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Saints succeed at second time around With the original
fixture ending in stalemate, Sunday’s replay at Pairc na hÉireann
was always likely to be close and so it proved as a clinical last 15 minutes
from St. Brendans proved the difference in this pulsating clash.
Both sides had their chances to score goals but with the green flags staying
put the impetus in this one was very much on who could find their points.
Ultimately it was the speedy St. Brendans forward line that was able to
split the posts and run out five-point victors.
It was Brendans who were very much in the ascendancy in the first-half
with a titanic battle in the midfield under way. Sean Dundas led the charge
with two excellent points in the early stages of the half.
Sandwiched between Dundas’ strikes was a well-taken point from fellow
midfielder Conor O’Malley, who swivelled from close range to stretch
the Brendans’ lead to four.
Playing from a deeper position Adrian Boylan pointed for Mitchels midway
through the half to reduce the deficit, before another excellent Dundas
run was finished emphatically from 30 yards.
Mitchels kept the pressure on at the other end and a low free from Boylan
almost brought a golden chance for the Mitchels front-line, however some
committed Brendans defending denied a priceless goal. Dundas struck from
the dead ball a minute before the break stretching the lead to four points.
Cue the change of ends, cue the Mitchels fight-back. Lavin added an early
score as Mitchels started to find their full-forward line with regularity
before Boylan’s free minutes later reduced the margin to two.
Luke Morgan got in on the action with a point from close range while at
the other end Liam Doyle burst through to land a point from 10 yards.
The intensity of the game stepped up a notch as both sides worked hard
for midfield supremacy and Boylan was on hand once more from the dead
ball for Mitchels. Yet Brendans were hitting Mitchels on the break and
their nippy front-line reaped the rewards.
Michael Brennan was able to catch and drive over from the tightest of
angles to stretch the lead once more to three points before Doyle landed
another point from close range.
With 10 minutes remaining Brendans had a golden opportunity as Jonny
Hartnett sprinted in from the right flank however his low strike agonisingly
fell at the wrong side of Seamus Gantley’s goal.
Mitchels threw caution to the wind and were awarded a penalty with minutes
remaining. However Michael Agnew’s spotkick was sent over Liam Scanlon’s
crossbar.
It was Hartnett who had the final say as he curled over Brendans’
13th point to seal a five-point victory. |
