The third and final round of Group games in the Go Ahead Junior 1 Club Championship took place on Sunday September the 8th with all group games throwing in simultaneously.
The task for the St Brendan’s football 1st XV, sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions going into today’s match against Crumlin was simple. Win and get a home Quarter Final in two week’s time. The task was made more difficult however with a string of injuries with John Burns, Conall Morgan and Eoghan Clogher out. Granted, Clogher is on honeymoon. But St Brendan’s did welcome however Andy ‘The Kei Truck’ Kelly to the team, also in the comeback trail was ‘The Pretty Boy’ Sean Whyte, playing in goals and his long kick out would come in handy.
Crumlin got the opening score three minutes into the contest with a free in, Sean Whyte placed the ball for the kick out on the 13 meter line and didn’t realise that kick outs are now taken on the 20 meter line. Still, Ger Bannon won the kick out with a Mark, and pass to The Antrim Adventure Man Nicky McCafferty, who was fouled in the process, but Crumlin did not retreat and the free moved 10 meters which allowed Diarmuid ‘Dempsey’ Cooney to convert the free in and a level game.
The Wexican Oisin Carley won a turnover 100 meters from goal and the ball worked in by Cooney, McCafferty and Conor ‘Tattenham Corner’ McGeough who passed to The Cavan Ironman John Maguire and finally to Andy Kelly and The Kei Truck fired The Dark Force into a one point lead 0-2 to 0-1.
However, Crumlin beat Whyte for goal after winning the kick out and working the ball well, then got a point to open a three point lead. After Kevin ‘76’ Berry unleashed his inner Michael Jordan by being in the air for long to win the Mark, then there was a scramble for possession in the Crumlin goalmouth, but the referee spotted a foul on Kelly. Cooney converted to make it 0-3 to 1-2.
Nicky McCafferty then took a sideline ball to Ger Bannon and passed to Cooney who judged the wind perfectly with a shot over the bar from the outside of the right boot. Cooney’s bid for a goal ended when his shot was parried for a 45. Kevin Berry, who was practicing 45’s all morning, put all that practice to tremendous use by converting the 45, much to Martin Ryan’s surprise, and a level game 1-2 to 0-5.
Another Crumlin point followed, Cooney played the ball to McCafferty who slid on the ground to retrieve possession, but got a hand on the back for a free in, which Cooney converted 0-6 to 1-3.
St Brendan’s retook the lead in the contest with a point from The Curry Shoeman Brendan Brogan from play after a move involving Ritchie ‘Blackmore’ O ‘Hara.
In injury time, Cooney and McCafferty recreated the same move, and slide from the latter in the sixth point for the eighth point, which again Cooney converted. A late free in converted by Crumlin and final Sean Whyte kick out ended the first half and a 0-8 to 1-4 lead for The Dark Force.
That lead was doubled at the start of the second half and a role reversal from the 8th point, Cooney fouled, McCafferty converted the free in. However, Crumlin soon equalized.
A great catch from Kevin Berry and pass to McCafferty, who found Conor ‘Tattenham Corner’ McGeough who burst through the Crumlin defense with a long sharp solo run, but his shot hit the butt of the post and eventually cleared. A let off for Crumlin.
Another Cooney point followed, again from a free in after the referee gave advantage on a push on Andy Kelly. However after 17:22 in the second half, Crumlin beat Whyte for goal, then hit a point immediately afterwards to open a three point lead 2-7 to 0-10. However, a Cooney free in which went wide was celebrated by Crumlin as jubilantly as the goal a few minutes ago.
Liam ‘Oisin Mullin’ Atkinson collected a pass from The Castlebar Mitchell Colm Harte and went on a solo run, but got a hand on the back and the referee gave advantage, and got the free in, but once again the free was moved up 10 meters and again Cooney converted the free in, 2-7 to 0-12.
Martin Ryan had one more throw of the dice and put on Cillian Morrisson with 8 minutes to go. Crumlin had the ball in the net, the St Brendan’s sideline thought it was a square ball and when John ‘Tesla’ Tuffy asked for the current score, when the referee said “3-7 to 0-12" there was genuine shock at the four point deficit.
Crumlin hit a point to make it 3-8 to 0-12 as the game went into injury time, had the referee blew the final whistle now, St Brendan’s would be out of the Championship.
But, Ryan’s throw of the dice paid some dividends when The Return of the Mack hit a lopsided shot that went over the bar and a four point deficit, two minutes into injury time, Now Crumlin would be out of the Championship.
Was there another twist in the tale, Can Crumlin get a point to break The Dark Force?
Not if Conor McGeough had his way to produce a crucial turnover, worked in to by Ger Bannon and finally to Andy ‘The Kei Truck’ Kelly who was recklessly fouled, but thankfully not hurt. Diarmuid ‘Dempsey’ Cooney took the shot and sailed over the bar for a three point deficit and stayed that way at the final whistle.
So Crumlin win the match and are out of the Championship. St Brendan’s lost Home Advantage in the Quarter Final and now face the bookies favorites St. Finian’s Swords, in Ridgewood in two weeks time.
Final Score from Longmeadows, St Brendan’s 0-14 Crumlin 3-8.
Later in the afternoon, also in Longmeadows, the St Brendan’s Football 2nd XV, In partnership with Stoneybatter Pride of Place, extended their 2024 season by least another two weeks when defeating St Mary’s Saggart in the Go Ahead Junior 6 All County South Championship on a final score of 4-9 to 0-9. Brian Hobbins, Seán Dardis, Eoin Fallon and Cathal O Donnell got the goals for The Darkest Force.
