Brigids minors win Leinster

Past and Present Students of Castleknock Community College: Alan McCarrick, David Buckley, Niall Davey ( Captain) & Kevin Burke. Other CCC Players involved but not pictured: Gavin Kane & Ryan McAnernin,

Dublin minor football champions St Brigid's were crowned Leinster club champions when they held on in a titanic battle to beath Meath's Donaghmore-Ashbourne 2-6 to 1-8 in Sunday's final at Eire Og.

Dublin, Meath battles always provided splendid entertainment and this Leinster Minor Tournament Final played at the Éire Óg Grounds, Páirc Úi Bhriain lived up to that promise. This game went down to the wire before the Dubs shaded it by the narrowest of margins.
The Meath side’s towering centre forward Faoláín Smith got his side off the mark with a hard earned point into the wind but the Gerry McEntee trained Brigid's responded magnificently with a brilliant Daire Plunkett goal two minutes later.
Eric Callaghan the Donaghmore captain then narrowed the margin with a point beofre a purple patch by Brigid's yielded a goal and a point courtesy of Aodhán McEnerney and Daire Plunkett.
It looked glum for Ashbourne as the half time whistle approached but they got a real tonic with a super goal from Cathal Field to leave the half time score 2 –3 to 1-2 – and with wind advantage to come.

However it was Brigid's who started the brighter with two early points, the first a free from Philip Carroll and one from play by Paul Clerkin.
Those scores generated a renewed effort by the Meath lads, fearful that the game was slipping away, they dominated the possession and scoring stakes for the next twenty minutes during which the tagged on five unaswered points, two from Andy Tormey and one each from John Broderick, David Morgan (from fifty metres) and Stephen Kavanagh.
Just the minimum seperated the sides with five minutes remaining and Donaghmore Ashbourne will rue the squandering of two great chances to level the scores and even go ahead. Brigid's 'keeper Jamie Phillips brought off a magnificent save from Stephen Kavanagh’s effort with the rebound crashing off the crossbar before being scampered to safety. They had a further chance of a levelling point but went for goal which resulted in a fruitless forty five.
Brigid's weathered the storm to finish just about deserving winners of an enthralling contest which did justice to a well organised competition by the host club, Éire Óg.
The Blanchardstown outfit can thank keeper Jamie Phillips for keeping them in the game with some daring saves. He got great assistance from Cathal Doyle, Alan Carrick and Niall Davey in defence. Sean Murray and Cian Mullins more than held their own in midfield while up front the full forward line of Clerkin, McEnerney and Plunkett were most potent.
For the losers, Sean Curran at full back, David Morgan and Ciaran Ellis in the halves, Andy Tormey in midfield and forwards Eric Callaghan, Stephen Callaghan and John Broderick were best.

St Brigid's: Jamie Phillips; Cathal Doyle, Gavin Kane, Alan McCarrick; Shane O Hara, Niall Davey (Capt), Kevin Burke; Sean Murray, Cian Mullins (0-1); Philip Carroll (0-1f), Gavin McIntyre, David Buckley; Paul Clerkin (0-1), Aodhan MacEnerney (1-1), Daire Plunkett (1-2),. Subs used Mossie Sweeney, Stephen Cooper.

Donaghmore-Ashbourne: Darren Marcello; Daryl Lawlor, Sean Curran, JP Casserly; Iarlaith O Donnell, David Morgan (0-1), Ciarán Ellis; Andrew Tormey (0-2, 1f), Bryan Menton; Faolan Smith, John Broderick (0-2), Eric Callaghan (0-1); Cathal Field (1-0), Stephen Kavanagh (0-1), Stephen Dervan. Subs used Brian Snowe, Cian Maguire.

Referee: Pat Moran (Graiguecullen).