| Amazing comeback gives Brendans
victory in thriller  Pairc
na hEireann was no place for the faint-hearted on Sunday as St. Brendans
held on for a two-point win over rivals O’Rahillys in a see-saw
battle.
Two first-half goals from Mitchell Wrighton and Anto Grant were ultimately
enough for the Saints, who rallied back from an initial seven-point deficit.
O’Rahillys hit the front in the best possible fashion as a low ball
into the goalmouth was punched home by full-forward Andrew Kelly.
The margin was incredibly doubled within the space of three minutes as
another attack by the Corby side reached half-forward Ronan Bannigan who
at the second attempt fisted the ball past Connor Scanlon in the St. Brendans
goal.
The gap was then extended to seven as Connor McNally latched onto a pass
to curl a sweet strike over the bar.
Yet just as it seemed O’Rahillys had given St. Brendans too steep
a mountain to climb, the Saints rallied back to score nine unanswered
points before half-time.
Wrighton popped up from close range to score his side’s first point
of the game after 20 minutes, before midfielder Connor O’Malley
sent a bouncing ball over the bar via the woodwork.
Some excellent interchanges left James Rodgers free to curl over another
point from 20 metres, before a high ball into the danger area was plucked
out of the air by Wrighton. The corner-forward showed nerves of steel
to place the ball past a wall of defenders to reduce the margin to one
point.
Moments before the break St. Brendans took the lead as half-back Anto
Grant lofted a ball over the O’Rahillys ’keeper and into the
roof of the net.
The second-half produced similar fare as both sides threw caution to the
wind in search of victory.
O’Rahillys struck first from the boot of Dennis Tierney, before
two scores in as many minutes cemented St. Brendans’ lead further.
The advantage lasted for just two minutes as approach play from James
O’Hara and Steve McLoughlin found Andrew Kelly, who steadied himself
to roll the ball past Scanlon and draw the sides level.
Saints rallied again and were unlucky not to regain the lead immediately
as Tim Sweeney sent a rasping drive crashing off the crossbar. Where Sweeney
failed, Ray McGee succeeded as his quick shot gave his side a one-point
advantage.
The game was there to be won for both sides and it was St. Brendans who
kicked for home with two further scores in the remaining five minutes.
A late point for Tierney reduced the gap to two but ultimately it was
St. Brendans who ran out the victors in this entertaining encounter.
n In a recent article it was incorrectly stated that George McGuigan is
chairman of Warwickshire GAA. The chairman of Warwickshire is Larry McAuliffe
and we are of course happy to clarify the situation. |
