Comfortable St Brigid's win comes at high cost as former county player gets late red

WHAT should have been a very pleasing evening's work for St Brigid's came with a very sour taste when former county player Cian Donohue picked up a late red card in a one sided Offaly Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final in Rhode on Friday evening.

Tullamore Court Hotel Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final

St Brigid's 3-10

Gracefield 0-5

St Brigid's had their semi-final berth against Ferbane or Raheen booked and were in no peril whatsoever when Donoghue and Gracefield sub Conor Storey were shown straight red cards by referee Marius Stones after a messy, completely unnecessary but harmless melee developed out near the sideline.

It looked to be more “handbags” stuff than anything else but Stones consulted officials and had no hesitation in showing red cards while Gracefield corner back Gavin Smyth also went, picking up a black card to go with his earlier yellow.

It was a disastrouus end to the game for St Brigid's, who dominated almost from start to finish and never looked like losing for one minute. Outstanding wing back Ben Kennedy also went off injured with a worrying looking ankle injury seven minutes into the second half. Kennedy had been flying up and down the field all day, back to his best after a nasty broken leg in a work accident a couple of years ago, and his injury will also be a source of concern.

St Brigid's had been championship favourites from the start of the season but a spectacular malfunction against Raheen in their last group game came as a shock to their system. They lost 1-15 to 0-5 and the scale of the loss meant that they had to play a quarter-final rather than go straight to the semi-final. That dreadful display has now extended its cost and Donoghue will be a cruel loss for them if he misses the semi-final.

The Croghan men have a recording of the game and a team official was already trying to look at that before the final whistle blew but it is all very simple when it comes to getting red cards over turned: the recording has to show very clearly that Marius Stones made an error and he will be suspended for the semi-final without that – it won't be enough if the recording doesn't clearly show the infraction, it must show that the red was not justified.

It was a pity for St Brigid's and Donohue, who had played really well for them, first at full forward and then in a stopping capacity out around the middle. A very mediorcre Gracefield team had become increasingly ragged as the game wore on and the volume of late or clumsy tackles increased. A team waltzing to a win should never get sucked into this and while Brigid's did not lose their discipline in any real sense, they should have walked away when that late flash point emerged.

Apart from all that, it was a bit of a mixed display by them. They got back on track after that Raheen defeat and played some very good football but were also guilty of slowing it down a bit much at times and not driving at their opponents. At the same time, they were decent and played well enough to suggest that they can win this championship while producing enough average football to show that they have their work cut out.

St Brigid's were assisted by a very poor Gracefield display. This once powerful club are in a very transitional phase and it is going to take them time to rebuild. Relegated out of senior B last year, they looked to be closer to a junior than a higher grade team here and it was a bleak evening for them. They did well to dig deep and fight hard after being played off the field in the opening quarter but the bottom line is they only kicked five points, just three from play and that will win nothing.

With Dan Molloy and Cian Donohue running the show and linking superbly together, St Brigid's had the game won early. They led by 1-4 to no score after 11 minutes with Aaron McDermott scoring a goal that showed where Gracefield's problems were – they simply didn't work hard enough in the first quarter as Cian Donohue had time to fall, pick himself up and pass to McDermott.

It was 1-6 to 0-1 after seventeen minutes and the only positives for Gracefield were in the second quarter. They increased their work rate, closed down better and fought harder. They steadied the ship and a 1-6 to 0-3 deficit meant that they were still alive at half time.

They were hanging on by a thread, however, and St Brigid's cut that off with two carbon copy goals in the first three minutes of the second half as Gracefield's demons returned to haunt them. Sean Briody scored both, powering through the middle with no Gracefield defender laying a hand on him or moving to close him down when the danger was obvious to everyone at the venue. They were good goals from a St Brigid's perspective, dreadful ones for Gracefield and with a 3-6 to 0-3 lead, the game was definitely over.

