Following the 3-16 to 2-14 victory over Raheny in the Junior C Championship two weeks ago. The St Brendan’s Hurlers, sponsored by Bodibro, were back in Longmeadows and a meeting with Wild Geese, (Yes we have a Home game against Wild Geese!) knowing that both sides will be in the Championship Quarter Finals, regardless of the outcome, but the only matter that was in contention was home advantage, Win and you are home, lose and you are on the road in two weeks’ time.
The Geese were first to attack but a shot was blocked for a 65, which went wide, Eoin Ryan’s puck out found by The Wexican Oisin Carley and a hand pass to JJ ‘72’ Lennon and the opening score for The Dark Force. Lennon made it a brace with a short range free in and completed his hat trick of points when Ciaran Ludden was fouled and Lennon pucked the sliotar over for a 3 point to 1 lead.
Wild Geese were awarded a penalty which was saved by Eoin Ryan and cleared by Michael Harte, but his clearance was won by The Geese, but then got done for over carrying, then a long distance shot from Rob ‘Shane Lowry’ Hanrahan made it 4 points to 1.
The penalty saves galvanised Wild Geese and went on to score 4 points on the spin to lead the contest momentarily, but Ciaran Ludden then equalised with a good point following a Noel Lane pass. O’Hanrahan, with a Shane Lowey style swing, gave St Brendan’s the lead again with a long distance free in to make it 6 points to 5.
Both traded points with O’Hanrahan with another long distance free in after a Michael Harte foul. After hitting the side netting, Wild Geese equalised to make it 7 points each.
Wild Geese then turned the screw with a brace of points, the second of which was a snapshot which was saved by Ryan but the sliotar went to a Geese player for the puck over the bar who then made it a 10-point game.
Wild Geese dominance continued when beating Ryan for goal to make it 1-10, indeed it was a six-point turnaround after O’Hanrahan saw his goal bound shot saved by the goalkeeper and the moved ended with the goal.
St Brendan’s did finish the second half strongly with a point from Cathal Kelly after a Carley pass, and Kelly was tripped from 50 meters out and that allowed JJ ‘72’ Lennon to convert the free in which was the last action of the half.
The Happy Days Coffee Van Half Time Score: St Brendan’s 0-9 Wild Geese 1-10.
After a Rob Hanrahan long distance shot going wide. Wild Geese gave St Brendan’s a massive mountain to climb by hitting a second goal, despite a good Eoin Ryan save, he only aprried the sliotar to a Geese forward and a first-time snapshot into the net.
Another point followed, and the same Geese player who got his sides second goal, got the third, in the same fashion as his second, 3-11 to 0-9.
JJ ‘72’ Lennon chipped into the Wild Geese lead with a point from play and saw a second shot fall short. Another Geese point made it 3-12 to 0-10. Ciaran Ludden had a close range free in, he pucked low but 1 of the 9 Wild Geese players on the goal line was quick to react and parry the ball clear.
With a home fixture in the quarter finals all but gone, St Brendan’s tried to get some goals and got one back thanks to Pa Carey after Ludden and Carley saw goal shots saved, the sliotar went to Carey who put every ounce of energy into his shot and was rewarded with a goal.
A Lennon free in fell short to Sean Whyte but his shot was saved for a 65, Lennon dropped in his 65 to Carey and onto Whyte but eventually a free out was awarded to the away side.
5 minutes to go and JJ Lennon breached the Geese goal line for the second time after Eoin Ryan made a quick puckout to Oisin Carley and finally onto Lennon for the goal.
Wild Geese celebrated home advantage in the Quarter Finals with three points in a row to conclude proceeding as the heavens opened in Longmeadows. For St Brendan’s it's a road trip now in the Quarter Finals on October 1st and a fixture against Kilmacud Crokes.
Final Score from Longmeadows, St Brendan’s 2-10 Wild Geese 3-20.
