LONDON SFC
2003
Brendans
show their hunger.
By
John Collins
St
Brendans 2-12
Garryowen
0-5
Well
there is one thing that’s certain after this
game and that is that the Brendans are intent
on making a better fist of defending their
title this year than they did the last time
they won the crown.
Back
in 1995 the men from Hayes, then sizzling hot
favourites to retain the title they had won
the previous year, went out like a barbeque on
a wet Sunday afternoon, as they fell to a
Barry McDonagh inspired Heston Alts team in
what will always be remembered as one of the
biggest shocks in recent London football
history.
This
time around it would appear that the Champions
are intent on defending their crown with the
same sort of determination that it took to win
it in the first place and the Garryowen were
the first to feel the strength of that desire
in this group match in Ruislip.
Starting
with seven changes from the side that lifted
the title against the Clarets back in
September, Tommy McDermott’s team were quick
to gain a solid foothold in the game. After
the quarter hour they were five points up,
thanks to a goal from one of their
championship debutants, Dave Riordan and by
half time they had extended that lead to 2-5
to 0-2 following another three-pointer from
Eric O’Reilly.
The
second half brought little change to
proceedings. Billy Molloy in the Brendans goal
was hardly troubled throughout the game, save
for a couple of routine catches and
clearances. Sean O’Murchu, who may well be a
contender for the find of the season award was
tenacious, hardworking and down right annoying
at corner back, whilst James Carmody had what
was undoubtedly his best game for the Brendans
since his man-of-the-match performance in the
drawn county final in 2001.
Up
front O’Reilly, the executioner in so many
of his teams best plays last year, was pretty
much able to go wherever he wanted and do just
about anything he pleased as the Garryowen
defence failed to come to terms in any way
with the modest movement of the Brendans
forward line, whilst Limerick man Paddy
Bowles, another to be making his championship
debut, did much unselfish running and was
unlucky to end with just a solitary point.
Garryowen
have a number of major concerns. Chief amongst
these is the fact that in the last three games
I have seen them play in, the two 2002 League
finals and this one, they have managed the
princely sum of three points from play. A very
concerning fact indeed, especially when you
consider the quality of the players that they
have in their attack.
Kildare
man Gavin Keane, although still very much on
the road to recovery from last year’s broken
leg, should have given Gary Cullen a much
busier afternoon than he did. The height
difference between the two was at least eight
inches and anyone lucky enough to witness
Keane’s magnificent sixty yard score last
against the Parnells will bear witness to the
fact that Keane is in no way a one dimensional
player and has a multitude of tricks up his
very long sleeves. Tiernan O’Rourke has too
often resembled a shower in a two star hotel,
one minute scorching hot, next icy cold,
whilst one would expect so much more from
Niall Buckley at centre forward as he appears
to be a player of some quality. Why these men
cannot knit together a performance of more
substance than those they have produced lately
is to me and many more like me a mystery.
Overall
the Brendans will be more than happy with this
result. Certainly it was a game that they
approached with no small degree of
trepidation, as the Garryowen are a team that
most of their rivals will always hold a quiet
respect for.
The
men from Finchley on the other hand have a
major rebuilding task to face into. After one
game of the championship they now find
themselves in a must win situation, as
basically they need to win all their remaining
fixtures and to do so with very little form or
confidence to back them up. A tough call
indeed and one that few would hold much hope
of them achieving if Sunday’s performance is
anything to go by.
Scorers:
St
Brendans: E O’Reilly 1-3, D O’Riordan
1-0, B Solen 0-3(0-2f), P Stone 0-2, J Carmody
0-2, S Manley 0-1, P Bowles 0-1.
Garryowen:
I O’Donovan 0-2, G Keane 0-2(both frees), S
Maguie 0-1(free).
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