Gaelic Games

All too easy for St Brigid’s as they reach Connacht final

The Roscommon champions blitzed a young and inexperienced Aughawillan

St. Brigid’s cruised past a hapless Aughawillan to secure their Connacht club championship final place. Photo: Inpho
Sun Nov 13 2016 - 18:37

St Brigid’s (Roscommon)2-18 Aughawillan (Leitrim) 1-7

St. Brigid’s cruised past a hapless Aughawillan to secure their Connacht club championship final place in a one sided game devoid of tension or excitement at Pairc Sean MhicDiarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday.

The Roscommon champions blitzed a young and inexperienced Aughawillan in the opening six minutes with Senan Kilbride scoring two points from play in the opening minute followed by a third from Eoin Sheehy culminating in Darren Dolan scoring a superb goal.

Morgan Quinn opened the Aughawillan account with a 10th minute point from play followed by a Mark Plunkett point one minute later. However it was a brief respite as St.Brigid’s, playing a high tempo game led by man of the match Niall McInerney at centre half back and aided by the midfield dominance of Padraig Kelly and Mark Daly and Darren Dolan and Senan Kilbride in attack, ended their lead scoring three further points without reply to lead 1-6 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.

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A Barry Prior point from play in the 21st minute was followed by a Mark Plunkett pointed ‘45 to reduce the arrears but St.Brigid’s finished the half strongly registering six points without reply in the final four minutes of the half to lead decisively 1-13 to 0-4 at the interval.

Any hopes of a Aughawillan revival were quickly dashed as St.Brigid’s extended their lead with three points in quick succession by Adrian Gleeson, Brian Stack and Senan Kilbride and left the Leitrim champions with a mountain to climb.

As the game slipped away from them Aughawillan failed to cave in and, in their best period of play during the third quarter, two points by Mark Plunkett and Niall Beirne were followed in the 46th minute by a goal from substitute Stephen Gilheany.

However the home side failed to maintain the momentum spurning a number of scoreable chances through poor finishing and hopes of a late revival were dashed four minutes from time when a superb save by Aughawillan keeper Colin Maguire rebounded to the inrushing Brian Stack who finished to the net .

St Brigid's: S Mannion, R Stack, D Donnelly (C), D Sheehy(0-1), N Grehan, N McInerney(0-1), E Sheehy(0-3), P Kelly(0-1), M Daly(0-1), B Stack(1-1), D Dolan(1-2), C Murray, K Mannion(0-2 1f), S Kilbride(0-4), A Gleeson(0-2).

Subs: J McDonnell for A Gleeson (40m).J Murray for N Grehan (42m).D Cunniffe for D Dolan(45m).R Fallon for E Sheehy(52m).R Kelly for D Sheehy(56m).C Gleeson for S Kilbride(56m).

Aughawillan: C Maguire, D McGovern, N Plunkett, M Quinn, R McTague, B Prior(0-1), S Quinn, P Dolan, S Flanagan(0-1), M Plunkett(0-3 2 '45), N Beirne(0-1), G Plunkett, G McGovern, M Quinn(0-1), C Gilheany.

Subs: S Gilheany(1-0) for G McGovern (30m).S Fox for N Beirne (45m).

Referee: L Devenney (Mayo).