Clann na nGael 4-15 St Brigid’s 1-12
Clann na nGael delivered their 21st Roscommon senior football title in emphatic fashion with an outstanding performance against neighbours and defending champions St Brigid’s in the Dr Hyde Park sunshine.
Led by their captain Donie Shine, who contributed 1-7 over the hour, the former county and provincial kingpins blew St Brigid’s out of the water to run out convincing winners.
It was a day of utter frustration for the former All-Ireland club champions who finished with 13 men following the second-half dismissals of Gearoid Cunniffe and Garvan Dolan.
The game exploded into life with two goals inside the first five minutes from Ciarán Lennon and Senan Kilbride. As the high quality fare continued, Kilbride was terrorising the Clann defence and a 28th-minute free from Dolan pushed them 1-8 to 1-7 to the good.
But three points in succession before the break from Cathal Callinan and Shine (a free and a 45) handed his side a two-point lead, an advantage they would build on spectacularly after the break.
After Cunniffe’s dismissal for a high tackle on Jack Connaughton in the 41st minute, Pádraig Kelly did manage to bring St Brigid’s level but that was as good as got it for Frankie Dolan’s side.
Jamie Fahey danced his way along the endline to set up Jonathan Dunning for a goal three minutes later before Callinan gathered the resultant kickout and lobbed goalkeeper Shane Mannion from 35 metres.
There was no stopping Clann after that, and Shine crowned a wonderful individual display in injury time when he emphatically drilled home his side’s fourth goal from the penalty spot.
CLANN NA nGAEL: R O'Reilly; D Pettit, S Flynn, R Gavin; J Connaughton, G Pettit, S Pettit; U Harney (0-1), C Shine (0-1); E Kenny, D Shine (1-7, 1-0 pen, four frees, two 45s), D Connaughton, D McManus, C Lennon (1-3), J Fahy (0-2).
Subs: F Lennon for D Pettit (b/c, 2 mins), C Callinan (1-1) for D Connaughton (27), J Dunning (1-0) for McManus (38), C McManus for Kenny (47), R Naughton for Fahy (56), S Henry for S Flynn (56).
ST BRIGID'S: S Mannion; R Stack, P Domican, D Sheehy; G Cunniffe, N McInerney, I Kilbride; M Daly (0-2), C Murray; E Cunnane, B Stack (0-1), G Dolan (0-2, two frees); P Kelly (0-1), S Kilbride (1-6, four frees), E Sheehy.
Subs: E Nolan for Murray (h/t), D Cunniffe for Cunnane (47 mins), B Derwin for E Sheehy (60).
Referee: Paddy Neilan (St Faithleach's).
