Brogan earns SFC1 draw for Plunkett’s against Jude’s with late free

DUBLIN SFC1 GROUP 3

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT'S/EOGHAN RUADH 1-9 ST JUDE'S 2-6

A Bernard Brogan free in the first minute of injury-time salvaged a draw for St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh in Wednesday night's Dublin SFC1 Group 3 encounter in Parnell Park.

The Dublin senior won the free himself and angled over from 30 metres in the opening clash of a Group that also Raheny and Tomas Davis.

Brogan finished with a tally of 1-5, including five frees, some from long distance or tricky angles.

St Jude's had the opportunity to seal victory in the 59th minute when second half sub Simon King covered good ground to get on the end of a move but his one-on-one effort was well saved by Plunkett's keeper Padraig Brennan.

It made for something of a dramatic conclusion to a game that was otherwise dominated by a 'possession is key' mindset.

The Navan Road men began the better with Brogan converting two frees before Adam Keating drifted up field and was rewarded with a crossfield pass from Ross McConnell to kick his side's third point without reply.

By the 14th minute a fine Seán Bugler point following a fine fetch at centrefield by Craig Dunleavy made it 0-4 to 0-1 for Plunkett's.

Jude's were level in the 22nd minute when Ronan Joyce got in behind the Plunkett's cover to strike for goal after good interplay between Tom Lahiff and Kieran Doherty.

But Plunkett's responded with Brogan muscling in on an aerial delivery from Craig Dunleavy before firing past Paul Copeland with his left foot to make it 1-5 to 1-2.

Before the break Jude's had closed the gap to 1-6 to 1-4 with points from Niall Coakley (free) and Tom Lahiff either side of a Brogan free from 35 metres.

There were no more scores until almost the three-quarter stage when a well-weighted handpass from Paul Cunningham presented Joyce with a goal-scoring opportunity he did not miss.

However, an excellent strike from long range from Niall Walsh had the sides level again with 12 minutes remaining.

Bugler, off his left, edged Plunkett's ahead before they were on equal terms once again following an excellent Diarmuid McLoughlin point for Jude's.

Coakley's second converted free of the night nosed the Tymon North men ahead again and they could have sealed the deal with King's late goal chance.

Then as the game moved into added time Brogan earned his side a share of the spoils with his fifth point of the contest.

SCORERS - St Oliver Plunkett's/ER: B Brogan 1-5 (0-5f), S Bugler 0-2, A Keating, N Walsh 0-1 each. St Jude's: R Joyce 2-1, D McLoughlin, N Coakley (0-2f) 0-2 each, T Lahiff 0-1.

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT'S/EOGHAN RUADH: P Brennan; P Curtin, R O'Connor, G McCormack; D Kelly, A Keating, J Brogan; S Bugler, C Dunleavy; D Brogan, B Brogan, N Walsh; I Popa, R McConnell, C Gurn. Subs: S Clifford for D Brogan (48), C Bresnan for Gurn (48), S Dunne for Popa (48), L Herron for Walsh (53), S Darcy for McConnell (61).

ST JUDE'S: P Copeland; O Manning, J Maguire, P Cunningham; T Lahiff, C Guckian, A Hassett; K Doherty, M Sweeney; T Devlin, D McLoughlin, R Joyce; N Coakley, K McManamon, P Clarke. Subs: C Fitzpatrick for Guckian (29), R English for Clarke (50), S King for Devlin (50), C O'Reilly for Fitzpatrick (55), A Sweeney for Hassett (58).

REF: D Stynes (St Peregrine's).