Reserve Football Cup quarter-final
All Saints 3-5 St. Brigid’s 1-9
All Saints produced a sensational finish at Quinn Park on Wednesday evening to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Trailing 1-9 to 1-5 with the clock ticking down, the home side struck with goals in the 29th and 31st minutes to win by two.
Even then It took a great block from Joe Rocks as the Musgrave Park side went looking for the goal they needed to turn this one back in their favour with Sean McVeigh’s late clearance bringing a loud blast from Joe McCavana’s final whistle, much to the delight of the home side.
For long periods in the game it looked like the visitors were the more likely side to advance to the semi-finals as they led 1-6 to 0-3 in the period leading up to half time after playing with the wind in their backs with Peter Lundy firing home after a defence splitting build up in the 15th minute.
Things threatened to boil over just before half time and when things settled, the home side struck with a Darach Bradley pointed free and a goal from youngster, Harry Connon to leave just two in at the break.
St. Brigid’s withdrew keeper, Fearghus Canning at the break and pulled Brian McGurk back into goals with Oisin McDonnell entering the fray.
It was the home side who might have been level or indeed ahead in the opening minute but Darach Bradley was off target from a close range free and then fired just wide of an upright when a goal looked eminent.
They were misses that they looked like regretting as St. Brigid’s controlled possession for long periods of the second half and added points from Conor Slevin, Shane Boyle and a Brian McGurk ‘45’ in response to All Saints only response from a Darach Bradley pointed free.
It had been 25 minutes since All Saints last raised a flag as move after move broke down through poor handling and misplaced passes when Sean McVeigh, who had been withdrawn to mid-field early in the first half, decided to go route one.
His long delivery from, midfield dropped invitingly into the danger area and Oliver O’Rawe climbed above keeper McGurk to fist the ball to the net and suddenly there was only one between the sides with time almost up.
Spurred by their success the Quinn Park side forced a turnover from the resulting kick-out and Darach Bradley made amends for his earlier miss as he drilled his shot low to the net as the game edged into time added on.
The Musgrave Park side launched one final assault in an effort to manufacture the goal that would salvage the victory that had looked certain for most of the half but Joe Rocks and Connor Brennan combined to deny Fergal Sherry.
All Saints: 1 Connor Brennan, 2 Archie McGreevey, 3 Michael Read, 4 James Gillan, 5 Conall Killough, 6 Joe Rocks, 7 Charlie Metrustry, 8 Peter McNicholl, 9 Rian Tom, 10 Matthew Downey, 11 Ciaran Campbell, 12 Harry Connon, 13 Darach Bradley, 14 Sean McVeigh, 15 Oliver O’Rawe.
Subs: Ciaran McQuillan, Paul O’Boyle
St. Brigid’s: 1 Fearghus Canning, 2 Conn Gilleece, 3 Cathal Conway, 4 Thomas McCarney, 5 Ben Doherty, 6 Finn McKernan, 7 Aodhan McNicholl, 8 Brian McGurk, 9 Conor Slevin, 10 Shane Boyle, 11 Jack Toner, 12 Peter Lundy, 13 Deaghlan O’Hagan, 14 Fergal Sherry, 15 Ryan |Tweedy
Subs: 23 Oisin McDonnell
Referee: Joe McCavana (Naomh Comhghall)