St Brigid's season ends as Kildare champions pull away in second half

ST Brigid's hopes of extending their season towards Christmas were ended by Kildare champions Grangenolvin in the Leinster Club Junior Football Championship at Newbridge on Saturday afternoon.

Leinster Club Junior Football Championship first round

Grangenolvin …................1-16

St Brigid's ….....................1-7

Beaten in the Offaly intermediate final, St Brigid's went forward as Offaly's representatives as a club's second or third team is not allowed to compete in the Leinster club provincial championships.
The Croghan men put their best foot forward as they led by 1-6 to 0-4 at half time but could only managed one point in the second half as the home side managed 1-12.
The nine point losing margin did not do justice to St Brigid's efforts as they played well in the first half but it was clear from an early stage in the second half that the Kildare side were getting on top and would be able to win.
The game represented a role reversal from St Brigid's intermediate final loss a few weeks ago. On that occasion, they struggled woefully in the first half as Tullamore pulled clear and a stirring second half recovery came up short. They played most of their football in the first half here and one point in the second half was never going to see them advance.
Few could have seen how this one would pan out after the visitors had dominated the opening half, led 1-6 to 0-4, and were full value for that half-time lead.
Grangenolvin did have a penalty saved in that opening half, and lined out without the services of star man Conall Bergin. Bergin did make an appearance at the start of the second half, raised three white flags, departing the scene before the final whistle.Grange' will now play Wexford champions, Cloughbawn in two weeks time, again in Newbridge.
While there was nine points separating the teams on Saturday, it was the visitors who dominated the opening half, putting their opponents under major pressure with Alan Scully, wearing no. 9 but lining out on the edge of square, hitting an impressive 1-4 in that half.
Without influential midfielder Conall Bergin, Grange' struggled and with Scally testing their defence at every opportunity things did not look good for the Kildare boys at the break.
However Bergin made an appearance on the resumption and that gave the Kildare boys the impetus they lacked in the opening half.
From the throw-in St Brigid's went on the attack, Alan Scully opening with a point, added a second a minute later and then on seven minutes a long ball in from Thomas Mooney was  brilliantly fetched by Scully, who turned his marker before blasting past Conor McMahon to  lead 1-2 to 0-0 with seven on the clock.
Slowly Grangenolvin came to grips with the situation and points from Fionn Bergin (free), Brian Cullen, Nathan Doyle and Dylan Costigan saw the lead cut back to a single point.
St Briid's  came back with a Cian Donohoe point and could have had a goal when Sean Briody saw his goal effort deflected off the crossbar and out.
Gavin Ivory made a brilliant block to deny Ben Kennedy before an Alan Scully two-pointer free stretched the lead; Thomas Mooney added a point while Grangenolvin missed a couple of opportunities as the half-time whistle arrived the score reading St Brigid's Croghan 1-6 Grangenolvin 0-4.
Conall Bergin appeared for the second half and boy did he make a difference. Withing a minute the Kildare boys hit 1-1, the goal coming from Nathan Doyle set up by Oran Bergin. Conall Bergin added a point and when Cillian, of the same family, added another, the sides were level at 1-6 apiece with just 33 minutes on the clock.
  Less than minute later and Grange' took the lead through Oran Bergin and the Kildare champs were on the road.
St Brigid's seemed to lose their way, a Nathan Doyle effort was deflected off the crossbar but the Offaly boys were hit badly when Dan Molloy was show an extremely harsh black card on 38 minutes.
Grangenolvin were now in total command, hitting no less than six unanswered points from Oran Bergin (free), Timmy Doyle, James Gannon, Cillian Bergin, James Gannon and Fionn Bergin to lead 1-13 to 1-6, St Brigid's yet to score with 48 minutes on the clock.
It took until the 52 minute before the visitors added to their first half tally, that man, Alan Scally converting a free, incredibly that was the only score from the Offaly boys in the entire second half.
  Grange' added points from Nathan Doyle, Cillian Bergin with substitute Nickey Bowens adding the final score of the game as Grangenolvin booked their place in the quarter-final on a final score line of Grangenolvin 1-16 St Brigid's Croghan 1-7.

THE SCORERS
Grangenolvin: Nathan Doyle 1-2, Conal Bergin 0-3, Cillian Bergin 0-2, Fionn Bergin 0-2 (1 free), James Gannon 0-2, Dylan Costigan 0-1, Brian Cullen 0-1, Oran Bergin 0-1 (free), Timmy Doyle 0-1, Nickey Bowens 0-1.
St Brigid's : Alan Scally 1-5 (1 two-pointer free, 2 frees), Thomas Mooney 0-1, Cian Donohoe 0-1.

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THE TEAMS

GRANGENOLVIN: Conor McMahon; Gavin Ivory, Lewis Gannon, Paul Huntington; Johnnny Lawlor, Dylan Costigan, Brian Cullen; Keith McGloin, Timmy Doyle; Cillian Bergin, James Gannon, Ross Dooley; Oran Bergin, Nathan Doyle, Fionn Bergin. Subs: Conall Bergin for Johnny Lawlor (half-time); Nickey Bowens for Timmy Doyle (48 minutes); Wayne Dooley for Cillian Bergin (56 minutes); Danny Cullen for Conall Bergin (56 minutes).

ST BRIGID'S: Liam Fox; Conor Davidson, Sean Briody, Conor Casey; Ronan Swords, Liam Cocoman, Dillon Donoghue; Cian Donohoe, Alan Scally; William Molloy, Thomas Mooney, Evan Rigney; Ben Kennedy, Dan Molloy, Bob Troy. Subs: Ethan Hannon for Evan Rigney (15 minutes); James Lynch for Sean Briody (47 minutes); Jamie Leavy for Liam Fox (52 minutes); Cameron Egan for Thomas Mooney (55 minutes); Shay Hannon for Alan Scally (58 minutess); Aaron Kennedy for Ben Kennedy (57 minutes).

REFEREE: Enda Kelly, Westmeath.