After riding their luck four weeks ago against Crumlin and two weeks ago against St Finian’s Swords, The St. Brendan’s Football 1st XV, sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions faced Craobh Chairáin in a repeat of the 2019 Junior 1 Club Final, in the semi finals of the 2024 edition of the Go Ahead Transport sponsored Championship, with the winners facing Ranelagh Gaels in the Final having seeing off Na Gaeil Oga 1-13 to 0-8 in the first part of a Double Header at O’Toole park in Crumlin. 

The heavens opened in abundance before throw in and one thought that we would see a repeat of the weather that marred the 2019 final, but this was not the case today as the rains cleared 10 minutes into the game, where Cillian Morrison scored the opening point for The Dark Force 1:50 into the contest in which no Craobh player got a hand on the ball between throw in and the ball sailing between the posts. 

This writer had the rare luxury of having the opposition team sheet and CC’s danger man was the full forward Francis Usanga who had his shot was blocked by Liam ‘Oisin Mullin’ Atkinson and went on to win the free out. 

But Usanga wasn't the only danger player and his fellow forward Billy Ryan was just as dangerous and he won a turnover 30 meters from the St Brendan’s goal and three seconds later, Mr. Twitter Eoghan Clogher was beaten for goal to put the men from Donnycarney in front 14 minutes into the contest. 

Craobh converted a free in to lead by three, 1-1 to 0-1. Ger Bannon was pushed in the back mid air trying to win the Mark off Clogher’s kickout, Bannon's free found Cillian Morrison and The Return Of The Mack went on a blistering solo run and his shot skimmed the top of the bar and over for a second Dark Force point, 1-1 to 0-2. 

Like the first point, no Craobh player touched the ball for 90 seconds as Kevin ‘76’ Berry, Micheál ‘The DJ’ Cahill, The Cavan Ironman John Maguire and The Antrim Adventure Man Nicky McCafferty were involved in the move, with 20 possessions between them, that lead to Andy ‘The Kei Truck’ Kelly to hit another outrageous shot over the bar and put one between the sides again. 

22:18 gone in the first half the sides were level again after a free in from McCafferty hit the upright, Morrison caught the ball but got swallowed up by two Craobh players but still found Diarmuid ‘Dempsey’ Cooney for the shot over for the level score. 

Morrison could have given St Brendan’s a goal when Conor ‘Tattenham Corner’ McGeough went on a sharp solo run his long shot was almost caught by Morrison but his marker Darren McCarty was on hand to win possession and thwart the goal chance, but McGeough won the turnover and pass to Morrison who had to settle for a point to make it 1-2 to 0-5. 

St Brendan’s retook the lead with Andy Kelly from a tight angle after Ger Bannon won the advance Mark. The other member of the Craobh Chairáin full forward line, Cian Derwin, saw his goal bound shot blocked by The Wexican Oisin Carley, who put his head where others would put their foot to keep the one point lead intact. Stephen Durkan continued the move and passed to follow Sligo man Brendan Brogan and finally onto Morrison again to kick his 4th and his sides 7th point to ensure a 2 point half time lead. 

Half Time Score, St Brendan’s 0-7 Craobh Chairáin 1-2. 

After a much longer than usual half time interval, 10 minutes, rather than the usual 5, the second half got underway and two minutes in, Croabh Chairáin had the contest level, the first point was a free in after the ball had gone into the net but the referee indicated a free in anyway, and the second from open play. 

The Dark Force retook the lead after a long ball from McGeough was about to caught by Craobh full back Gary Warren, but the ball bounced off his fingers and went straight into Morrison whose bid for goal was once again ended with a high shot over the bar, but still back to a one-point lead. 

The Golden Mullet Conall Morgan brilliantly made a timely tackle to win a sideline ball for his side, the move ended with Kelly moving this way and that and take a tremendous shot over the bar and a two point lead again 0-9 to 1-4. 

13 minutes gone and a second disaster for St Brendan’s when Craobh danger man Francis Usanga palmed the ball into the net after an initial shot hit the post, with Clogher in no man’s land, the ball was gifted to Usanga who made the most of his opportunity with a goal. 

John Burns come on as a substitute in place of Brogan and made an instant impact by pointing St Brendan’s 10th point from a free in from 45 meters to make it 2-5 to 0-10, soon that score became 0-11 with another pass from Kelly to Morrison and again Morrison had to settle for the point. 

Then disaster struck again for St Brendan’s which in essence would never recover from when Craobh Chairáin scored a third goal and it was that man Usanga again, protests from Martin Ryan and John Tuffy over a throw ball in the buildup were ignored by the referee and the goal stood and now there was 3 points between the sides again 3-5 to 0-11. 

St. Brendan’s were still gagging for goals but having to settle for points instead with The Longford Leader Burns again going close but having the white flag raised rather than the green but, there was 2 between them again. 

Will their tails firmly up, Craobh opened up a 4 point lead as the contest reached the 59th minute and would have killed the contest stone dead but had it not been for a point blank save off Clogher’s right boot, but St Brendan’s still needed a miracle. The Bombscare Donall Clarke came on in a last throw of the dice, and supplied the final pass to Cillian Morrison for another shot over the bar to put three between the sides. 

Then two minutes into injury time, Colm Harte won a free in 40 meters out. John Burns dropped the ball into the large parallelogram but as soon as Morrison caught the ball, the referee spotted a foul and a free out was given, much to Craobh’s relief, seconds later it was all over, as Craobh Chairáin march on to face Ranelagh Gaels in the final of the Junior 1 Club Championship, with many observers tipping them to repeat their 2019 triumph. 

But for St Brendan’s the 2024 season is over, the team were lucky to make it this far after late points four weeks ago and a last gasp smash and grab goal two weeks ago, but sadly, luck ran out today. 

Final score from O’Toole Park, Craobh Chairáin 3-7 St Brendan’s 0-13. 

 

But it wasn't all bad news for St Brendan’s today. In Grangegorman, The St Brendan’s Camogie team, sponsored by Comcast Engineering and Ryan’s of Camden Street, reached their fourth consecutive County Final by defeating Kilmacud Crokes C 2-5 to 1-3 in the semifinals of the Junior 3 Championship, with Lucy Murray getting both goals, and now face Clontarf in the Final in two weeks time. 

Also, John Tuffy, alongside “The Professionals” of Conor ‘Cowley’ Hallissey, Conor ‘Doyle’ Hayden, and Conor ‘Bodie’ Harris, drove his Tesla (sorry it wasn't a Ford Capri!) just up the road from O’Toole Park to Drimnagh Castle where the St Brendan’s Football 2nd XV, in partnership with Stoneybatter Pride of Place, booked their tickets into the Semi Finals of the Junior 6 All County South Championship with a 1-9 to 0-3 victory over St James Gaels An Caisleán. The Darkest Force will face St. Annes in Bohernabreena in on October 20th.