We have now passed the half way point of the Go Ahead AFL6. Going into this evenings Round 9 fixtures, both Beann Eidair and The Civil Service occupy the top 2 positions with 7 wins out of 7 matches, with seven other teams in contention for the 3rd and final promotion spot. St Brendan’s are one of those 7 vying for 3rd place and the Football 1st XV, sponsored by Dynamic Safety Solutions face another of that group of seven, St Anne’s, away in Bohernabreena. 

But we have two matches to catch up on so here it is: 

In Round 7, On May 6th, St Brendan’s travelled to Somerton Park to face a Castleknock side also in contention for 3rd place, however, St Brendan’s succumbed to a 3-8 to 2-16 loss. Padraig ‘Ka Ying Rising’ McKenna yielded a Desmond (2 goals and 2 Points) and Tom ‘Klaebo’ Grainger scored the other goal. 

It was a much better story on Sunday May 10th, when The Dark Force took on bottom of the table St Monica’s in Round 8. David Beggy urged his side to produce a big performance and surly did with a 3-19 to 0-8 victory. McKenna and Grainger made it green flags in consecutive matches and The Valley Rover Tadhg O’Brien scored the third goal and a two pointer. Delighted with his clean sheet, Eoghan ‘The Bridge’ Clogher, after cooling down, ice bath and shower, he donned his Roscommon jersey (the one with the correct breed of sheep on the crest), got into his car and drove to The Hyde and witnessed his county win The Connacht Final. 

So onto Wednesday evening in Bohernabreena and the home side started brightly by scoring 1-6 without reply by the 18th minute, the 5th point coming after a penalty hit the butt of the post and worked back in. St Anne’s bossed the opening quarter with their fast movements and ball handling was something you would see in a higher division.  

A long evening awaited for The Dark Force.  

Or was it? 

Harry ‘1991’ Beggy won a St Anne’s kick out and after good work from Adam ‘Wishful Thinking’ Lynch, The Adventure Man Nicky McCafferty kicked St Brendan’s opening score of the contest. Washington Sean Whelan won another kick out and this time found The Valley Rover Tadhg O’Brien and struck for point number 2. 

O’Brien made use of the wind by scoring a vital two pointer. Luke ‘The Alternative Nuke’ Reilly won a vital turnover in the backs and won a free out as well. Reilly passed the ball onto Stephen Durkan and finally onto McCafferty and score the point to make it 5 points on the spin.  

And despite a two point attempt go wide, Tadhg O’Brien hit a brilliant goal after McCafferty jumped spectacularly to win the St Anne’s kick out, Kevin ‘The Seventy Sixer’ Berry supplied the final pass to O’Brien for the goal. St Anne’s responded to a fisted point after Eoghan ‘The Bridge’ Clogher ensured he was never going to be beaten for goal for the rest of the contest, with an Emi Martinez style save to deny St Anne’s. 

The first half ended in controversial circumstances. O’Brien had a two pointer attempt parried for a 45. O’Brien took the 45 and the St Anne’s goalkeeper fisted the ball clear but only as far as Nicky McCafferty. However, whilst the ball was in flight, the referee whistled up for half time. Mc Cafferty’s shot went over the bar but the referee said it was now half time and the point was scratched, much to John Tuffy’s annoyance. Half time score St Anne’s 1-8 St Brendan’s 1-5.  

St Brendan’s started the second half in typical St Brendan’s fashion with a point 20 seconds from the throw in, Sean Whelan won the throw in and Tadhg O’Brien with the point, but St Anne’s got their next point soon afterwards, Another O’Brien point followed from a 20 meter free in after a St Anne’s 3 up breach. 

O’Brien then scored his hat trick of points with a point from play following good work from Scatman John Dorrian, Tom ‘Klaebo’ Grainger and Padraig ‘Ka Ying Rising’ McKenna. St Anne’s, now with the wind, used that for their next score, a two pointer. 

But there was a huge blow when Tadhg O’Brien was giving a controversial red card following an off the ball incident which saw a St Anne’s player black carded. 

14 minutes to go and the gap was 4 points, thanks to Nicky McCafferty with a free in after drawing the foul himself. The gap then was cut to 3 points when Scott ‘Too Darn Hot’ O’Rourke, now on as a substitute, scored a point after collecting a McKenna pass who moved this way and that to try and get a goal, but his path was blocked. 

Eoghan Clogher kicked his kick out straight to a St Anne’s player, who went one on one with Clogher, but The Bridge made amends with a brilliant save, before Bryan ‘The Passenger’ Marley stopped the rebounded shot from going in the net, deflecting for a 45, which nothing materialised there. 

St Anne’s went on a scoring spree with five unanswered points, the fourth of which was a 20 meter free following a St Brendan’s three up breach. But the away side kept plugging away to the end and were awarded with two late points from play from McKenna and The Golden Mullet Conall Morgan. 

In the end a huge dent in the chances of getting 3rd place, made all the worse this evening when The Civil Service lost their O to Wanderers. St Brendan’s now travel to Donabate next Saturday to keep any promotion chances alive. 

Final score from Bohernabreena, St Anne’s 1-18 St Brendan’s 1-12.