An Ghaeltacht 1-9 St Bridid's 2-3The wide-open spaces of Semple Stadium, theoretically a playground for St Brigid's pace and mobility, instead proved arid as a desert. Like many a fancied side from the capital before them, the Dublin champions fell prey to a smart and committed challenge from Kerry.
An Ghaeltacht kept their composure in the face of early pressure and established enough momentum to carry them to a deserved place in next month's AIB All-Ireland club final.
It was a matter of relief, as well as celebration, for player-manager Fergal Ó Sé who was suspended for yesterday's semi-final. "The excitement on the line made up for it," he said afterwards.
"It's a dream in Kerry to play an All-Ireland in Croke Park for a Kerry team but you never think that it will happen to your club. It was down to who wanted it most. When we were five points down, we didn't give up. We'd prepared for that, talked about it: 'what do we do if we go down?' Everyone worked for each other.
"The first 15 minutes," said Brigid's joint manager Paddy Clarke in wistful contemplation. "They had the experience of All-Ireland finals and winning them and we didn't. It showed in the way we didn't take the early chances but you can't give players that. You can't give fellas a drink of experience."
The Dublin side had expected their opponents to play an extra defender and planned accordingly but it never happened. But Clarke's analysis was painfully accurate. In the opening minutes Brigid's used their pace and the abundant space to cut holes in An Ghaeltacht's defence. In only the second minute Declan Lally, easily the best of the Dublin side, took advantage of a mistake by Darragh Ó Sé and soloed through the gaping centre.
His shot was well saved by Pat Ó hÉalaithe and Declan Darcy couldn't get to the rebound.
With An Ghaeltacht struggling to get into the pace of the match, Aodán Mac Gearailt, in obvious difficulty with a leg injury, and Jason Ward competing well with Darragh Ó Sé at centrefield, Brigid's looked likely winners at that early stage. Their ability to switch the focus of their attacks and the danger posed by Lally's pace gave them what would turn out to be a misleading air of menace.
The first goal in the 28th minute showcased these virtues. Corner back Keith Keane broke and passed to Declan Darcy whose precise ball from the right wing picked out Kevin Bonar for whom a straightforward point was available. Instead he turned Daithí Mac Gearailt and rapped a shot in off the post.
If one statistic proves the collapse of the Leinster champions' challenge, it is that in the remaining 35 minutes of the match they managed just one further score. In fact only one of their players - the otherwise disappointing Raymond Gallagher - scored a point from play.
When An Ghaeltacht trailed by 0-1 to 1-3 the way back looked forbiddingly steep. But they took the first couple of steps before the interval with two points from Conall Ó Cruadhlaoich.
Clarke made the point that An Ghaeltacht's top names all performed as the match wore on. The three Ó Sé's all stepped forward. Darragh drifted back and won an increased share of possession, Marc acquitted himself calmly and effectively at full back, typically in a 44th minute interception when a goal chance beckoned for John Noonan, whereas Tomás drove the recovery operation having switched to wing back.
Dara Ó Cinnéide put some first-half inaccuracy behind him to deliver three valuable points. The only point at which the Kerry champions looked in trouble during the second half was in the 41st minute. Raymond Gallagher over compensated for the wind and hit a scoreable free off the post. The following passage of play saw Lally burning Brendan Breathnach down the right wing, cutting in and placing a great shot into the far side of the net.
An Ghaeltacht's response decided the match. Within a minute Tomás Ó Conchúir had dropped a ball into the square and for once the otherwise dependable Brigid's full-back line didn't hold the ball and Roibeárd Mac Gearailt cracked home the goal. Shortly afterwards Ó Cinnéide tied the match.
The last quarter belonged to the Kerry champions. Points from Paul Ó Cuinn and Ó Cinnéide pushed them clear and a sweeping inter-change between Tomás Ó Sé and Roibeárd MacGearailt saw Ó Sé strike the final score of the game from all of 50 metres.
AN GHAELTACHT: P Ó hÉalaithe; S Mac Síthigh, M Ó Sé, D Mac Gearailt; R Ó Flaharta, T Ó Sé (0-1), B Breathnach (0-1); D Ó Sé (0-1), P Ó Cuinn (0-1); C Ó Dubhda, R Mac Gearailt (1-0), T Ó Conchúir; C Ó Cruadhlaoich (0-2), A Mac Gearailt, D Ó Cinnéide (0-3, two frees). Subs: C Mac Gearailt for A MacGearailt (51 mins); M Mac Gearailt for Ó Cruadhlaoich (58 mins).
ST BRIGID'S: P Keane; K Keane, D Cahill, M Cahill; G Norton, P Andrews, B Cahill; K Darcy, J Ward; M Galvin, Rory Gallagher, D Lally (1-0); K Bonar (1-0), Raymond Gallagher (0-3, two frees), D Darcy. Subs: J Noonan for Galvin, W Finnegan for D Darcy (39 mins); S Quinn for K Darcy (50 mins), C McGlynn for Bonar (56 mins).
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).
