OK. So we lost Home advantage in the Quarter Finals of the Go Ahead Junior 1 Club Championship two weeks ago, but we still have a Quarter Final to look forward to as The St Brendan’s Football 1st XV, sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions, travelled to Ridgewood in Swords to take on St Finians Swords who topped Group 2 in the Championship and many observers had the team favorites to go all the way and win the Championship. 

But before we go any further, we turn the clock back to Friday evening and to The Naul in North County Dublin and the Final of the Ladies Junior B Championship, where the St Brendan’s Ladies Football 1st XV, sponsored by McGowans of Phibsborough, took on St Vincent’s, who defeated The Female Dark Force 3-8 to 0-12 in the opening fixture on August 14th and since posted returns of 4-22, 7-13 and 3-12 in their three games leading up to the Final. 

It was the girls from Marino who raced into a 2-2 to no score lead after 9 minutes, the first goal coming in the opening minute, but St Brendan’s got back into the contest before half time with a goal from Alison McGearty. It was 2-3 to 1-4 at half time. 

But a St Brendan’s sin binning during which St Vincent’s got a third goal which effectively sealed the contest on a final score of 3-10 to 1-7. The Mullingar Dynamo Sinead Morrissey scored 6 points, 5 from frees and Jane ‘Addiction’ O’Donoghue with one point. 

The Team: Karen O'Connell, Sophie Freeman, Erin Fadian, Muireann Breathnach , Mary Carpenter, Tracy McCarthy, Aoife Kelleher, Cara Nic Aonghusa, Jane O'Donoghue, Niamh Willis, Alison McGearty, Christine Dilworth, Vivienne Bond, Faye Kearney, Sinead Morrisey (C).  

Subs: Sinead Reilly for Sophie Freeman (37), Emma Young for Vivienne Bond (37), Eimear Kelly for Muireann Breathnach (55). 

So into Sunday and Martin Ryan wasn’t too fussed about losing home advantage and telling his team to get over it and get on with the job of winning this Championship match. 

Three minutes were gone and The Dark Force were awarded a free in, but the referee temporarily halted the match to allow a low flying helicopter to fly off. Micheál ‘The DJ’ Cahill, played the free to Diarmuid ‘Dempsey’ Cooney and onto The Return of the Mack Cillian Morrison who went for placement rather than power and his shot hit the top of the crossbar and over the bar for the opening score. 

Liam ‘Oisin Mullin’ Atkinson was getting on top of his joust with his marker and played a good ball to Andy ‘The Kei Truck’ Kelly and his shot went over the bar, 0-2 to 0-0. St Brendan’s dream start continued when Cahill won a turnover and played the ball to Morrison, who pulled the shackles off three markers and his low shot went into the back of the net, 1-2 to 0-0. 

It was The Morrison and Kelly show thus far with the latter getting his second point of the morning after a great one hand turnover from the man known as Durks, Stephen Durkan. 

St Finian’s Swords got into a rhythm after a poor opening nine minutes by their high standards and in the next nine minutes, hit 1-3 to level the contest, but Kelly had St Brendan’s back in front with a point after The Golden Mullet Conall Morgan won Mr Twitter Eoghan Clogher’s kick out after the goal. 

St Finian’s Swords took the lead with a brace of points. Cooney had a goal chance which hit the butt of the post and wide. Finian’s thought they had a goal but it was disallowed for a square ball. Clogher’s free out found The Castlebar Mitchell Colm Harte, Liam Atkinson also involved and his pass found Cooney who got fouled and converted his free in which was the last action of an edgy first half. 

Half Time Score St Finian’s Swords 1-5 St Brendan’s 1-5. 

The second half was barely a minute old when both sides traded points, Finian’s, in essence, did a St Brendan’s, on St Brendan’s by kicking a point seconds after the throw in. Martin Ryan put on The Bombscare Donal Clarke as a half time sub and this had a desired effect when Clarke levelled the match with a point from play following a pass from Kevin ‘76’ Berry. 

St Brendan’s retook the lead with an outrageous shot from Andy ‘The Kei Truck’ Kelly that just went over the bar. 11 minutes were gone and there was a bit controversy when a shot from St. Finian’s Swords went wide, both umpires waved wide but the referee gave a point, about some shouting and consternation, both managers were yellow carded. But The Antrim Adventure Man Nicky McCafferty had the lead back to St Brendan’s from a long range free in after the referee moved the free up 10 meters. 

The Home side retook the lead, 1-8 to 1-9, with a point similar to the point Colm Coyle scored to level the 1996 All Ireland Final, which bounced over Clogher’s head, earlier Mr. Twitter kept his side in the contest by preventing a low Finian’s shot from going over the bar. Clogher’s kick out found Ger Bannon, then passed to The Cavan Ironman John Maguire and finally McCafferty and a point to level matters again, 1-9 each. 

As the game approached injury time, of which 4 minutes were to be played, St Finian’s kicked a brace of points to take a two point lead 1-9 to 1-11. But St Brendan’s don’t know how to give up and we saw two weeks ago the team are capable of getting crucial scores, and this showed, when The Wexican Oisin Carley came up from corner back to collect Kelly’s pass to get a crucial point to put one between the sides, Can St Brendan’s get another point to take the contest to extra time? 

Carley returned to his corner back berth to win a crucial turnover to start the counter attack with a pass to The Curry Showman Brendan Brogan, who then passed to Kelly who made it to the 45 meter line, Both Cooney and Morgan also were in possession and it was Morgan’s pass to Carley looking for another point but instead found Cillian Morrison in an excellent position and his pass went to The Return of the Mack and his low shot found the back of the Finian’s net and a two point lead. 

The referee blew the final whistle after the kick out as the Finian’s players fall to the ground in utter dejection. The Brendan’s subs on the sideline and the players onto the field ran towards the hero of the hour, Cillian Morrison, who also joined by his girlfriend Amy, in what was another exciting finish to a pulsating Quarter Final and shows that this team doesn’t know when they are beaten. Now the Dark Force can look forward to a Junior 1 Club Semi Final on a weekend when all four away sides won their Quarter Finals, with a repeat of the 2019 Junior Final against Craobh Chairáin next up on October 6th, with Ranelagh Gaels and Na Gaeil Óga contesting the other semi. No doubt this Junior 1 Club Championship has been blown wide open and it’s anyone’s to win at this stage. 

Final Score from Ridgewood, St Brendan’s 2-10 St Finian’s Swords 1-11. 

There was more good news for Diarmuid ‘Dempsey’ Cooney as his partner, Claire ‘Makepeace’ Doyle and the rest of the St Brendan’s Camogie team, sponsored by Comcast Engineering and Ryan’s of Camden Street, secured a big win this Sunday Morning in the Junior 3 Championship away to Lucan Sarsfields on a 3-7 to 1-3 scoreline, Ciara Howard got 2 goals and Eanna Larkin’s better half, Ailish Brennan got the other goal for The Dark Force Camogs and now have a Semi Final to look forward to also on October 6th.