Reserve Football Cup
St Brigid’s 2-14 St Gall’s 2-15
An injury time point by left half back Michael Hopkins gave St Gall’s victory over St Brigid’s in Wednesday evening’s Reserve Football Cup game at Musgrave Park.
Trailing by two points at half time St Gall’s got on top in the second half and goals from Man of the Match Michael Pollock and Terry O’Neill appeared to have won the game for them. However St Brigid’s fought back with three late points to level the game going into injury time, before Hopkins sealed the win with a 64th minute point.
Fielding six of the their famous 2010 All Ireland winning team St Gall’s matched their opponents for most of the first half, and with Michael Pollock rolling back the years, scoring seven of their eight half points. Rory McErlean, Conan McNicholl and Shane Boyle were prominent for St Bridgid’s the first half produced some highly entertaining football. The sides were level on 27 minutes when a long ball into the St Gall’s ‘square’ was finished to the net by full forward Conan McNicholl to give his team a three point lead, but Anto Healy hit back with an injury time point for St Gall’s to leave them trailing by two at the short whistle. (1-7 to 0-8)
St Gall’s hit back early in the second half and Michael Pollock goal within a minute of the restart gave them back the lead Murray and Pollock added points to stretch their advantage to three but points from Conan McNicholl and Niall Duffy for the home side were followed by a goal from Rory McErlean. Pollock and McNicholl exchanged points but when Terry O’Neill fired home for St Gall’s on 24 minutes they were two clear, and Murray stretched that lead to three with five minutes left for play.
St Brigid’s showed great character to claw their way back with three late points to level the scores and extra time seemed a distinct possibility. However Hopkins sealed the win for the St Gall’s with an injury time point to send the ‘old guard’ through to the next round.
