Belfry Sponsored
Sligo SFC semi-final:
St. Mary’s 2-15 St.
John’s 1-5
Disappointment for
St. John’s as Mark Breheny fires St. Mary’s into final
St.John’s season has finally ended at the semi-final stage following
defeat to great rivals St. Mary’s in Markievicz Park writes Michael McGee.
The Carraroe side had to make a change right before
the start with influential defender Mark Rooney forced off with a calf injury.
The old adage; forwards wins
games and St. Mary’s had the dangerous attacking force of Mark Breheny, Stephen Coen, Colm Egan who were more potent in
attack while St. John’s were relying heavily on the overworked Charlie Harrison
for scores.
Rooney was replaced by Ronan McGarrigle in
full back line. St. Mary’s also made a change from the starting line with
Johnny Martyn making a surprise and welcome return to the St. Mary’s half back
line at the expense of Stephen Keenan.
Cian Breheny got St. Mary’s on the scoreboard within the first minute
pointing from 25 meters out. St. Mary’s
doubled their lead on 2 minutes after Mark Breheny sold a dummy and laid off
the pass to Stephen Coen who slotted over. Breheny provider turned poacher then
opened his account with a left footed pointed free on the right wing 21 meters
out from goal on 7 minutes. Breheny would finish with a personal tally of 1-8
to his credit and was a constant thorn for the St. John’s rearguard. St. Mary’s
tactic of crowding midfield worked as it didn’t give St. John’s midfielder
Shane Stenson much opportunity of high fielding. Breheny punished any mistakes
with St. John’ s forced to foul the lively St. Mary’s forwards most notably Mark McGoldrick &
Stephen Coen. Almost at the same spot Breheny again pointed on the right wing
to put St.Mary’s 4 points up after 14 minutes. St. John’s Manager Anthony Brennan rung the first of his 5
substitutions with Conor Greene replacing Feidhlim Murphy who had earlier been
booked. Further scores from Colm Egan,
Mark Breheny (2), & Johnny Martyn put St. Mary’s almost out of sight. It
took St. John’s all off 29 minutes to open their account with James Murphy pointing
who had just been introduced a minute earlier.
St. Mary’s dominated the first half and were full value for their 0-8 to
0-1 half time lead .
St. John’s brought on Philip
Greene in goals for Noel O’Donnell at half time. Within a minute of the resumption Fiachra
Greenan reacted quickest after the ball came off the crossbar and Grennan
turned quickly to slot over. Two minutes
later Stephen Coen pointed for St. Mary’s and it got even better for Tommy
Breheny’s side after Brian Smith’s defence splitting pass to the unmarked Mark Breheny and he made no mistake from 14 metres out. St. Mary’s went into a big
1-9 0-2 lead after 36 minutes. Another
Breheny point soon after forced St. John’s into another substitution and in
came Mark Rooney for Ian Rossitor . Time and time again promising moves by St.
John’s were either broken down or cut out by a well disciplined St. Mary’s back
line while on other occasions St. John’s forwards ran into a cul de sac and
caught out in possession. With play
opening up the full of running Breheny was given the freedom of the park and he
utilised it fully. He was again on hand to put St. Mary’s further ahead by 1-11
to 0-3 after 43 minutes. St. John’s Shane Stenson finally broke free from the
St. Mary’s stranglehold at midfield to lay off the pass to his midfield colleague
Oisin Cox who pointed. Dermot O’Connor
kept St. Mary’s well out on front with his first point. Mark Breheny landed over another free over the
bar from 23 metres out . The game was
quickly drifting away from St. John’ s and when the Carraroe men needed a bit
of inspiration up stepped Charlie Harrison who crashed an unstoppable shot to
the roof of the net past Mark Rooney in the St. Mary’s goal with 7 minutes
remaining. St. Mary’s introduced the towering Niall McManus for Christopher
Kelly while St. John’s were forced to bring on a sub after Brian Harris was
black carded and in came David Burke. Johnny Davey & Oisin Cox traded
scores before Brian Smith found himself totally unmarked close to the St. John’s
and shot pass the diving Philip Greene in the St. John’s to seal St. Mary’s safe
passage into this year’s final. Best for
a St. John’s side that failed to reach
the heights of their quarter final win over Coolera/Strandhill were Charlie
Harrison, James Murphy, Oisin Cox and Tommy Kelly while the St.Mary’s had Mark Breheny, Stephn
Coen, Colm Egan, Brian Smith and the “3 J’s in the half back line” of Johnny Martyn, Johnny Davey & Jonathan
Lynch all snuffing out a St. John’s forward line that failed to ignite.
Scorers St. John’s: Charlie
Harrison 1-0, Oisin Cox 0-2,Fiachra Grennan 0-1, James Murphy 0-1, Mark Rooney
0-1.
St. Mary’s: Mark Breheny 1-8,
Brian Smith 1-0 Stephen Coen 0-2, Colm
Egan 0-1, Dermot O’Connor 0-1, Johnny Martyn 0-1 Cian Breheny 0-1, Johnny Davey 0-1.
St. John’s:
Noel O’Donnell, Aaron Clerkin,
Ronan McGarrigle, Eoin Flanagan, Feidhlim Murphy, Niall Walsh, Paul McNamara,
Oisin Cox, Shane Stenson, Charlie Harrison, Philip Greene, Tommy Kelly, Ian
Rossitor, Killian Sweeney, Fiachra Grennan;
Subs: Conor Greene for
Murphy 19 mins, James Murphy for Greene
28 mins, Philip Greene for O’Donnell
Half time, Brian Harris for Greene 33
mins Mark Rooney for Rossitor 38 mins. David
Burke for Harris (black card) 54 mins
St.Mary’s :
Mark Rooney, Kevin Coen, Ben
McGarry, Caolan O’Grady, Johnny Martyn, Johnny Davey, Jonathon Lynch, Dermot O’Connor,
Brian Smith, Colm Egan, Mark Breheny, Cian Breheny, Christopher Kelly, Stephen
Coen, Mark McGoldrick.
Subs used: Dylan Kilgallon for
Cian Breheny 50 mins, Stephen Keenan for Martyn 55 mins,
David Martyn for Lynch 57 mins
