On Wednesday June 10th, The St Brendan’s Hurlers, sponsored by Bodibro, travelled to Donabate in a bid to stave off relegation from PTSB AHL 7, but unfortunately the home side returned a 5-16 to 3-6 win with Pa Carey (2) and Liam Kennedy getting the goals.
So it was onto Sunday and a huge fixture against fellow bottom half team Naomh Olaf and The Dark Force started the contest, kinda unusually in Hurling, in typical St Brendan’s fashion with a point from Big Dan Cronin 25 seconds into the contest after a high puc from Michael ‘Bruno Fernandes’ Harte. That lead was doubled with a free in off the Wexican Oisin Carley after a jursey tug off Matthew McGlynn.
The encouraging start continued with a brace of points from Pa Carey after turnovers from The Relegator Jack McCarron with the first and Aaron Gaule for the second.
The team based in Sandyford, named after Sigtrygg 'Silkbeard' Olafsson, one of the first Viking Kings of Dublin, got on the scoresheet with a brace of points before Michael Harte notched up point number 5 with his trademark turn and shot over the bar. Olaf’s then made it 0-5 to 0-3 with their third point.
Carey notched up this third point after a turnover from Neon Leon Broderick, Carey moved this way and that, looking for support, but took the shot himself and yielded the sixth point for his side.
But then disaster for St Brendan’s. A long distance Olaf’s free in was about to sail wide, all the players allowed the slioter to go wide, except for one quick thinking Olaf’s player, who caught the slioter, inches from going over the end line and puc from a tight angle that beat Fergus O’Regan off his near post for a goal for the away side.
O’Regan redeemed himself by prevent a second Olaf’s quick fire goal with a good save for a 65, which was converted and Olaf’s lead 1-4 to 0-6 after 15 minutes. The away side showed how dangerous they could be and another goal bound shot hit the post and cleared by Mark ‘The Edge’ Kinsella.
The same tactic was used for a second Olaf goal, another shot going wide was again caught, this time worked in and O’Regan was beaten for goal.
But again St Brendan’s didn’t lie down.
Neon Leon Broderick hit a brace of points, the first from play and the second from where he caught the ball after Rob ‘Shane Lowry’ O’Hanrahan was fouled after the pucked the slioter away. 2-5 to 0-8.
Indeed, St Brendan’s got back into the contest when a long ball from Aaron Gaule was about to caught by the Olaf goalkeeper but it went under his legs and into the goal and a level contest. Harte, in a trademark turn and hit pucked a great score to put his side in front going into injury time. No more scores after that and St Brendan’s lead 1-9 to 2-5.
In the second half Broderick made it 1-10 with a free in after a jersey tug off Carey. Olafs hit a brace to level matters and then Carey and Broderick combined for the latter to puck from play and a one point lead again. 1-11 to 2-7.
Another brace of Olafs points put them in front but could have had another goal but for a timely Kinsella intervention. Another Broderick free in made a one point deficit 1-12 to 2-10.
15 minutes to go and both sides traded points with Conor Dolan pointing for the home side after Gaule caught O’Regan’s puck out. Another free in converted by Broderick made it level once again 1-1-15 to 2-12. But Olafs hit another score from out near the sideline to lead once again.
Jack McCarron went for the juggler after winning the puck out and his rasping shot just went over the bar and a one point deficit again. Another Olafs point followed as the contest went into the 59th minute.
Daniel ‘Ginger’ McCarthy came on, hoping to get a smash and grab goal, but he had to settle for the supplier role to Pa Carey, but his shot just went inches wide.
The final whistle went and while Naomh Olaf have ensured their survival, because of this defeat, St Brendan’s now have a de facto relegation play off against Naomh Fionnbarra on June 24th to keep their hopes of staying in AHL 7 for 2027 alive.
Final score from Longmeadows, St Brendan’s 1-5 Naomh Olaf 2-16.
