St Judes 2-6
St Oliver Plunketts ER 1-9
Kevin O’Brien reports from Parnell Park
A STOPPAGE-TIME free from Bernard Brogan handed St Oliver Plunketts ER a draw in their Dublin SFC Group 3 opener against 2018 finalists St Judes tonight.
St Judes fell to Kilmacud Crokes by five points in last year’s decider and faced an altogether different challenge in their first game of this campaign against an extremely defensive Oliver Plunketts side.
The underdogs, who last reached the county final in 2014, set-up with a double-sweeper system, employing James Brogan and Conor Gurn as extra protection in front of their full-back line.
It kept Oliver Plunketts in the game – as St Judes struggled to break down the blanket, particularly early on when they had to wait until the 14th minute for their first score.
Their set-up wasn’t surprising given St Judes had attackers of the calibre of Kevin McManamon and Niall Coakley in their full-forward line.
Dublin forward McManamon failed to score which was understandable given the heavy traffic around him, while his county team-mate Brogan kicked 1-5, including five frees, from eight shots at the far end to hand his side a share of the spoils.
Both of the St Judes goals came from well-worked hand-passing moves that ended up with Ronan Joyce finishing into the net.
Brogan mainly played around the half-forward line for Oliver Plunketts, although in the short period of time he spent inside he bagged an impressive goal after winning a high delivery.
It was the 35-year-old who did most of the damage in the opening half. From early on it was clear Brogan was striking the ball well, posting a pair of early pointed frees.
Plunketts really frustrated St Judes in the opening quarter and it took the favourites almost 14 minutes to open the scoring, which they did through former Cork panellist Coakley.
They put together a patient move that led to Joyce’s 21st minute goal, drawing St Judes level at 1-2 to 0-5. But the next time Oliver Plunketts worked the ball down the field, Brogan had it in the net.
He found himself isolated in a one-on-one situation with Chris Guckian on the edge of the square and was duly picked out by Craig Dunleavy. Brogan fetched the delivery and dispatched it past Paul Copeland.
Guckian stayed down from the fall after contesting the ball with the six-time All-Ireland winner and, after a lengthy spell receiving treatment, was stretchered off the field.
Brogan’s fourth free left Oliver Plunketts 1-6 to 1-4 ahead at the interval, but they would fail to score for 17 minutes after the break until Niall Walsh’s fine point.
By that stage Joyce had bagged his second goal, while efforts from Diarmuid McLoughlin and a Coakley free left them 2-6 to 1-8 ahead entering the final five minutes.
Simon King saw a golden goal chance for St Judes well-saved by Paudie Brennan in the 59th minute and entering stoppage-time Brogan levelled the game from a free.
Scorers for St Judes: Ronan Joyce 2-0, Niall Coakley 0-3 (0-2f), Diarmuid McLoughlin 0-2 and Tom Lahiff 0-1.
Scorers for St Oliver Plunketts: Bernard Brogan 1-5 (0-5f), Sean Bugler 0-2, Niall Walsh 0-1 and Adam Keating 0-1.
St Judes
1. Paul Copeland
4. Paul Cunningham
3. Jack Maguire
2. Oisin Manning
6. Chris Guckian
5. Tom Lahiff
7. Alex Hassett
8. Kieran Doherty
9. Mark Sweeney
10. Tom Devlin
11. Diarmuid McLoughlin
29. Ronan Joyce
14. Kevin McManamon
13. Niall Coakley
15. Padraic Clarke
Subs
24. Cillian Hayes for Guckian (27)
28. Rochard English for Devlin (50)
30. Simon King for Clarke (50)
18. Andy Sweeney for Hassett (57)
St Oliver Plunketts ER
16. Paudie Brennan
14. Gerard McCormack
21. Patrick Curtin
4. Rory O’Connor
2. James Brogan
10. Conor Gurn
6. David Kelly
25. Colm Murphy
15. Niall Walsh
8. Sean Bugler
9. Craig Dunleavy
30. Bernard Brogan
23. Daragh Brogan
13. Irinel Popa
29. Ross McConnell
Subs
24. Stephen Clifford for Daragh Brogan (14)
12. Shane Dunne for Gurn (48)
27. Conor Bresnan for Popa (22)
28. Leigh Herron for Walsh (53)
22. Shane Darcy for McConnell (60)
Referee: Dan Stynes
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In tonight’s other Dublin SFC tie, Castleknock defeated Ballinteer St John’s by 1-18 to 1-11 to begin Group 4 with a victory.
Limerick forward Seamus O’Carroll bagged the goal for Castleknock, who have All-Star Ciaran Kilkenny in their ranks. The 2016 finalists trailed by 1-6 to 0-8 at the interval, but O’Carroll’s green flag helped them to a seven-point win.
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