Captain"s last gasp point steers Brownstown to victory

Cyril Dugdale fired home a crucial goal, ultimately proved the difference as Brownstown regained the senior status with the narrowest of victories over a game St. Brigids side in the Meadow Hall Westmeath Intermediate Hurling Championship final, played at sunkissed Cusack Park, Mullingar on Saturday afternoon last.In a game which could not be regarded as a hurling classic, both sides were full of endeavour and that drive and passion for victory ensured the issue was in doubt up until the final minute.Indeed, St. Brigids could feel a little aggrieved at the nature of the winning score as they were awarded a virtually unmissable free in the sixth minute of additional time after a foul on a St. Brigids defender had gone unpunished.In nerve tingling circumstances up stepped Johnny McGuinness and the captain"s unfailing accuracy drove the ball between the uprights and the victory had been secured. Moments later, referee Feichin Brennan sounded the final whistle and as a dejected St. Brigids squad accepted their lot it was the joyful Brownstown supporters who swept across the hallowed turf of Cusack Park to hail their heroes.Despite the torrential rain which had fallen over the previous 36 hours, conditions at Headquarters were nigh perfect on Saturday afternoon. Late changes were forced upon both sets of team mentors with Conor Slator replacing Derek McNamee on the Brownstown side, with Robbie Kenny taking up the full forward berth vacated by Paul Brady on the St. Brigid"s team.Less than a minute into the game Maurice Quinn was fouled and Johnny McGuinness got off the mark by converting the 44-metre free to push Brownstown in front. St. Brigid"s replied within sixty seconds when Brian Slevin was fouled and Dermot Faulkner converted the right wing free from 35 metres. St. Brigids didn"t have to wait long to take the lead. Michael Geraghty controlled Philip Sheridan"s delivery and raced away from Niall Craig to point from 30 metres.At this early stage St. Brigid"s looked very hungry and were applying tremendous pressure on the Brownstown defence.Indeed for the amount of possession they had the Dalystown side should have been further ahead, but with limited opportunities Brownstown drew level.Johnny McGuinness scored two points from frees inside the space of five minutes, the first from a 63-metre free and the second a superb effort from inside his own half, after Eanna Gallagher was adjudged to have held onto the sliothar too long.On the quarter hour mark, good approach play by Kevin Connell and Philip Sheridan resulted in Michael Geraghty catching Sean Bagnall"s weak shot, before Geraghty turned and sent his own effort between the uprights.Once again the sides were level, but Brownstown took the lead for the third time in the 18th minute. Robert Dugdale had a great chance of a goal but his shot was smothered by the spectacular dive of Damien Loran. When the ball was cleared, a left wing sideline puck in favour of Brownstown resulted and Seamus McNamee delighted the Brownstown supporters with a sublime sideline cut which sailed between the uprights.St. Brigid"s refused to lie down and replied within two minutes when Dermot Faulkner converted a 30-metre free after Kevin Connell was fouled.Tied at 0-4 each it was Brownstown who took control as half time approached. In a game where scores were always tight, St. Brigid"s keeper Kevin Loughrey had the misfortune to mishit a routine free-out and in the scramble, which followed full back Damien Loran fouled Dermot Faulkner, allowing Johnny McGuinness the simple task of pointing from 25 metres out.Conor Slator then collected a loose ball and from just inside his own half sent over a wonderful point, edging Brownstown two points in front.St. Brigid"s would have been quite pleased to go in at the break just two points in arrears, but suddenly Brownstown struck for a further 1-1. With no apparent danger, a long delivery by Maurice Quinn fell behind a hesitant Brigid"s defence and Cyril Dugdale nipped in to slip the sliothar along the ground and by Kevin Loughrey to the net. Johnny McGuinness added another fine point from 60 metres to leave Brownstown ahead by 1-7 to 0-4 after a very competitive first half.Early responseThe Dalystown boys really needed to hit the ground running in the second half and that they did when Dermot Faulkner converted two frees inside two minutes and when a Darren Quinn free was only half cleared by the Brownstown defence, Faulkner raised another minor and the deficit had been halved. And things should have taken a really bad for the boys in Blue when Maurice Quinn received a red card for an indiscretion seven minutes into the half. After Johnny McGuinness had converted a free, parity in playing numbers was restored when Damien Loran was red carded.McGuinness and Faulkner exchanged points midway through the half but the Brownstown captain was disappointed to miss a couple of other chances entering the final quarter. Dermot Faulkner brought the sides closer from another placed ball and with nine minutes remaining it was all to play for.And as games of this magnitude tend to produce, the final moments had both sets of spectators perched on the edges of their seats. Michael Geraghty made inroads on the Archerstown men"s citadel before slottting over. Brownstown substitute Gavin Mulvey looked to have the game at his mercy when he kicked the ball goalwards only for a St. Brigids defender to turn it around the post for a fruitless "65.Five minutes of stoppage time was the call and in the first of these, Sean Bagnall latched onto a Darren Quinn pass to fire over. Just a point separated the sides. And within sixty seconds, the Saints were level. It was that man Faulkner again from a placed ball who forced the issue and it appeared a draw would be the outcome.Undaunted Brownstown surged forward one last time. There appeared to be a foul on St. Brigids wing back, Brian Slevin which went unpunished and in the follow-up, Robert Rice was felled by a flailing caman and the Blues had a gilt edged opportunity. Up stepped their inspiring captain, Johnny McGuinnes and, cool as a cucumber, he drilled the ball straight and true between the uprights to propel Brownstown to the ultimate success. The sounding of the long whistle unleashed scenes of joy as the hordes of Brownstown supporters celebrated the club"s return to the senior flight.Scorers: Brownstown - J. McGuinness 0-8, C. Dugdale 1-0, S. McNamee and C. Slator 0-1 each. St. Brigids - D. Faulkner 0-7, M. Geraghty 0-3, S. Bagnall 0-2.Brownstown: Stephen Reilly; Niall Craig, Maurice Gavigan, Jimmy McQuaid; Johnny Fitzpatrick, Philip Gilsenan, Gary Gilsenan; Kenny Higgins, Johnny McGuinness; Robert Dugdale, Seamus McNamee, Dara Brady; Cyril Dugdale, Maurice Quinn, Conor Slator. Subs. Gavin Mulvey for R. Dugdale, Robert Rice for C. Dugdale, Derek McNamee for K. Higgins, Ollie Henry for R. Rice.St. Brigids: Kevin Loughrey; TJ Gonoud, Damien Loran, John Peppard; Brian Slevin, Kevin Connell, Darren Quinn; Bernard Kiernan, Philip Sheridan; Sean Bagnall, Larry Poynton, Dermot Faulkner; Eanna Gallagher, Robbie Kenny, Michael Geraghty. Subs. Seamus Faulkner for E. Gallagher, Thomas Geraghty for R. Kenny, James Keegan for L. Poynton, Declan Judge for S. Faulkner.Referee: Feichin Brennan, Crookedwood.