U-15 ACFL Division 1 

St Brigid’s 3-08-3-08 St Galls 

Kevin Herron reports from Musgrave Park 

St Brigid’s and St Gall’s remain unbeaten in the U-15 ACFL after playing out a 3-08 apiece draw in a fantastic encounter at Musgrave Park on Thursday evening. 

St Galls began the brighter of the two sides and nipped ahead when a free dropped short and Brendan Marken made sure of a score at the end of the move. 

On 6 minutes the opening goal of the evening arrived against the run of play, James Higgins claimed a kick-out for his side, burst forward and picked out the run of Daniel Kelly to fire past Cairbre Adams and into the St Galls goal. 

The hosts extended their lead shortly after; a 45’ dropped short and Daire Oglesby curled an angled effort between the posts. 

At the other end Dylan Stitt drew a fantastic stop from St Brigid’s goalkeeper Jonah Power, but Marken followed up and shot the loose ball over the bar. 

Just before the midway point in the half St Galls edged ahead again, a side-line ball set the Milltown side on the front foot and Segdea Adams hammered a shot past Power and into the net to give his side a 1-02-1-01 lead. 

Parity was restored within a few minutes after a short free was played to Fionntan Murtagh and he released James Higgins to steer a shot between the posts. 

St Galls hit their second goal of the half on 21 minutes, a 45’ dropped short and into the hands of Aaron Mackel- he found the run of Padraig Ó Muirigh to fire low to the net. 

Segdea Adams landed a terrific point in the aftermath and although James Higgins responded with a free, Jonah Power had to prevent a third St Galls goal; keeping a Dylan Stitt shot at bay- only for Aodhan Piece to hook the follow-up over for a point. 

A further goal chance went abegging for the visitors before the break- Franco McCullough burst through and saw his fierce drive cannon off the underside of the bar, the rebound was scuffed wide by Segdea Adams- though at the break their side were 2-04-1-03 to the good. 

St Galls extended their lead upon the second-half resumption with Padraig Ó Muirigh and Aodhan Pierce guiding respective efforts between the posts. 

With little under 10 minutes gone in the half a lifeline was thrown to St Brigid’s, Isaac Robinson forced a turnover in midfield and slipped the ball into the path of James Higgins to smash home a second goal and give his side renewed hope. 

Joseph Logan would steer over his sides first point of the half at the beginning of the final quarter as St Galls lead was cut to just two-points. 

It would disappear 60-seconds later however as St Brigid’s hit the front for the first time since the early stages. 

James Higgins played an integral role in slipping the ball off to Joe McKay- he in turn picked out Logan in an advanced position and the corner-forward fired past Adams in the St Galls goal to give his side a 3-04-2-06 lead. 

The lead barely lasted a minute though as Segdea Adams powered forward and curled a shot between the posts to restore parity for the third time in the game. 

St Brigid’s hit the front again as the game entered the final ten minutes, James Higgins converted his second free of the evening and then burst forward and showed composure to land a fine point. 

Six-minutes from time the pendulum swung again in proceedings, the ball was guided into the path of Segdea Adams- who showed quick speed and drove a fierce shot off the post and across the other side of the goal to the net to edge his side 3-07-3-06 ahead. 

The hosts refused to panic and levelled through a James Higgins free with the half-forward dropping over another from the same scenario as the led changed hands once more. 

St Galls pushed for an equaliser and their hopes suffered a blow when influential play-maker Aaron Mackel was shown a second yellow-card and dismissed in injury-time. 

The Milltown outfit eventually earned themselves a free and a chance to level through Ó Muirigh, but he curled the effort wide. 

Their never say die attitude shone through in forcing two further chances, the last of which Ó Muirigh did take to seal a 3-08 apiece draw at the end of an absorbing encounter in Musgrave. 

St Brigid’s: J Power, C Flannery, F Murtagh, C Friel, J Mulgrew, D Oglesby (0-01), C Taggart, D McGurk, I Robinson, J Logan (1-01), J Higgins (1-06, 0-04f), D Kelly (1-00), J McKay, L Logue, R Bray. Subs: R Taylor for C Flannery (HT), M Morrisey for D Oglesby (39), F McCann for C Taggart (47). 

St Gall’s: C Adams, D Treacey, J McKeown, L Burns, P Austin, A Mackel, F McCullough, D Stitt, S Adams (2-02), A Butler, P Ó Muirigh (1-02), O Bellew, B Macken (0-02), A Pierce (0-02), B Bellew. 

Referee: Sean Elliott (Lámh Dhearg)

Play was halted in the opening half as a stray dog entered the field, but St Galls manager Padraig Ó Muirigh helped the canine back to it’s position outside the field