Derby honours go to Naomh Bríd
Senior Football Division 3
25 May 2013
Aodh Ruadh 1-6
Naomh Bríd 0-12
John Hughes reports from Father Tierney Park
Naomh Bríd showed the greater grit and hunger to take the points in this keenly contested division three derby.
Father Tierney park had taken a serious spill of rain in the first half of the reserve game, and although it eased off in the second conditions were still very greasy throughout the senior game.
It was the Ballintra / Laghey boys who drew first blood when Gary McCafferty drilled over after three minutes, but Aodh Ruadh were able to fashion an instant response when Diarmaid McInerney teed up half back Ciron Whoriskey to steer over a reply directly from the kick out.
With conditions poor there were plenty mistakes, but the balance of the good play fell in favour of the visitors and it was no surprise when they came up with the next three scores.
Declan McCafferty was next to make an impression on the score board, holding off some heavy Aodh Ruadh defensive pressure to point in the ninth minute. Moments later Richard Walsh showed a lot of courage as he fed off a slick pass to Darragh Brogan to point. A Shane Walsh free on 12 minutes then put a goal between the sides.
Naomh Bríd seemed to take the foot off the pedal a little after that and Aodh Ruadh were alert to the loss of focus. Kerry Ryan constructed an attacking opportunity for Donagh McIntyre inside the area and he finished emphatically past Stephen Doherty to the back of the net.
Shane Walsh was motoring well for Naomh Bríd and he made a great fetch from a kick-out, before blasting over an inspirational point from over 45 metres out to take the scores to 1-1 to 0-5 with nine minutes left in the half.
Conor Patton responded with an equally spectacular effort three minutes later. He got a lot of air under it, but it eventually dropped over the bar to make it 1-2 to 0-5 on 24 minutes.
It was the visitors who were to have the last say in the half though. First Padraig McDaid, almost faultless throughout from placed ball, steered over a tricky free. Then Darragh Brogan fired over from close range in first half added time to send the Ballintra / Laghey outfit in leading by 0-7 to 1-2 at the break.
The second half was a mistake-riddled distant relation of football, regularly punctuated by breaks for injuries picked up in the treacherous underfoot conditions.
It was the homesters who made the better of it in the opening stages with Diarmaid McInerney showing grit to get his effort away and over the bar with two minutes gone in the half. A minute later and David Dolan showed great strength to win a ball, play a one two with Ronan Drummond and then screw over the equaliser for Aodh Ruadh.
Naomh Bríd went close for a goal in the 41st minute, but Ryan Patton showed huge bravery to block the initial effort, and it took lightening reactions from Peter Boyle to put Ricky Walsh's snap shot from the rebound out for a 45. Padraig McDaid, quickly emerging as the difference between the sides, stepped up and slotted coolly over.
Ballyshannon were able to work an equaliser immediately with good driving play by Kieran Keown and Damien Cleary setting up David McGurrin to point on the turn.
As the game moved into the final quarter the points were there for the taking by either side. And that was to prove to be Naomh Bríd. Almost by way of an omen of the swinging fortunes a mighty David Dolan effort came back off the upright, when it could easily have sneaked over. Ballintra raced down the field and a clinical finish from Shane Walsh edged them into the lead with the scores at 1-5 to 0-9.
There was a setback for Naomh Bríd after that score as the lively Darragh Brogan got his marching orders for a second yellow card, but they rallied strongly and added two further points in the next four minutes to put the goal between the sides. First Gary McCafferty sent over a towering effort, before Padraig McDaid applied to the finish to another placed ball.
Donagh McIntyre narrowed the gap to two with a composed point from out on the right as the clock ticked into the 56th minute. Aodh Ruadh needed to build on that score, but it was Naomh Bríd who were to do most of the pressing in the closing minutes. They forced a distance free with a minute of normal time left and Padraig McDaid drove over what was to prove the final score of the game, 1-6 to 0-12.
There was time for one more goal chance before Jimmy White blew for time, and it fell to Ricky Walsh after a bouncing ball beat the last Aodh Ruadh defender. Walsh hared through and was one on one with Boyle, but the Benildus man pulled off a brilliant stop to deny what seemed like a cast iron goal.
So, derby honours and the points go down the N15. Essentially the difference between the sides in an error strewn game came down to the superior place kicking of Padraig McDaid, whose four point proved the difference in every sense. Indeed most of the best performances came from the Ballintra men. Shane Walsh showed well to rally Naomh Bríd in moments when it looked like conviction was faltering. In defence Maurice Quinn and Sam Burgess had dominant displays.
For Aodh Ruadh Michael Ward was in good form, while Ryan Patton showed bravery on more than one occasion, elsewhere David Dolan fought the good fight throughout.
| Vital Statistics |
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| Teams |
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Aodh Ruadh Peter Boyle; Ryan Patton, Damien Cleary, Michael Ward; Ciron Whoriskey (0-1), Conor Patton (0-1), Niall McCready; Ronan McGurrin, James O'Donnell; David Dolan, Diarmaid McInerney (0-1), Kerry Ryan; David McGurrin (0-1), Donagh McIntyre (1-1), Ronan Drummond. Substitutes: Kieran Keown for James O'Donnell: half-time; Niall Harley for Ronan Drummond: 53 minutes; Michael McNeeley for Diarmaid McInerney: 55 minutes. Yellow cards: Ciron Whoriskey: 50 minutes. Wides: 8. Frees conceded: First half - 11; Second half - 11; Total - 22 |
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Naomh Bríd Stephen Doherty; Maurice Quinn, Sam Burgess, Stephen Quinn; Jamie Timoney, Clint Walsh, Gary McCafferty (0-2); Ross Gallagher, Shane Walsh (0-3, 1f); Darragh Brogan (0-2), Padraig Rooney, Sean Gormley; Richard Walsh, Padraig McDaid (0-4f, 1 45), Declan McCafferty (0-1). Substitutes: None used. Yellow cards: Padraig Rooney: 21 and 47 minutes. Red card: Padraig Rooney: 47 minutes. Wides: 6. Frees conceded: First half - 7; Second half - 9; Total - 16 |
| Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs) |
Last modified: Monday, 1 June 2020 at 1:11pm