Grangenolvin's quality shines through in the second half
Grangenolvin's Dylan Costigan gets a pass away under pressure from St Brigids Dillon Donoghue and Ethan Hannon Photo: Sean Brilly
Kildare Junior Football Champions Grangenolvin overcame significant first-half adversity to eventually overwhelm Offaly’s St Brigid’s with a devastating second half display in the first round of the AIB Leinster Junior Football Championship at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Saturday.
Grange had to start without star midfielder Conall Bergin, arguably their player of the year in the Kildare championship, while brother Fionn missed a first-half penalty as the Offaly side reached the interval five points clear (1-4 to 0-6).
But Conall Bergin’s introduction at half-time contributed to a remarkable turnaround, with the midfielder scoring four points before being wrapped in cotton wool again four minutes from the end when the job was done. That’s not to suggest it was a one-man effort, his team mates also raising their game considerably.
It was a disastrous start for Grange. St Brigid’s main threat Alan Scally had a point on the board after only fifteen seconds and after Oran Bergin had a Grange goal attempt smothered by opposition goalkeeper Liam Fox, Scally pointed a free.
He wasn’t finished yet, either, and the rangy full-forward franked the Offaly side’s dominance on seven minutes when he beat his marker Lewis Gannon to a delivery from Dan Molloy’s free, Scally planted it to goalkeeper Conor McMahon’s left to make it 1-2 to no score.
Grangenolvin settled and wrestled the midfield advantage away from the beaten Offaly Intermediate finalists (who lost their final to Tullamore’s second team). They landed three quick-fire points from a Fionn Bergin free, Brian Cullen and Nathan Doyle in the space of little over two minutes and when Dylan Costigan landed a good effort from between the arcs on sixteen minutes they seemed to be on the right track.
But Cian Donohue, who might have been tempted to go for goal, pointed for St Brigid’s from close range before Grange had another warning immediately afterwards when Sean Briody was set up by Thomas Mooney but blazed to the right and wide.
Grange seemed to have been given a lifeline when Oran Bergin was pulled back within the penalty area, but brother Fionn shot a little too close to Fox, who got down well to save to his left on 24 minutes. He followed that up with a couple of missed frees and it was the Cloghan side who finished the half on the up with a two-point free from the impressive Scally to lead 1-6 to 0-4 at the interval.
Grange were a completely different animal on the restart and 1-3 in the opening five minutes saw them take the lead for the first time. Conall Bergin took less than twenty seconds to open his account and a minute later Nathan Doyle punched home from Oran Bergin’s pass. Conall and Cillian Bergin added a point each.
St Brigid’s then lost Dan Molloy to a black card but the tide was already going against his side and Grange added six points from six different players while he was kicking his heels, the four Bergins registering a point each along with Timmy Doyle and James Gannon to send the South Kildare side ahead by 1-13 to 1-6.
A Scally free on 52 minutes proved to be the visitors only score of the second half and Grange rounded off the win with further points from Nathan Doyle, Conall Bergin and substitute Nickey Bowens to see them through to a Quarter Final against Cloughbawn of Wexford in two weeks’ time.
Conor McMahon; Gavin Ivory, Lewis Gannon, Paul Huntingdon; Johnny Lawlor, Dylan Costigan 0-1, Brian Cullen 0-1; Keith McGloin, Cillian Bergin 0-2; Timmy Doyle 0-1, James Gannon 0-1, Ross Dooley; Oran Bergin 0-1 (f), Nathan Doyle 1-2, Fionn Bergin 0-2 (1f). Subs: Conall Bergin 0-4 for Lawlor HT, Nickey Bowens 0-1 for T Doyle 49, William Clynch for McMahon 52, Danny Cullen for Conall Bergin 57, Wayne Dooley for Cillian Bergin 57.
Liam Fox; Conor Davidson, Sean Briody, Conor Casey; Ronan Swords, Liam Cocoman, Dillon Donoghue; Cian Donohoe 0-1, Dan Molloy; William Molloy, Thomas Mooney 0-1, Evan Rigney; Ben Kennedy, Alan Scally 1-5 (1tpf,2fs), Bob Troy. Subs: Ethan Hannon for Rigney 15, James Lynch for Briody 47, Cameron Egan for Mooney 55, Shay Hannon for Scally 57, Aaron Kennedy for B Kennedy 57.
Enda Kelly (Westmeath).
