AFL 1: Game of the week - Ballymun Kickhams v St. Brigids

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: 1-20

ST BRIGID’S: 3-12

A 57th-minute goal from Paddy Small was decisive at TCD Santry Avenue on Wednesday night, when Ballymun Kickhams narrowly saw off the challenge of St Brigid’s in a tightly-contested Adult Football League Division One encounter.

Quickfire three-pointers by Kevin Callaghan and Daire Plunkett had placed Brigid’s in the ascendancy during the second-half, but courtesy of Small’s late intervention, it was Ballymun who ultimately secured their fourth win of the league campaign.

This was a well-timed meeting between the two teams, as they were drawn against each other in the Dublin Senior Football Championship quarter-final the previous evening.

Although both sides were short of their inter-county stars, it nevertheless added extra spice to this game, which was played on Trinity College’s northside sports complex. After a couple of early misses, Ted Furman settled Ballymun with a successful ninth-minute free, and he added a brace of scores to give the hosts a three-point cushion heading towards the first-quarter mark.

Brigid’s eventually responded with a well-worked effort by Monaghan native Darren Freeman, but with Jason Whelan and Paddy Small finding the target from subsequent attacks, Ballymun were threatening to create serious daylight over their opponents.

Indeed, despite conceding a point to Alan Daly, Ballymun increased their lead with additional contributions from Furman (free) and Liam O’Donovan. Brigid’s kept in touch through Freeman and ex-Dublin hurler Plunkett, and even though O’Donovan, Small and Whelan split the posts at the opposite end, the Blanchardstown men registered the opening goal of the game on the half-hour.

An incisive attacking move ended with Ryan palming to the net from close-range, but with six minutes of stoppage-time to follow, Ballymun sensed there would be opportunities for them to reply to this set-back.

Dillon Keating and Small were part of the same minor team in Ballymun, and their back-to-back scores ensured that their side brought a 0-12 to 1-4 lead into the break. Brigid’s had come into this game hoping to record their fourth consecutive win in the competition, but their goalkeeper - Eoin Lysaght - came to their aid with an excellent stop from Ballymun’s Karl Keely just after the restart.

This may have left Brigid’s with too much ground to make up, and Ryan’s 34th-minute point was a much-needed one from their point of view. The reliable Furman would cancel out this strike with his opening point from play, while a 0-2 salvo by Freeman preceded similar efforts by Small and Eoin O’Neill.

Yet, Brigid’s grew in confidence as the half wore on, with the impressive attacking duo of Ryan and Freeman taking the game to their Pairc Ciceam rivals. The introduction of Niall Davey and Kevin Callaghan also provided fresh impetus to their play, and the latter was on hand to shoot beyond the reach of Sean Currie at the end of a sharp counter-attack.

Ballymun’s advantage had now been wiped out, and with just 11 minutes remaining in the contest, a third goal by Plunkett allowed them to hit the front for the very first time. The home team were suddenly in a position where they had to chase the game, but unanswered scores from O’Donovan and Furman were the tonic they required heading into the closing moments.

Ballymun remained behind following swapped frees between Freeman and Furman, but just when Brigid’s looked like they might hold out for another top-flight success, Ballymun produced the score that decided the outcome of the tie.

Small’s low shot from a right-hand angle was too strong for Lysaght, and after a Callaghan point brought the gap back to the bare minimum, Hulton added the final score of a high-scoring affair deep into injury-time.

This result keeps Ballymun in the mix ahead of their away meeting with St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh on Saturday, and St Brigid’s will aim to bounce back against St Jude’s at Tymon North on the same day.

Scorers - Ballymun Kickhams: Ted Furman 0-7 (6f), Paddy Small 1-4 (0-3f), Liam O’Donovan 0-3, Jason Whelan, Colm Hulton 0-2 each, Dillon Keating, Eoin O’Neill 0-1 each. St Brigid’s: Darren Freeman 0-7 (3f), Philip Ryan 1-2, Daire Plunkett, Kevin Callaghan 1-1 each, Alan Daly 0-1.

BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: Sean Currie; Collie Moore, Eoin Dolan, Karl Connolly; Davy Bolger, Alan Hubbard, James Burke; Jason Whelan, Karl Keely; Liam O’Donovan, Colm Hulton, Dillon Keating; Paddy Small, Ted Furman, Eoin O’Neill. Subs: Leon Young for Hubbard (6), Alan George for Hulton (50), Hulton for Whelan (56).

ST BRIGID’S: Eoin Lysaght; Sean Egan, Alan McCarrick, Jack Mullins; Malachy Tighe, Gavin Kane, Alan Daly; Sean Murray, Cian Mullins; Daire Plunkett, Mark Cahill, Cathal Doyle; Philip Ryan, Darren Freeman, Niall O’Dea. Subs: Niall Davey for Murray (41), Kevin Callaghan for Doyle (42), Adam Keating for O’Dea (49), Collie Carr for J Mullins (61).

Referee: David O’Connor (Naomh Mearnog).

By Daire Walsh