played “keep ball” in the second period, which failed to produce a score from either side, so St Brigids prevailed by the narrowest of margins.
This game has parallels with the All Ireland minor final in Croke Park last Sunday where Galway were 3 points up with one minute left on the clock. Cork went on to equalise and then dominate extra time leaving the young Tribesmen feeling they left an All Ireland medal behind them at headquarters. Glenravel minor’s will have similar feelings. This game was in their grasp and somehow it was wrestled away from them. Full marks though must go to St Brigid’s who looked dead and buried half way through the first half but shook themselves down and went onto to deliver the knock-out punch.
ST BRIGID: Declan Heery, Reuben Carleton, Daniel Foster, James Turkington, Calum Webb, Shay Campbell, Tiorealach Brolly, Conor Slevin, Thomas O’Doherty, Thomas McCarney, Ronan Boyle, Marcus Lynch, Paul Bradley, Ben Doherty, James McKenna.
CON MAGEES: Jude Scullion, Declan McAuley, Sean McCusker, Sean Higgins, Chris Laverty, Eoin Hynds, Cathal Hynds, Darragh Donaghy, Senan Black, Rory McCloskey, Adam Campbell, Rian Lennon, Calum Higgins, Shane O’Boyle, Sean McKay.
Referee – Joe McCavana (Naomh Comgall)
