Dolan on song as Brigid's take control in final quarter

For the first time since achieving that memorable three in a row of titles from 2005 to 2007, St. Brigid's senior footballers are back in the county final after surviving a searching St. Faithleach's challenge for three quarters of this Roscommon SFC semi-final at Dr. Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon last. When Fiathleach's took the lead for the first time in a high quality encounter within eight minutes of the restart, many in the disappointing crowd of around 500 were anticipating a possible revenge mission for the Ballyleague squad against their county final conquerors of 2006 to 2007. Alas, for them, they failed to raise another flag in this penultimate tie. Brigid's, inspired by an on-fire Frankie Dolan, went on to re-establish their earlier control of proceedings by adding an unanswered 1-5, thereby booking their place in Sunday week's county final by a comfortable seven-point margin in the end. In the final, the opposition will be provided by Elphin, who knocked out reigning champions Castlerea St. Kevin's in the second semi-final. It will surely be a fascinating decider as Noel O'Brien's men strive to re-establish their recent glorious winning era against opponents who were high kings of Roscommon in the fabulous fifties, when they achieved five of their club's ten titles, the last in 1957. Early-comers to beautifully manicured headquarters were treated to an opening nine minutes totally dominated by the Kiltoom/Cam standard-bearers. Seizing the initiative right from the throw-in, Brigid's took charge of proceedings, and with Frankie Dolan giving early indication that he was bang-on-form, Faithleach's were immediately under incessant siege. The long serving number fifteen was first to score when punishing a pick-up by pointing a second minute free. Then, following good work by Karol Mannion and Damien Kellegher, Frankie had his first point from play. A quick free from Darren Dolan found Senan Kilbride who promptly pointed from play, while Kilbride continued this golden spell when punishing a foul on centre-forward Cathal McHugh. Five points up with eight and a half minutes gone, was this semi-final turning into a rout? Not a bit of it, as the red and white colours of St. Faithleach's were about to signal a stunning recovery in the Hyde arena. If St. Brigid's owned the opening stages, Ray Cox's men spent only five minutes in wiping out arrears, while showing the form which took them to the last four of championship 2010. Busy-as-a-bee Darren Hussey, sited at corner forward, began winning impressive ball and getting his colleagues moving. He had a big hand in his side's opening score (on ten minutes) when combining with another emerging star, Stephen Ormsby, to make the opening for Brian Murtagh to point from play. Almost immediately, Hussey placed Henry Kenny for point number two and with the Brigid's normally impregnable defence looking untypically hesitant against the now rampant Ballyleague squad, Padraig Wallace split the uprights with two super efforts within a minute, from his left wing-forward berth. Inter-county stalwart, Stephen Ormsby, cut through from his defensive position, as the first quarter wound down, to make the recovery complete with a perfect equaliser. It must be noted that all the Faithleach's points had come from open play, as former inter-county stalwart Gary Cox helped in no small measure to give his team parity at midfield following earlier supremacy in this sector by the south county team. Not a wide so far in this amazing contest of non-stop action, but following Darragh Hussey missing a 16th minute opportunity, back came Brigid's when Ian Kilbride forced a foul, pointed by Frankie Dolan, to regain the leaf. The revival continued apace with Karol Mannion's ball-winning ability crucial in the build-up to Darren Dolan's well-taken 19th minute point. A foul on Cathal McHugh gave Frankie the opportunity which he gratefully accepted, to lift over his fourth point of the game, and with it a three-point buffer. Yet Faithleach's - who hadn't scored for fourteen minutes since their 5-in-a-row - stormed back as half-time beckoned. Gary Cox and wing-back Adrian Murtagh combined for Senan O'Grady (a late starting replacement for Martin Reynolds) to point from play, while, in injury time, a Brian Murtagh pointed free cut the arrears to a minimum, leaving St. Brigid's ahead by 0-8 to 0-7 at the interval. After a helter-skelter first half of top-class football, it was a less dramatic start to the second moiety as both teams missed chances of scores. David O'Connor, who would enjoy a highly influential last quarter, was introduced at half-time for St. Brigid's. But five minutes in, Padraig Wallace drew a free for Faithleach's, converted by the accurate Brian Murtagh. And the Faithleach's supporters were on song when Brian, this time form play, gave them the lead for the first time in the contest. Brigid's blaze back David O'Connor, however, was now winning breaking ball for Brigid's, and having made the road for Frankie Dolan to point from play, he drew the free for the 'pocket rocket' to edge Brigid's into a lead they would not lose again. Frankie was in tough luck, minutes earlier, when his shot blazed across the Faithleach's goal with goalie Derek Thompson beaten. But when a Brigid's defender fouled the ball at the other end, the resultant free, moved closer in due to retaliation, was amazingly hit wide by Gary Cox. The Faithleach's defence was conceding unnecessary feels in contrast to earlier on and with Brigid's now exerting their known stellar defensive strengths, the tide turned inexorably in their favour. A lovely Frankie Dolan crossfield ball to his brother Darren led to the No 12's second point of the game, while another cheaply conceded free enabled Senan Kilbride to add another point from the spot. The score, however, that effectively put the result here beyond doubt came on sixty minutes and it was from another Frankie Dolan centre, broken by David O'Connor, that Conor McHugh made no mistake to drill home his side's only goal. David in injury time, gave Frankie the pass for the latter's seventh point of the game, and to add to a very successful weekend which saw the club's Intermediate team also reach the county final. The seniors made it a notable double when returning to the decider after a two year absence, and in a unique county final, Brigid's will meet Elphin to decide the destination of the Fahey Cup. ST. BRIGID'S: Philip Martin, Robbie Kelly, Darragh Donnelly, Niall Grehan, Ian Kilbride, Peter Domican, Gearoid Cunniffe, John Tiernan, Karol Mannion, Damien Kellegher, Cathal McHugh, Darren Dolan (0-2), Conor McHugh (1-0), Senan Kilbride (0-4, 3f), Frankie Dolan (0-7, 4f). Subs: David O'Connor for Cathal McHugh (H/T), Garvan Dolan for Kellegher (41), Eoin Sheehy for D Dolan (61). ST. FAITHLEACH'S: Derek Thompson, Kieran Brennan, Gerard Connor, Diarmuid Thompson, Adrian Murtagh, Derek Murray, Stephen Ormsby (0-1), Senan O'Grady (0-1), Gary Cox, Henry Kenny (0-1), Brian Murtagh (0-4, 2f), Padraig Wallace (0-2), Darragh Hussey, Enda Kenny, Alan Brehon. Subs: Clement McCormack for Kenny (22), Aidan Dooney for Wallace (43), Martin Reynolds and Alan McCormack for Brehon and O'Grady (51). REFEREE: Haulie Beirne (Tulsk) who issued five yellow cards, three to St. Faithleach's.