Antrim Football League Division 1
St Gall’s 1-10 St Brigid’s 1-17
St Brigid’s made the short journey to Milltown on Wednesday evening and came away with both points after an impressive win over St Gall’s. The Musgrave Park side, with their county players back on board were on top form as they secured two more league points to all but assure a place in the league semi-finals in a couple of weeks’ time.
Early points by John Morgan, Paul Bradley, Enda Downey and Shea Downey had them four clear after seven minutes, and while St Gall’s did have a couple of good scoring chances themselves, they just failed to deliver the finish. However the home side eventually got going when goalkeeper Kevin Niblock sent midfielder Gerard O’Neill through for their opening point on eleven minutes and two minutes later they were back to within two when corner forward Daniel Quinn sent over a free.
The visitors were starting to dominate however and they hit the next four points without reply as Dara Quinn, J Higgins, Patrick Finnegan and the excellent Paul Bradley found the target, but the home side stayed in touch when right half back Liam Lynn sent over for St Gall’s. Ronan Boyle came back with a point for St Brigid’s before a controversial incident when St Gall’s Brendan Bradley appeared to be fouled while closing down on goal. Most people in the crowd thought match referee Kevin Parke had signalled a penalty but in fact the St Enda’s man was indicating a wide. Daniel Quinn and Brendan Bradley did manage two scores before the break but Peter King sent one over at the other end and there was only five between the sides at the break.
When Paul Bradley got three in a row for the visitors early in the second half it looked like St Gall’s were in trouble, but they bounced back with a well taken goal by Colm Walsh, and when the same player added a point there was just four between the sides again. St Brigid’s Ronan Boyle and St Gall’s Daniel Quinn exchanged points to keep the gap at four, but the Musgrave Park men were dominating possession and after JJ Higgins added a point, second half substitute Rian Tweedy got through to fire home the game clinching goal.
Substitute Matthew Downey added a point soon afterwards and Bradley hit his sixth of the game but St Gall’s kept battling and Daniel Quinn pointed before finishing with a 2pointer, though by this stage the destiny of the points had already been decided.
ST GALL’S: K Niblock, C McGirr, T Keenan, J McCaffrey, R Wilson, C McCabe, A Gallagher, L Lynn, G O’Neill, M Murray, B Bradley, D Wilson, C Walsh, C Doherty, D Quinn.
ST BRIGID’S: D Heery, J Toner, O Downey, S Doyle, S Downey, J Morgan, R Carleton, P Finnegan, J Finnegan, R Boyle, D Quinn, P King, P Bradley, E Downey, JJ Higgins
Referee – Kevin Parke (St Enda’s)
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