Southern Gaels overcome Brigid’s to bridge 30-year gap

Southern Gaels 0-14, St Brigid's 1-5

The long wait to reach another Westmeath intermediate hurling final is over for Southern Gaels as they bridged a 30-year gap by beating St Brigid’s in this semi-final at Ballymore last Saturday afternoon.

The Athlone team held a seven-point lead at half-time after St Brigid’s had failed to build upon two early scores to then go for the remainder of the half without scoring. A goal early in the second half from the Saints made the game more interesting, but Southern Gaels kept their composure to reach their first decider since 1994.

Johnny Martin had opened the scoring with a point for the Gaels inside the first minute but two quick-fire points from David Hanlon and Stephen Quinn soon had St Brigid’s in front. Amazingly, however, the Saints failed to score again for the remainder of the half as Tony O’Keeffe’s men built up a nice lead.

Five wides did not help their cause with Southern Gaels a lot more economical with just a single off target scoring attempt. Chulainn Dowd levelled matters from a free after ten minutes and three more frees from the number 15 had the Gaels in front by 0-5 to 0-2 with 18 minutes played. Some individual errors at the back did not help St Brigid’s cause during this period.

After a slow start, the Athlone team had settled into their routine and popped over four more points before the break. Kevin Dolan increased the lead to four points as Maurice Fitzgerald was then denied a goal after 23 minutes by a fine save from St Brigid’s goalkeeper Paddy Carroll.

Chulainn Dowd fired over his first score from play a minute later and a 65’ from Sean Dowd left it 0-8 to 0-2 heading into stoppage time. The first half scoring was completed with a point from Sean Dowd to leave Southern Gaels ahead by seven at the break, 0-9 to 0-2.

St Brigid’s had not scored since the second minute and although rallying in the second half, that long barren spell in the opening half was to be their downfall. The stiff crossfield breeze did not spoil the game as a spectacle with both teams coping well with the conditions even when the rain fell during the second half.

John Martin had the first score when play resumed to increase the lead to eight points but Kieran Geraghty soon responded for the Rochfortbridge/Dalystown side with a point. A double substitution had been made for the second half by Brigid’s in an attempt at turning the tide in their favour.

The next score, five minutes into the second half, saw the green flag being raised for the only time as the contest became a lot more interesting. David Hanlon fired in a strike from the left which trickled over the line and handed St Brigid’s a lifeline back into contention.

It reduced the deficit to just four points but the Saints could get no closer to the Gaels on the scoreboard before the finish. In a low scoring half, the next time a flag was raised was after 19 minutes when substitute Fionn Dowd fired over a point to leave it 0-11 to 1-3.

St Brigid’s needed to build on the boost provided by the goal but their next score was not to arrive until nearly 20 minutes later. On this occasion, Hanlon popped over a free to again leave it a four-point game heading into the closing stages. The corner-forward contributed all but two points of the losers’ total with just three players featuring on their score sheet.

Another free from Chulainn Dowd at the other end restored the five-point lead but St Brigid’s refused to give up and another Hanlon free in the penultimate minute raised hopes of a possible grandstand finish. It proved to be their last score though, as Southern Gaels kept their cool under the increased pressure to progress to the final.

The best score of the game came on the stroke of full-time with a fine long-range strike from Dolan sailing over the bar. It left St Brigid’s needing goals to try and edge closer but there was to be no fairytale ending for them with their challenge soon fading. Nearly five additional minutes were played and the scoring was completed when Chulainn Dowd was again successful with a free.

It now sets Southern Gaels up for their first intermediate final in three decades and a possible first success since 1986 with Brownstown standing in their way in the decider at the end of the month.

SCORERS - Southern Gaels: C Dowd 0-7 (0-6 frees); K Dolan 0-3; J Martin 0-2; S Dowd 0-1 (65’); F Dowd 0-1. St Brigid’s: D Hanlon 1-3 (0-2f); S Quinn and K Geraghty 0-1 each.

SOUTHERN GAELS: Jonathan Keogh, Shane Galvin, Kieran Duncan, Diarmaid Murtagh, Dermot Treacy, Eamon Martin, Maurice Fitzgerald, Sean Dowd, Cian McCarthy, Diarmuid Martin, Chulainn Dowd, Sean Murphy, Johnny Martin, Cian Geary, Kevin Dolan. Subs: Fionn Dowd for Murphy (42 mins); Luke O’Connell for Galvin (54); MJ Kelly for J Martin (57); Eoin Hardiman for Fitzgerald (60); Evan Farrell for S Dowd (62).

ST BRIGID’S: Paddy Carroll, Kieran Geraghty, Seamus Faulkner, Conal Dunne, Evan Gorman, Joseph Hyland, Niall Cully, Stephen Quinn, Paul Carey, Chris Daly, Conor Slevin, Aonghus Cody, Sean Deegan, David Hanlon, Finbar Coyne. Subs: Cormac Eighan and Evan Connell for Daly and Quinn (H-T); Michael Geraghty for Cody (42 mins).

REFEREE: Matt Shaw (Clonkill).