So, if promotion back to PTSB AFL5 at the first time of asking is to be achieved, then The St Brendan’s Football 1st XV, Sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions, must win in Islandbridge this evening over a Civil Service side who won their first seven games, lost their next two and won in their last outing. 

But it was the home side who got the good start with a converted 45 from their goalkeeper, after a point blank save from Eoghan ‘The Bridge’ Clogher. That became 0-2 when Scott ‘Too Darn Hot’ O’Rourke played a long ball into Padraig ‘Ka Ying Rising’ McKenna who wrestled with possession, but his shot was half blocked down and turned over. 30 hand passes later, the ball was over the bar. 

Clogher’s kick out found O’Rourke, whose long ball was intended again towards McKenna, but found Brian ‘Dean Harrison’ Hobbins and his daisy cutter found the back of the net and the lead for The Dark Force. 

Fresh from his holiday in Hawaii, Eoin ‘Quinn Roux’ Fallon showed no ill effects with the first point, despite a partial block down, it didn’t really take the sting out of the shot that just went over the bar. 

Civil Service showed why there are 2nd in PTSB AFL 6 with a well worked goal after something like 25 short hand passes. Four minutes later and The Service had a second goal after another 25 short hand passes and a defensive splitting move which left Clogher in no mans land after a loose player won possession and shoot into an open goal. 

As David ‘Players Please’ Beggy was reaching for his box of John Player cigarettes, Tom ‘Klaebo’ Grainger had Beggy put the box back in his pocket for now, by scoring an excellent point after The Golden Mullet Conall Morgan won Clogher’s kick out, pass onto Washington Sean Whelan and then Grainger for the point. 

That tally became 1-4 after Morgan won possession with one hand fielding and made the run himself for the point. Civil Service then hit a long-distance point which, despite the referee raising only one arm, was actually a two pointer, which we only found out at half time. An O’Rourke shot falling short was the last action of the first half with zero added time played. Civil Service lead 2-6 to 1-4. 

Four minutes into the second half and Civil Service, in essence, ended the game as a contest with a third defence splitting goal and then added three more points increase their tally to 3-9 after 10 minutes into the second half. 

Then for the final 20 minutes, nothing!   

Nothing but 20 minutes of dilly dallying hand passing from the home side with an occasional turnover from St Brendan’s only for Service to turn the ball over again from the 20 meter line and even more dilly dallying hand passing. Seems they are watching too much of The World Cup. But, in the final minute of injury time, Kevin Berry won possession with an Advanced Mark. Sean Whelan converted to avert a second half shut out. 

For the Civil Service, it’s another big step to promotion to AFL5, but for St Brendan’s it’s a second season in AFL6 in 2027, even with three games to go in this year’s league.  

Final Score from Islandbridge, Civil Service 3-9 St Brendan’s 1-5.