The Glen deserve to be All-Ireland club favorites, but St Brigid’s are not without a chance – Irish Times

AIB All-Ireland Club SFC Final,

St Bridgets (Roscommon) v Glen (Derry);

Croke Park, Sunday, 3.30pm;

Live streaming on TG4

From the moment Glenn first emerged from Derry under the direction of Malachy O’Rourke, there was a sense of doom surrounding his journey. Two seasons ago they narrowly lost to eventual All-Ireland winners Kilcoo, and last season they lost to Kilmacud in the All-Ireland final.

Glenn has avenged those defeats over the years and shows up this weekend in a stormy Croke Park most promising to complete the mission.

Of course, the fact that the last two titles have been won by last year’s eliminated finalists means there is perceived momentum behind the Ulster champions, but there is no real consolation in that.

The enemy, St. Bridget’s Church, comes like an intruder into this apparent process of formation.

One of Roscommon’s various contenders, they seized the chance to win their 18th Championship and restart the thread of dominance that has allowed the club to claim half of this century’s county titles. . But it’s fair to say they didn’t raise any alarms until All-Ireland experts Corofin were defeated in the Connacht final.

This unexpected victory, almost an ambush, was well thought out and confidently executed. It is easy to see how St. Brigid is an outsider, but it is clear that in the eyes of many they are hopeless.

Glenn faced difficulties along the way, but none were fatal. The semi-final in the fog of Newry was a test of everyone’s resolve. In the first three quarters the Derry club were comfortably outmatched by Kilmacud, but somehow watched as the initiative evaporated and the champions fought back.

All’s well that ends well, and relief from last season’s controversial loss was assured.

This lack of attention will encourage Jerome Stack and St Bridget’s, but they have had to deal with similar inconsistency in their last two games, and after a strong start, the final They stalled in the third quarter before regaining control.

Their foot-passing was accurate and effective, with Ben O’Carroll playing very well at the sharp end of the attack. But Glen dealt with Kilmacud very well before Ryan Dougan, who had performed well against Paul Mannion, went off injured.

O’Rourke’s recent comments about the fitness of Dogan and Jack Doherty were a bit hopeful, but must assume they play. The Ulster champions were very capable in defence, with Michael Warnock performing well against Shane Walsh and winning the man of the match award.

Ciaran McFaul has been a significant addition since last year and also brings a lively counter-attack from the back.

Connor Glass is a star in center field and Glenn is expected to have the upper hand in that area, but St Bridget’s facilities aren’t bad either. Shane Cunnan is regarded as the best minor player among his Roscommon colleagues, and Eddie Nolan is unlikely to be as reluctant as Kilmacud was initially.

Brian Stack has had a great season with St Brigid’s and Roscommon, which he will captain this year, and as Corofin discovered, the defense around him is sharp and relentless.

As it turns out, Glenn has been through this before and has never forgotten the award.

verdict: Wattie Graham’s Glen

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