Northern Switchgear Senior Football Championship Final
St Brigid’s 0-21 Rossa 1-16
Sunday 18 October
Brendan McTaggart reports from Corrigan Park, Belfast
St Brigid’s secured their first senior football title on Sunday with a two point win over Rossa at Corrigan Park. It was a game that was every bit as close as the scoreline would suggest with the Jeremiah’s pushing the Musgrave Park all the way.
It was the greater attacking threat of St Brigid’s that ultimately was the difference between the sides. 18 of St Brigid’s 21 points came from open play while the full forward trio of Ronan McGrady, James Smith and JJ Higgins contributed 15 points between them. Higgins took the man of the match honours, finishing top of the scoring charts with seven white flags from open play and five of those coming in a second half that St Brigid’s couldn’t shake the Rossa challenge.
The Jeremiah’s started the final superbly and held an early four point advantage. Their ability to score two pointers always kept them in touch with Gerard Walsh, Liam McEnhill, Colm Fleming and Stephen Beatty all raising the orange flag while Diarmuid Rogan’s goal breathed life into their challenge in the second half.
St Brigid’s weren’t to be denied however with Higgins outstanding in their race for the line. Despite the loss of the influential Patrick Finnegan in the closing stages, the Musgrave Park men withstood the pressure of Rossa and held off the Jeremiah’s.
The Shaw’s Road men got off to a brilliant start with Stephen Beatty firing over a two pointer with barely 50 seconds on the clock. St Brigid’s responded with Joseph Finnegan dissecting the uprights with a left footed effort as both sides wrestled for supremacy.
Thomas Morgan pointed after a patient period of play, Rossa showing they were settling into their game more quickly than St Brigid’s and when Gerard Walsh fired over from outside the 40 meter arc, Rossa had a four point lead by the 10th minute.
St Brigid’s raised an orange flag of their own in response with McGrady splitting the posts for his first of five points of the half. The Jeremiah’s restored their four point advantage with a Colm Fleming two point free in the 15th minute but that seemed to signal an awakening in St Brigid’s.
The Musgrave Park men found another gear in the middle third and turned the screw. It was fully 13 minutes before Rossa had another shot at goal while St Brigid’s reeled off five unanswered points in the same period of time.
A brace of points from Higgins and three from McGrady (one free) gave the Biddies the lead for the first time in the final.
Thomas Morgan’s second white flag of the half restored parity but points from Patrick Finnegan and Paul Bradley gave St Brigid’s a two point lead at the interval.
Rossa needed half time with St Brigid’s dominance in that second quarter putting them in prime position at the interval. They continued with that same vein of form when McGrady and Higgins doubled their lead inside the opening three minutes of the second half.
Dominic McEnhill got the Jeremiah’s scoreboard ticking once more before Higgins replied for St Brigid’s, his second of the half in just the fourth minute since the restart.
Rossa hit back through a Diarmuid Rogan major, the Jeremiah’s half forward showing great composure to put away a tidy finish and give his side the ultimate lifeline at a time when St Brigid’s threatened to pull away.
Dominic McEnhill’s free in the 35th minute restored parity to the scores and while Paul Bradley and James Smith restored the St Brigid’s two point advantage, the Jeremiah’s hit back with their four two pointer of the final. Liam McEnhill this time splitting the uprights from distance thanks to good work from Gerard Walsh in the build up, tying the scores and putting the game firmly in the melting pot in the 40th minute.
St Brigid’s responded once again however with three unanswered scores. Dara Quinn, Smith and Higgins with the scores to give the Musgrave Park men a three point lead going into the final 10 minutes.
Rossa continued to find a way to stay in the final though with a Mick Byrne ’45 and Dominic McEnhill’s second free of the half coming either side of a point from the industrious Niall Duffy leaving two between the sides yet again.
The Jeremiah’s showed their incredible self belief yet again with Beatty splitting the posts to leave the minimum between the sides by the 58th minute but St Brigid’s weren’t to be denied in the closing stages.
Despite Patrick Finnegan having to be carried off with what looked like a nasty ankle injury and a prolonged period of injury time, St Brigid’s controlled the closing stages, Higgins taking his personal tally to seven points with a brace of scores at the death while Dominic McEnhill’s third free and fourth point of the final was the sole response for Rossa.
At the final whistle, St Brigid’s could finally celebrate a landmark triumph, their composure and scoring power having carried them through a breathless finish. Rossa had pushed them to the limit but their wait for another senior football title will enter a 36th year. This was St Brigid’s day as they completed a historic first senior championship success.
TEAMS
St Brigid’s Starting XV: Declan Heery; Oran Downey, John Morgan, Shay Campbell; Shea Downey, Joseph Finnegan, Ronan Boyle; Jack Dowling, Patrick Finnegan; Niall Duffy, Dara Quinn, Paul Bradley; Ronan McGrady, James Smith, JJ Higgins
Subs: Peter King for P Finnegan (51); Joe Logan for R McGrady (53)
Scorers: JJ Higgins 0-7; R McGrady 0-6 (1TPF, 1F); J Smith 0-2; P Bradley 0-2; J Finnegan 0-1, P Finnegan 0-1, D Quinn 0-1, P Bradley 0-1
Rossa Starting XV: Micky Byrne; Gavin McGrath, Gerard Walsh, Niall Crossan; Cormac McGettigan, Patrick Moyes, Michael McEnhill; Liam McEnhill, Eoghan McMenamin; Corey Walsh, Dominic McEnhill, Diarmuid Rogan; Stephen Beatty, Colm Fleming, Thomas Morgan
Subs: Rory Grant for C Walsh (47); Fiachra McDonald for M McEnhill (53); Eoin Fleming for N Crossan (58); Daire Morgan for D Rogan (60+6)
Scorers: D McEnhill 0-4 (3F); S Beatty 0-3 (1TP); D Rogan 1-00; T Morgan 0-2; G Walsh 0-2 (1TP); L McEnhill 0-2 (1TP); C Fleming 0-2 (1TPF); M Byrne 0-1 (1’45)
Referee: Colly Thompson (St Johns)
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