ACFL Division One
St Paul's 0-7
St Brigid's 1-24
At Shaws Road
AN exhibition of terrific attacking football was on display on the Shaws Road on Wednesday evening after St Brigid's made the short journey to record an emphatic victory over hosts St Paul's.
The Biddies entered the tie determined to get their league campaign back on track after consecutive top four finishes in Division One, but defeats at home to St Gall's and Cargin left a lot to be desired so far from the Musgrave Park side.
The away side flew out of the traps early on and a two-pointed free from Reuban Carleton set the tone inside the opening 60 seconds before almost finding the net after retaining possession from the kick-out that followed.
Niall Duffy cut inside and and after a terrific piece of skill had the net at his mercy but Jack McAulfield was in inspired form to deny the St Brigid's forward and keep the score line at just the two.
St Paul's struggled to get any momentum going on Wednesday evening
It was a case of relentless attacking football, and if not for the aforementioned McAulfield the white flag would have been raised inside the opening ten minutes as Jack Dowling, Dara Quinn and JJ Higgins all mustered shots on goal, which the acrobatic St Paul's stopper resembled a man possessed in the net.
Eventually, after the groans from the bench, the Biddies began taking their points rather than try and find the net with Conor King firing over the first score from play.
James Smith and JJ Higgins both cracked efforts over the bar from inside the arc to increase their side's tally to five after just ten minutes, but they would not stop there and the tie would soon be over before it even started.
Scores from Paul Bradley and another terrific point from JJ Higgins saw the scoreboard ticking over in favour of the away side, as St Paul's failed to retain any ball in the middle of the park.
St Paul's did eventually get their first score of the evening midway through the opening half after Shea Burns made amends for his earlier wide. This time a white flag was subsequently raised for the hosts as they hoped to eat into their eight-point deficit.
Unfortunately for St Paul's it was not the kick in the backside they had hoped for, with the travellers instantly replying through Higgins before Niall Duffy struck an exquisite score after spinning his defender inside and out before planting the ball between the uprights.
The hosts rounded off the half with a point from Liam McKenna before Lorcan Phillips reduced the deficit to single digits.
But, just as the half started, it ended with the Biddies on top as Jack Dowling and Oran Downey both rounded off the half with a score apiece as St Brigid's entered the changing rooms with a skip in their step, boasting an 11-point lead.
The home side's heads had dropped but the late flurry had given hope they could make a competitive showing in the second half, but unfortunately it was not the case with St Brigid's putting their foot on the throat of their opponents.
Paul Bradley fired over the first score of the half recommencing before Niall Duffy pointed efforts twice in quick succession as the South Belfast men went from strength to strength.
The Biddies would then show their ability from outside the arc with a brace of two-pointed efforts, firstly from Reuben Carleton who drilled an amazing score off the far-left, before Brian McGurk thumped his own effort for an orange flag.
Confidence was clearly in favour of the South Belfast outfit and before long they would find the only goal of the game as the St Paul's shot-stopper would finally become undone.
Niall Duffy's initial effort was tipped onto the inside of the post, but despite McAulfield's best attempts at keeping a clean sheet, the ball rolled into the path of the oncoming JJ Higgins who dispatched into the empty net, to apply the finishing touches on the victory.
Ciaron Rogers-Duffy did clip two late frees between the posts to reduce the heavy deficit, but St Brigid's continued in their pursuit of victory, finding scores from Brian McGurk once again, before substitute Conan McNicholl planted his feet and drilled a score inside the uprights.
Niall Duffy's fifth score of the evening saw the final white flag raised as Kevin Park sounded his whistle on a terrific evening for the Biddies who have enjoyed a return to form on the Shaws Road.
St Paul's will have to lick their wounds as they are now winless in four games and sit just above the relegation threatened sides on score difference.
St Paul's: Jack McAulfield; Cian McCann, Aodhan Kavanagh, Miceal Duffy; Niall McKenna, Conor Hughes, Mark Munce; James Farrell, Cormac Trainor; Patrick Crawford, Conall Duffy, Lorcan Phillips 0-1, Shea Burns 0-1, Liam McKenna 0-1, Ciaron Roger's Duffy 0-3 (0-3f)
Subs: C Duffy, B Burns
St Brigid's: Fergus McCann; Aodhan McNicholl, Conor King 0-2, Joseph McCarney; Brian McGurk 0-3 (1xTP), Peter King, Reuben Carlton 0-4 (2xTP); Paddy Finnegan, Jack Dowling 0-1; Dara Quinn, Oran Downey 0-1 (0-1f), Paul Bradley 0-2; Niall Duffy 0-5, James Smith 0-2, JJ Higgins 1-3
Subs: Conan McNicholl 0-1
Referee: Kevin Parke
