KDM U-21 Division One FC semi-final 

St Brigids 1-10  - Roscommon Gaels 1-13

The era has ended! St. Brigids’ incredible 8-in-a-row will not become eight after the Kiltoom club’s phenomenal domination of the County U-21 Football Championship this decade was ended by Roscommon Gaels on Saturday. 

  The result is a massive further boost for football in the county town and augurs extremely well for the Gaels’ prospects in the coming years. 

  Mark Gilleran’s goal twelve minutes from the final whistle was the decisive score in this very competitive game, played in Kiltoom, and it was a score which gave the Gaels a deserved win. 

  After Brigids went into a 0-3 to 0-2 lead Roscommon Gaels began to assert their authority, with Scott Oates particularly influential. Five quick points as the first half wore on created a 0-7 to 0-4 half-time lead for the Gaels and the all-conquering St. Brigids had a lot of food for thought as they headed for the dressing rooms. 

  A Leon O’Connor point early in the second half closed the gap and then a Darren Dolan goal put St. Brigids back into the lead – and into the driving seat. Surely they would finish the job now? 

  Any such assumption would have been to discount the determination and quality of Roscommon Gaels. The game remained close into the final minutes but the decisive score came when Scott Oates set up Gilleran for the all-important goal. There was almost a late reprieve for the gallant Brigids but Eoin Sheehy’s late free struck the woodwork and the Gaels held on for a famous victory.  

Roscommon Gaels: D. Walsh; K. Maher, P. Feeney, N. Hunt; B. Garvan, J. McManus, R. Gleeson; L. McNeela, D. Kelly; J. O’Gara (0-1), M. Healy, M. Gilleran (1-1); C. Connolly (0-3, 1 free), S. Oates (0-2), O. Hoare (0-5, 4 frees). Subs used: E. Lannon (0-1) for Kelly. 

St. Brigids: D. Moore; P. Furey, P. Blaine, V. Clabby; I. Monaghan, D. Sheehy, J. Murray (0-1); P. Kelly (0-1), D. Dolan (1-0); E. Egan, E. Sheehy (0-5, 3 frees), R. Stack; A. Gleeson (0-1), L. O’Connor (0-2), C. McDonnell. Subs used: J. Cunniffe for McDonnell. 

Referee: O. Kelly.