Ulster Football club SFC quarter-final
5-30 O’Neill Park Dungannon
Edendork (Tyrone) v St. Brigid’s (Antrim)
Antrim champions, St. Brigid’s make their bow in Ulster on Sunday when they face Edendork of Tyrone in the quarter-final of the Ulster Club football championship.
Both sides lifted their respective county titles for the first time this year but Edendork have the experience of a preliminary round Ulster win over Down champions Clonduff under their belts.
For St. Brigid’s Sunday’s Ulster game represents a step into new ground for the Musgrave Park side but it is one they will be relishing and a game where they will feel they can win.
The Belfast side won their first Antrim title a couple of weeks ago when they defeated Rossa in the final at Corrigan Park and while they didn’t get it all their own way against the Shaw’s Road side, they never the less did enough to see them home in the end.
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It was the greater attacking threat of St Brigid’s that ultimately was the difference between the sides. 18 of their 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 the second half.
The championship didn’t start well for the Musgrave Park side when they lost to Cargin in their opening group game in Toome but they recovered to record convincing wins over St. Gall’s and Moneyglass to qualify for a quarter-final meeting with St. John’s
Only a point separated them from the ‘Johnnies’ and it certainly wasn’t the form that suggested they would go on to win their first Antrim title but win it they did.
Their nine point win over Cuchullain’s in the semi-final made people sit up and take notice and saw them start as favourites against a Rossa side, who had defeated Cargin in the other semi-final.
St. Brigid’s won that one but were forced to fight all the way by the Jerimiah’s with only two points separating the sides at the final whistle.
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WHAT OF EDENDORK?
While St. Brigid’s have had time to recover from their Antrim success, their opponents on Sunday have been on the road for a while on their journey to Sunday’s quarter-final.
It took a replay and a magnificent 2 pointer from Tyrone keeper, Niall Morgan to wrestle the Tyrone title from championship holders, Errigal Ciaran after a replay and 8 days later the newly crowned champions were in Newry to meet Clonduff in a preliminary round Ulster debut.
Darren McCurry finished with eight points as Edendork continued their historic championship campaign with a 0-17 to 0-12 victory over Clonduff in the preliminary round of the Ulster Club Senior Football Championship at Páirc Esler.
The Tyrone champions established a four-point half-time lead before moving seven clear in the second half on their way to a five-point victory.
Goalkeeper Niall Morgan, Darren McCurry and Con Kilpatrick are all established county players while quite a number of the side have represented Tyrone at U21 and Minor level and their performance against Clonduff marks them down as serious contender for a first Ulster title.
The role of underdogs will suit St. Brigid’s however and the Belfast side will go into Sunday’s game in Dungannon with nothing to lose.
Under the guidance of Down man, Cathal Murray, aided by the McNulty brothers, who led Creggan to an Antrim title a few years back, they are a side well organised and set up and they can give this one a real lash.
I would expect John Morgan to pick up McCurry and the ‘Biddies’ full-back has been in great form this season and his strong runs from defence has been a feature of St. Brigid’s play.
The Belfast side have a number of players who have experience at county level and Morgan, Ronan Boyle, Joseph Finnegan, Jack Dowling and Patrick Finnegan have all worn the Saffron jersey though there is a fitness doubt over the younger Finnegan who pulled up late in the Antrim final.
It’s their younger players who could hold the key to a victory in Dungannon however with JJ Higgins and Dara Quinn impressive this season while, James Smith and Paul Bradley all have the potential to be match winners.
Footnote: This game is preceded by Naomh Eanna’s Intermediate championship meeting with St. Patrick’s Rock at 3-30pm and we would encourage spectators from Antrim to get to Dungannon early and give your support to both Antrim sides