Davis and Monaghan goals crucial as St Vincent's claim title

St Vincent's 2-10, St Brigid's 0-10

By Adam Nuzum

Two first half goals set St Vincent’s up to claim the spoils in the U20 Division 2 Championship Final.

It was a bleak November morning in Ringtown on Sunday morning as St Vincent’s and St Brigid’s met to contest the U20 D2 Championship Final.

A thick fog lingered over the venue, while the cold conditions made for an uncomfortable morning for players and spectators alike.

It took some time for the game to find its rhythm, with both sides adapting to the conditions and sizing up their opponents. However, it was St Vincent’s who settled quickest and established an early advantage. Marc Davis opened the scoring with a point from play in the fourth minute, quickly followed by another from Eoghan Goldrick.

St Brigid’s, who had yet to register a score, came close to finding the net in the sixth minute before Ruairí Keogh finally opened their account with a point in the eighth minute. A superb effort from Cathal Flanagan, who found the target from the right-hand sideline, further highlighted Vincent’s early dominance.

James Ryan added a free in the tenth minute before Cian O’Mara registered his first point of the afternoon. Ryan then converted another placed ball to leave Vincent’s firmly in control.

Their next attempt drifted wide, but it wasn’t long before the first green flag of the final was raised. Vincent’s worked the ball cleverly from a short puck-out, finding unmarked players before James Ryan delivered into Marc Davis, who finished clinically to the net. At 1-6 to 0-1, Vincent’s had established a commanding lead.

Eighan responded with a point from a placed ball for St Brigid’s in the 16th minute, but O’Mara replied from play at the other end. Ryan added another free before Eighan registered his second of the afternoon from a placed ball in the 21st minute. Brigid’s struggled to build any sustained momentum, with their next attempt drifting wide.

Vincent’s also missed an opportunity through Flanagan, while Eighan converted another free approaching the 25th minute. There was some excellent defensive work from Goldrick, who tracked back effectively and cleared danger on several occasions, helping Vincent’s maintain their grip on proceedings.

Marc Davis was the first player to receive a yellow card following a high challenge, while Larry Gavin added another point for St Brigid’s to bring their tally to five. However, Vincent’s soon found the net for a second time.

Once again, a clever short puck-out helped create the opportunity, with a long delivery into the danger area causing chaos in the Brigid’s defence. Following a scramble in front of goal, Patrick Monaghan reacted quickest to bury the ball in the back of the net. Calum O’Boyle was shown Vincent’s second yellow card shortly before the interval, an indication of the disciplinary problems which would follow.

When referee Robert Cornally blew for half-time, it was St Vincent’s who were leading by 2-8 to 0-5.

St Brigid’s had plenty to reflect on during the interval. Their first touch had let them down, marking had been inconsistent and they had struggled to bring the physicality and determination required to compete with a well-organised Vincent’s side. They returned for the second half with considerably more urgency and were first to score, converting a free within the opening minute.

However, Vincent’s discipline continued to cause problems. Having already received two yellow cards, Vincent’s were reduced to 14 players when Cian O’Mara was shown a straight red card in the 32nd minute.

With 28 minutes remaining and an eight-point deficit to overcome, St Brigid’s suddenly had an opportunity to make their numerical advantage count. They began to hurl with greater confidence, but despite enjoying more possession, they struggled to turn their improvement into scores.

Jason Gavin was shown a yellow card for Brigid’s, while Eighan converted another free in the 33rd minute. The game then entered a lengthy spell without a score from either side.

It was Eighan who eventually broke the deadlock with another placed ball in the 45th minute, bringing Brigid’s within six points of their opponents, who had yet to register in the second half. Brigid’s had a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit further in the 46th minute when a goal chance resulted in a 65. However, Eighan’s subsequent effort drifted wide, a significant opportunity missed in their attempt to mount a comeback.

Vincent’s finally got their second-half account underway through a James Ryan free in the 48th minute, followed by a point from play by Donnchadh Flood. Brigid’s continued to search for a route back into the contest, but another wide followed in the 50th minute.

Eighan did manage to convert another free moments later, keeping their side within touching distance. Vincent’s also registered a wide from a free following an incident involving contact to the head, while Eighan added another placed ball in the 55th minute.

Larry Gavin received a yellow card in the 59th minute, and Brigid’s recorded one further wide as their hopes of a late comeback began to fade. They did have one final opportunity to find the net, but Austin O’Grady produced a fabulous save to preserve Vincent’s advantage.

Although St Brigid’s had shown considerable improvement after the break, their half-forward line struggled to win enough possession to create the scoring opportunities required to seriously threaten their opponents.

St Vincent’s, meanwhile, had done the bulk of their damage in an impressive first-half display, with two well-worked goals proving decisive. Despite being reduced to 14 players, they remained composed and defended their advantage to the final whistle.

In the end, St Vincent’s deservedly claimed the U20 Division 2 Championship title.

Scorers - St Vincent’s: Marc Davis 1-1, James Ryan 0-4 (4f), Patrick Monaghan 1-0, Cian O’Mara 0-2, Cathal Flanagan, Eoghan Goldrick and Donnchadh Flood 0-1 each.

St Brigid’s: Alex Eighan 0-8 (8f), Ruairi Keogh and Larry Gavin 0-1 each.

Teams: St Vincent’s: Austin O’Grady; Shane O’Meara, Sean Brennan, Tony Brennan; Jack Leavy, Calum O’Boyle, Cathal Flanagan; Rhys Brady, Eoghan Goldrick; Cian O’Mara, James Ryan, Patrick Monaghan; Adam Sullivan, Marc Davis, Donnchadh Flood. Subs used: Robert Harper and Zak Bates (43).

St Brigid’s: Daragh Hanley; Jason Gavin, Daragh Weblin, Cáthal Tone; Liam Weblin, Padraig Keogh, Conor Byrne; Alex Eighan, Ben Loran; Ruairí Keogh, Aiden Keogh, Sean Corrigan; Brian Ronan, Jack Carroll, Larry Gavin. Subs used: Mikey Henry and Matthew Doyle (43).

Referee: Robert Cornally (St Oliver Plunkett's).