Round 2 of the PTSB Junior 1 Club Championship saw The St Brendan's Men's Football 1st XV, Sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions, take on another team who were beaten in Round 1 two weeks ago, St Mark's in Longmeadows, in a do or die Championship fixture.
Speaking exclusively to the writer going into this morning's contest, David 'Players Please' Beggy told me he had sleepless night thinking of the defeat to Geraldine P Morans two weeks ago and promised to run the f****** b******* of each and every player with a training regime so brutal, it would make Beggy's friend, legendary Meath Hardman Mick Lyons (in his 1987 prime), run off crying for his Mammy!
So, will things pay off today? Well, The Dark Force got off to a promising start. Despite an early wide from Padraig 'Ka Ying Rising' McKenna, The Adventure Man Nicky McCafferty got the opening score from a free in after being tripped when collecting a pass from Neon Leon Broderick.
The Alternative Tallaghfornians took the lead with a two pointer 8 minutes into the contest. But this lead did not last long as The Valley Rover Tadhg O'Brien made it a Desmond with a short range point after a turnover from Scatman John Dorrian.
Washington Sean Whelan won a St Marks's kick out and played a long ball into McKenna to turn on a sixpence but his shot hit the frame of the goal. O'Brian got the rebounded ball and slot it over the bar, 0-3 to 0-2.
Dorrian wins a turnover, then a free in, where he passes to O'Brien to complete his hat trick of points with another short range point, 0-4 to 0-2. The Golden Mullet Conall Morgan won another turnover in midfield and pass to Eoin 'Quinn Roux' Fallon who got pushed in the back, a free in which McCafferty converted, 0-5 to 0-2, the away side then got a single to put the deficit to two points.
After another shot going wide, Sean Whelan pinched the St Marks kick out and passed to O'Brien, who tried to find a way to goal but had to settle to passing to Tom 'Klaebo' Grainger for his first point and St Brendan's sixth, 0-6 to 0-3.
After Morgan hit the side netting, Grainger made it 0-7 with a well taken shot which curled at the last moment. As David Beggy took out some chewing gum, after running out of cigarettes, Sean Whelan brilliantly converted a sideline ball from near the 20 meter line to make it 0-8 to 0-3.
Beggy, Tuffy, Feeney and indeed the entire St Brendan's sideline began shouting at the referee and tell him that St Mark's had a two man breach. Upon spotting it, the referee gave a 20 meter free in as the St Marks player flung the O'Neill's Size 5 into the ground in disgust. O'Brien promptly converted the free in. A fourth St Mark's point followed. Another shot fell short to Eoghan 'The Bridge' Clogher who started the build up which allowed McCafferty to take his shot and over the bar to make the score Acknowledged. 10 4. (if you understand Citizens Band Radio, you'll understand!), which was also the half time score.
In the opening six minutes, both sides traded free in's in which the away side got there's first and McCafferty got St Brendan's free in after a foul on Fallon. Then St Mark's got a second free in which was converted for a single and then reduced the deficit to two points with a two pointer.
Was the pendulum swinging in favour of St Mark's?
Not if you are Kevin 'The Seventy Sixer' Berry who produced a brilliant turnover and pass to Stephen Durkan and onto Fallon who was taken out mid flight when catching the ball. Whelan stepped up, eager to get a two pointer and got it with a fantastic shot outside of the right boot and a four point lead 0-13 to 0-9.
The Mark's forwards were still threatening and had a chance of a score from a sideline ball, but thankfully, Clogher read the flight of the ball well and allowed it to go wide, but in the next play, Mark’s scored a vital point.
Tom 'Klaebo' Grainger then lost possession from a turnover, then won possession back and after great play from The Bombscare Donal Clarke, on as a substitute, passed to Grainger who sensibly fisted the ball and a four point buffer. 0-14 to 0-10.
There was a massive call made in injury time when a foul was committed by Luke 'The Alternative Nuke' Reilly very close to the penalty area, after the referee consulted his umpires, he awarded a free in to St Mark's and Reilly just a yellow card, the free in was converted and a three point lead again.
Four minutes into injury time and Fallon won a crucial turnover and free in and boy didn't he celebrate that free in which was moved up to the 20 meter line. Nicky McCafferty insured the victory by kicking the ball over the bar and a four point buffer again. The referee ended the contest and a crucial victory for St Brendan's. No doubt David Beggy's hard training sessions paid off in the last two weeks, but he still promised more of the same in the next two weeks as his side bid for a place in the PTSB Junior 1 Club Championship Quarter Finals with a fixture against Good Counsel Liffey Gaels.
Final Score from Longmeadows, St Brendan's 0-15 St Mark's 0-11.
