Casement SC JHC Group 1
All Saints 3-12 St. Brigid’s 1-12
In the face of adversity the true nature of a side often emerges and perhaps that was what happened at Quinn Park tonight when a depleted All Saints turned in a spirited performance to overcome the Junior B Champions, St. Brigid’s and advance to the quarter-finals of the Casement SC JHC.
The Ballymena side went into this one minus team captain, Damian Gillan, who got married today and a number of other regulars who attended the captain’s wedding but despite efforts to have the game put off, Paddy Neeson’s side were unsuccessful.
It seemed to galvanise All Saints with those coming into the side determined to show what they could do but it was the regulars like Ciaran Cassley, Luke O’Rawe, Vinny Esler, Jack Magill, Eoin Magee, Cormac Magill and Ciaran Neeson who provided a strong spine from which this victory was achieved.
Ciaran Neeson had the ball in the St. Brigid’s net before this pundit could get himself onto the photographer’s stool but it was visitors St. Brigids who found a response when they came back with a Fintan Cleary free and a goal and a point from Phelim Lennon to move two in front after 10 minutes.
Fearghal Leyden took advantage of a loose clearance to move the visitors three ahead before Neeson pointed a 20 meter free for All Saints first score for 15 minutes. Fintan Cleary replied from a free at the other end before the Quinn Park men hit back with a vengeance.
Eoin Magee broke clear out on the wing and sent a long delivery into the St. Brigid’s danger area and mid-fielder Vinny Esler won the race to the ball with out-coming keeper Chris Lundy to flick the sliotar to the net and herald a period of supremacy for the home side.
Colum Neeson added a point before a sublime long range point from Vinny Esler moved All Saints four in front by the 22nd minute. Ciaran Neeson added two more as the home side began to play with confidence before Keevan Grieve pulled one back for the Musgrave park men with three minutes remaining to the break.
James O’Boyle got his name on the All Saints score-sheet before Fintan Cleary pointed his third free of the half from out on the left to leave the Ballymena men leading by three at the half way stage.
Vinny Esler had been instrumental in a lot of what the home side did well in the opening half and he extended their lead to four on the restart when he fired over in the second minute and as All Saints pressed Chris Lundy in the St. Brigid’s goals pulled off an excellent save to deny Ciaran Neeson what looked a certain goal.
Neeson was adjudged to have been fouled in the lead up however and he directed the resulting free between the uprights to move his side five in front with only three minutes of the new half gone.
Fintan Cleary continued to show unerring accuracy as he replied from a free but the game was turning into a dog fight at this stage with both sides contesting every breaking ball and little opportunity for open play.
Ciaran Neeson finally broke the deadlock as he converted a free in the 13th minute but Fintan Cleary replied with two conversions for the visitors to close the gap to three by the 18th minute and his side appeared to be gaining a foothold at this juncture.
Once again it was that man Neeson who briefly relieved the pressure from another free but St. Brigid’s were enjoying their best spell since early in the game and came back with two pointed frees from the excellent Cleary and another from play by Joseph McCarney to cut the gap to the minimum.
St. Brigid’s had lost full-forward, John McGuckian to a second yellow card at this stage and when Ciaran Neeson walked for the same reason it appeared that the advantage was now with the visitors.
The game swung back very much in favour of All Saints however and after James O’Boyle and Fintan Cleary exchanged further points it was Cormac Magill who fired home an excellent goal in the 26th minute and followed with a good point and the momentum was back with the home side.
St. Brigid’s pressed hard in the closing stages as they went looking for the goal that might resurrect their chances but Ciaran Cassley, who had been excellent throughout, pulled off an excellent save to deny Phelim Lennon before James O’Boyle responded with the game’s final point at the other end.
All Saints now go forward to meet the other St. Brigid’s from Cloughmills in the quarter-final and will go into that one as massive underdogs but if they can reproduce the level of commitment and scoring quality they displayed tonight then they might not be too far away.
All Saints: 1 Ciaran Cassley 2 Dwyane McKee, 3 Chris McAffee, 4 Kevin Brady, 5 Cathaoir O’Kane, 6 Luke O’Rawe, 8 Vinnie Esler, 9 Jack Magill, 10 Eoin Magee, 11 Cormac Magill, 12 James O’Boyle, 13 Diarmuid Casey, 14 Colum Neeson, 15 Ciaran Neeson
Subs: PJ O’Kane for Chris McAffee, Daniel McCoy cfor Eoin Mage
St. Brigid’s: 1 Chris Lundy, 2 Eoghan O’Mainnin, 3 Peter Heaney, 4 Chris Quinn, 5 Rory Flanagan, 6 Cathal Conway, 7 Bryan Hallihan, 8 Joseph McCarney, 9 Niall Murtagh, 10 Fearghal Leyden, 11 Keevan Grieve, 12 Oisin McDonnell, 13 Fintan Cleary, 14 John McGuckian, 15 Phelim Lennon
Referee: Paul O’Neill (Creggan)
