All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final: Brigids dethrone champions

February 16, 2013

St Brigid's Frankie Dolan celebrates the winning goal against Crossmaglen Rangers ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
St Brigid's (Roscommon) 2-7
Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) 1-9

A goal from substitute Conor McHugh four minutes from time sent St Brigids through to the All Ireland final on March 17th.

Both sides produced an absorbing game of football but it was Brigids that hung on to win by the narrowest of margins.

Crossmaglen held a 1-5 to 1-3 advantage at the interval.

Veteran Frankie Dolan got St Brigids off to the best possible start when his deflected shot found its way past 'keeper Paul Hearty on four minutes.

Cathal McHugh and Dolan (free) extended their lead to four - 1-2 to 0-1 before Cross' corner back Paul Hughes buried the ball beyond Shane Curran.

Further points from Kyle's Carragher & Brennan and Jamie Clarke put Cross three infront while Brigids were left to rue a couple of easy missed frees.

Brennan, a substitute for the injured Oisin McConville, missed a glorius goal opportunity seconds after the restart.

Kevin McStay's Roscommon oufit regained their lead thanks to a Cathal McHugh point before Dolan pushed them two clear.

In desperate need of a score, without one for nearly 25 minutes, Crossmaglen's David McKenna put one between them.

The Ulster giants showed character of champions as they managed to go ahead 1-8 to 1-7 courtesy of Clarke and Aaron Kernan.

However, their slender lead was short lived when Conor McHugh goaled.

Clarke pointed in extra-time but it was not enough as Crossmaglen's bid for three in a-row fell at the hands of a hungry St Brigids team.

St Brigid's - S Curran; R Stack, P Domican, N Grehan; G Cunniffe, D Donnelly, G Dolan; G Aherne, I Kilbride; D Dolan, K Mannion, Cathal McHugh (0-2); S Kilbride (0-2), F Dolan (1-3), R Blaine. Subs: E Sheehy for G Dolan, D Kelleher for Grehan, Conor McHugh (1-0) for Cathal McHugh, G Dolan for D Dolan.

Crossmaglen Rangers - P Hearty; P Hughes (1-0), P Kernan, P McKeown; A Kernan (0-2), J Morgan, M Aherne; J Hanratty (0-1), D McKenna; D O'Callaghan, S Kernan, T Kernan; J Clarke (0-3), K Carragher (0-2), O McConville. Subs: K Brennan (0-1) for McConville, A Cunningham for P Kernan, M Boyce for O'Callaghan.

Referee - M Deegan.

Most Read Stories