The closing 25 minutes plus was pretty harmless, mundane stuff. Gracefield could only add two second half points, St Brigid's were not a whole lot better with four and it was all drifting out tamely until that closing couple of minutes changed everything for the winners.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ronan Doyle (St Brigid's): St Brigid's played a lot of steady, controlled football and had some fine individual displays. Dan Molloy and Cian Donohue were instrumental in them getting into a winning position in the first half, really opening up Gracefield, while Sean Briody put in a great shift, rounded off with 2-1. They were all contenders for man of the match as was Ben Kennedy until his injury and rock solid full back, Cameron Egan.

The choice is a new St Brigid's player Ronan Doyle. A former senior footballer and medal winner with Kinnegad, Doyle has finally throw in his lot with St Brigid's after living in the area for a number of years. Now approaching his mid 30s, he is clearly a great addition to them and the way he held the defence together, his calmness on and off the ball commanded complete respect – he took one late, heavy second half off the ball hit but never batted an eyelid or said a word to the referee or opponent. He was not spectacular but did the simple thing so well and defended with real competence.

THE SCORERS

St Brigid's: Sean Briody 2-1, Aaron McDermott 1-0, Cian Donoghue 0-3, Alan Scally (1f) and Dan Molloy (2f) 0-2 each, Ethan Hannon and Evan Rigney 0-1 each.

Gracefield: Craig Weldon 0-3 (1f and 1 '45'), Eamon Kelly and Jamie Hanlon 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

ST BRIGID'S: Liam Fox; Ronan Swords, Cameron Egan, Odhran Briody; Ben Kennedy, Ronan Doyle, Ethan Hannon; Sean Briody,Dan Molloy; Evan Rigney, Alan Scally, Liam Cocoman; Aaron McDermott, Cian Donohoe, James Lynch. Subs – Dylan Donoghue for Kennedy, inj. (37m), Thomas Mooney for Rigney (37m), Conor Davidson for Briody, inj. (51m), Aaron Kennedy for Hannon (62m).

GRACEFIELD: John Lawrence; Gavin Smyth, David Hickey, Darragh Lawrence; Ciaran Conroy, Patrick Hurley, Adam O'Sullivan; Patrick Dempsey, Michael Wilcox; Corey McEvoy, Philip Hurley, Jason Slattery; Eamon Kelly, Craig Wledon, Jake Nolan. Subs – Jamie Hanlon for Dempsey (24m), Conor Storey for Hickey (50m), Liam Cullen for Nolan (51m).

Referee – Marius Stones, Clara.

REFEREE WATCH

Marius Stones ended up a central figure in a game where nothing should have happened. The late red cards were a big talking point and without the benefit of seeing the footage, he was ideally positioned at the time and you have to presume he got it right – no one would have said a word if two yellows were brandished but a red card offence is a red card offence, no matter when it happens and what the score is. You would, however, have to feel very sorry for Donoghue who hadn't put a foot wrong discipline wise until then and played well in the right way.

Apart from all that, Stones had a very good game and there were no issues with the way he handled it.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Aaron McDermott's 11th minute goal gave St Brigid's a 1-4 to 0-0 lead and it was a long way back from Gracefield from there.

VENUE WATCH

Rhode knew there would be plenty of interest in this game and had plenty of stewards to manage it. Their facilities were in excellent condition.

WHAT'S NEXT

St Brigid's go to the semi-finals where they meet Raheen or Ferbane.

STATISTICS

Wides: Gracefield – 2 (1 in first half); St Brigid's – 7 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: Gracefield – 4 (Gavin Smyth, Ciaran Conroy, Patrick Dempsey, Eamon Kelly); St Brigid's – 3 (Odhran Briody, Evan Rigney, Dan Molloy).

Black cards: Gracefield – 1 (Gavin Smyth); St Brigid's – 0;

Red cards: Gracefield – 2 (Conor Storey and Gavin Smyth, yellow and black); St Brigid's – 1 (Cian Donoghue).