Senior League Round 1 2005
O’Connor
impresses for Brendan's
By
John Collins (Irish World)
St
Brendan's 1-12
Tara
0-6
Fair
enough it was only the first game of the
season and granted also Tara are notoriously
slow starters in any year, but St Brendan's,
while not exactly setting the world on fire,
did nevertheless show a few cards in what
could well be a very impressive hand indeed as
they strode to a comfortable nine-point
victory.
Missing
Shane Manley, Barry Solan and Gary Cullen, Pat
McNabb’s team set about last year’s beaten
finalists and left them punch drunk by half
time.
With
current London panellist Danny O’Connor
firing over a total of eight points for the
winners, they showed that even without their
key attacking forces they have players capable
of posting big scores.
The
winners were 0-3 ahead before Tara mounted
anything like a serious attack and even when
they did Paul Hehir somehow missed a fourteen
yard free from right in front of the goal.
When
such occurrences take place you either look to
the sky for the blue moon or resign yourself
to the fact that Tara were never going to
challenge in this game.
Hehir
did score two more difficult frees a couple of
minutes later but all the time the Brendan's
seemed to have a little more to offer.
Certainly
both Shane McAnarney and Adrian Brett both
look like fantastic additions to the attack
and McInerney especially showed himself to be
a real engine at centre forward.
By
half time it was 7-2 in favour of St Brendan's
and although Paul Hehir did pull a point back
immediately after the break, there was very
little substance to anything his team offered
throughout.
The
crucial score came
on 46 minutes when substitute Brian
Close was on hand to finish off a great move
from Paul Tierney and he had the opportunity a
minute later to score a second, only for
returning keeper David Feely to pull off a
great double save.
Hehir
tucked over another point and Mark Lownes
added another to close the gap to seven with
five minutes to go, but by that stage the Brendan's
attack were scoring at ease and three more
points in the final three minutes ensured a
comfortable nine point winning margin.
Tara
looked ill at ease with themselves in this
opener but having said that that has been
their early season form over the past few
season and in each of the last two years they
have ended up contesting the Championship
final.
From
that point of view they have no problems and
certainly when you look at the names on their
team sheet there is certainly no real cause
for concern.
Damien
McKenna a had a strong game at midfield, Senan
Hehir played well at centre back, James Rafter
was energy personified at wing back, while
Paul Hehir despite that early aberration, when
he missed the close-in free, still ended up
with 0-5 to his name.
However,
they do have gaps that need to be filled and
the search will be on over the next months to
fill those holes.
As
for St Brendan's, well winning the first game
is always important. Adding to that pleasure
will be the sight of Niall Barry, Paul Tierney
and Colin McCarthy back in the ranks
after a combined total of seven years out with
injury.
Colin
McCaul, who had a difficult time last year in
midfield, looks a great option at centre back
while Fergal Greenan continued where he has
left off in each of the past three years.
It’s
not Championship time or anything like it, but
with the personnel they have at their
disposal, some teams already have a bit of
catching up to do on St Brendan's.
Scorers:
St
Brendan's: D O’Connor 0-8 (0-3f); B
Close 1-0, S McAnarney 0-2; A Brett 0-2
(0-1f).
Tara:
P Hehir 0-5 (0-4); M Lowens 0-1.
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