Conway
Cup Final 1991
Brendan's take
Conway Cup
(Courtesy of the
Irish World)
St Brendan's 1-7
Kingdom
1-4
The
1991 football season was laid to rest at a
miserable wet and dreary Ruislip on Sunday, as
St Brendan's made glorious history by winning
their first ever trophy as a senior club.
It
will matter little to the victors that this
was a mundane affair with few precious
football skills on display, as both sides
waged a fierce battle to overcome ground
conditions that were more suitable to the
Winter Olympics than Gaelic football.
The
ability of the St Brendan's to adapt to these
conditions better was to be one of the most
crucial factors in deciding the outcome of the
game. But some terrible shooting from the
loser’s forwards, particularly in the second
half, contributed much to a defeat that will
have dampened their early season enthusiasm.
The
sharp incisive play of their forward line,
that was such a feature of their brave win
over the Tir Chonaill Gaels a week ago, was
sadly missing from a Kingdom team that could
never assert themselves on a Brendan's defence
that was superbly marshalled by "Man of
the Match” Frankie Dowd.
But
while it was Dowd’s heroics in the defence
that laid the foundations of this win, the
history books will show that it was Tommy
McDermott's goal-den strike late in the second
half that saw his team over the finish line.
That
goal was the winner’s only score of the
second period as they struggled against a
stiff breeze for most of the second half and
saw a four point lead wiped away by the
Kingdom, who appeared to be on the threshold
of victory.
But
a swift counter attack by the Brendan's with
six minutes remaining exposed the loser’s
rearguard as substitute Frankie Gallagher’s
cross was collected by McDermott, who’s mis-struck
shot came off a post but stuck fast in the mud
and allowed him a
second opportunity to crash the ball to
the back of the net.
The
relief on the Brendan's sideline was evident
as the goal killed off a resurgent Kingdom
challenge which had threatened to over-run the
Brendan's men in the second half and got them
on level terms midway through that period.
That
comeback, was as earlier stated, aided by the
elements and the loser’s experienced
corner forward Gerdie Sullivan looked
to have the Brendan's condemned to almost
certain defeat when he was allowed to steal
inside the winner’s defence to take a pass
from Brendan stack, which he hammered to the
back of the net.
That
goal tied the scores at 1-4 to 0-7 and should
have set up the Kingdom for certain victory.
They
spurned some glorious chances in the wake of
the equalising goal, but it would be an
injustice to the Brendan's to suggest the
Kingdom threw away the contest. In the first
half, the Brendan's had much the better of the
play and had they been more economical with
their shooting they would have had a more
substantial lead than the four points they did
manage.
Brendan's
got off to a rather sluggish start and mid way
through the first half only led by a solitary
point. A powerful second quarter saw them open
up some daylight as they jumped into a four
point lead with scores from John O’Dowd, Joe
Stack and Gabriel O’Neill.
What
good football was to be seen was on display in
the first half, as the Brendan's, inspired by
the midfield play of John O’Dowd had the
better of exchanges. Despite the control that
they exerted on proceedings, they still had to
rely on two fine saves fro their outstanding
goalkeeper John Collins to keep them in the
game at a vital stage.
Collins,
like so many others of the Brendans side can
look back with pride on a day when their club
“came of age”.
St Brendan's,
after the disappointment of losing the 1990
Championship final can now look back with
satisfaction as they claimed the first senior
trophy in the clubs history. The confidence
that this will generate was in clear evidence
after the match as attentions were focused on
the year ahead. Star corner back Pat
“Skib” Murphy, who had a fine game on the
Kingdom’s danger man Jim Landy claimed “We
are now going for the Canon Stritch”.
Few
will argue that the Brendan's are capable of
winning that competition and a few more in the
year ahead. Championship pretenders have been
warned: St Brendan's have most definitely
thrown their cap into the ring.
Frankie
Dowd put in a tremendous hours work and did
much to subdue the Kingdom attack. He had good
support in defence from John Collins, Pat
Murphy, John Dowd, Gabriel O’Neill and the
accurate Joe Stack.
The
Kingdom looked a shadow of the team that
defeated the Tir Chonaill Gaels a week earlier
but little fault can be found in a defence
where Neilly McGinnity was outstanding. Others
to shine for the Kingdom were Tom Finnerty,
Seamus Coyle, Gerdie Sullivan and Willie
O’Donnell.
St
Brendan's:
John
Collins Tyrone, P Sheehy Carlow,
J McCormack Dublin, C Drayne Tyrone,
P Murphy Cork, F Dowd Sligo,
P Cleary Derry, J O’Dowd Roscommon,
T Murphy Wicklow, B McCabe Armagh,
T McDermott Donegal, G O’Neill
Antrim, J Stack Cork,
P Murphy Wicklow, J Gallagher Derry.
Sub: F Gallagher Donegal.
Kingdom:
N
Gubbins, A Connor, T Finnerty, S Coyle, N
Larkin, F Stack, N McGinnity, B Stack, S
O’Brien, G Sullivan, S Spillane, W
O’Donnell, J Conner, T McDonald, J Landy.
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