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Junior 9's versus Naomh Olaf in Championship - Fri, 11 Jun 2004

St Brigids 0-5 Noamh Olaf 0-3

St Brigids battled their way to a well-deserved win over Noamh Olaf to advance to the Quarter Final Stage of the Junior D Football Championship. The match was a very scrappy affair and all scores were hard earned. The weather turned an hour before throw-in and the constant rain showers made the Russell Park surface very greasy and all players ball-handling skills were tested to full effect.

Noamh Olaf started the better of the two sides and looked the sharper side, maybe due to the fact that they play two leagues above St Brigids. Noamh Olaf may have dominated the opening quarter of the game but they failed to register a score. St Brigids were beginning to get to grips with the faster pace and their defence was acting well as a unit. The half back line was supporting their forwards at all times and this support soon yielded dividend as St Brigids registered the first score of the game. Ian Craven soared high to win the ball within the crowded midfield battlefield. Craven fed Pierce O?Connor who fed Brain Murphy with a beautiful cross-field ball. Murphy broke through two tackles and passed the ball to the on running Keith Morris who tapped the ball over the bar. This score lifted St Brigids and their forwards began to win the breaking ball from midfield. Noamh Olaf?s forward line was also proving very dangerous when supplied with quality ball. St Brigids keeper David Brookes pulled off several point blank saves resulting from several high balls being pumped into the St Brigids full back line. The St Brigids defence survived some scares but were soon back on top and feeding their forwards with quality ball. St Brigids notched up their second score of the game when Brian Murphy pointed from close range. The point as a result of John Dunning dispossessing the Noamh Olaf centre forward John Cullen and sprinting through the Noamh Olaf defence to hand pass the ball to the on rushing Brian Murphy. Keith Morris soon registered his second point of the game from a free, which was a result of Stephen Kelly being dragged down by the physical Noamh Olaf defence. St Brigids were doing well going forward but Noamh Olaf corner forward Eoin Tobin was causing all sorts of problems when supplied with the ball. Noamh Olaf responded with a late point from corner forward Eoin Tobin. The St Brigids management soon acted and brought Paul Brady into the St Brigids full back line. Brady steadied up the St Brigids back line. St Brigids led by two at the break but both teams knew there wouldn?t be much in the game in the end.

The half time break done Noamh Olaf the world of good as they levelled the game within ten minutes of the restart.  Noamh Olaf were beginning to dominate midfield but stern defending from St Brigids kept the scores level. St Brigids were on the back foot but the introduction of corner forward Stephen Dunning and half forward Ian Sheedy revitalised the St Brigids forward line. Craven and Kevlehan began winning the midfield battle and in the 23rd minute of the half, St Brigids scored their first point of the second half. A beautiful score from Keith Morris, after some great work down the left wing from Stephen Dunning & Ian Sheedy. St Brigids, Neil Plunkett tagged on another point within minutes and St Brigids were not going to be denied their place in the next round of the championship. Plunkett rifled over long range after running on to a well placed from Ian Craven. A real team performance from all thirty two players involved and the squad are lucking forward to the next round of the championship.

St Brigids: David Brookes, Declan Hanley, Ciaran Byrne, Tim O?Leary, David Smith, John Dunning, Pierce O?Connor, Stan Kevlehan, Ian Craven, Keith Morris, Brian Murphy, Stephen Kelly, James Carty, Neil Plunkett, Eoin O?Sullivan.

Scorers: Keith Morris 0-3 (1free), Neil Plunkett 0-1, Brian Murphy 0-1

Sub Used: Paul Brady, Ian Sheedy, and Stephen Dunning

Half Time: St Brigids 0-3 Noamh Olaf 0-1

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