Disappointment for St. John’s as Mark Breheny fires St. Mary’s into final

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