LEAGUE DIV 1
PLAYOFF 2004
Solan
accuracy crucial to Brendans.
By
John Collins (Irish World)
St
Brendans 0-13
Kingdom
Kerry Gaels 1-7.
St
Brendans burst out the blocks in this Senior
league play-off game against the Kingdom Kerry
Gaels, while the county champions were left
still trying to settle into their own starting
blocks.
During
that early period of dominance, the Brendans
ripped holes in a rather patched up Kingdom
back line and hit over seven unanswered points
in a blitzing
and most impressive opening.
Charlie
Harrison and Liam O’Connell were too hot for
the Kingdom full back line to handle while
Barry Solan was at his most accurate from
frees and ended the day with an commendable
return of 0-9, with 0-7 of those coming from
free kicks.
When
the Kingdom finally got going, they did so
with some purpose and from being seven points
down after thirteen minutes, they found
themselves just a point behind at the half
time whistle.
As
ever, Gordon Weldon was at his industrious
best linking well between attack and defence
and helped himself to a couple of points in
that time, while Colm Foody and the recently
returned Aiden Dillane were also central to
the way the Kingdom came back into things.
The
catalyst to the whole comeback came with the
introduction of Kevin Waldron to centre back
which, as would be expected, galvanised the
centre of the Kingdom team.
Straight
after the break Weldon levelled matters before
Solan hit over a
free for the Kingdom’s first score in
twenty minutes.
Foody
was then fouled when bearing down on goal and
referee Stephen Leonard awarded a spot kick
which Foody duly dispatched.
Suddenly
the Kingdom were two points ahead and the
Brendans, who in their last league game also
had to produce something of a late surge, were
requested to reproduce their famous party act.
Up
stepped Solen with three frees in eight
minutes and the advantage was back to the
Mayoman’s team and when another man from the
west, Martin Gill, stepped up to hit over a
great free off the ground from fifty yards,
the writing was starting to appear on the
Kingdom wall.
Solen
pointed again and as the light disappeared
almost completely, the final whistle went to
see the Brendans through to the next stage of
the play-off and an appetising game against
Tir Chonaill Gaels.
Late
in the match both Kevin Waldron and Jim Landy
were dismissed by Leonard and that lack of
numbers, particularly the loss of Waldron, was
to prove the undoing of the current county
champions.
The
defeat in this game is of particular
significance to the Kingdom, given that they
are trying desperately to keep themselves
occupied as they await their day against the
Ulster Champions.
With
the Ulster Championship now appearing to be
heading into something like over-time, then
that challenge increases and another two
competitive league games wouldn’t go amiss
for Tom Roche’s team.
Without
Tom Earley and Karl Scanlon, the Kingdom back
line looked average until Waldron came in to
settle things down. Midfield was solid once
Stephen Sheehan moved their form centre back
and attack produced a twenty minute spell of
dominance, but then vanished and once more
their old demons of ill-discipline coming back
to haunt them.
Likewise,
St Brendans also went into his game without
the likes of Sean Murphy, Colm McCaul and
Shane Manley, so in terms of absenteeism
things were pretty even.
Where
the Brendans won through was that they kept
all their players on the pitch and those that
were on it managed to keep their composure.
Scorers:
St
Brendans: B Solan 0-9 (0-7), C Harrison
0-2, M Gill 0-1, L O’Connell 0-1.
Kingdom
Kerry Gaels: C Foody 1-1 (1-0 pen), G
Weldon 0-3, E Brennan, J Murphy, A Dillane
(0-1 each)
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