On the same evening that Jannick Sinner dismantled Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon dream with a ruthless performance writes Willie Hegarty.
The footballers of St. Brigids followed suit as they served up a powerful performance, winning three sets to love in the O’Connor Cup Division One League final against last year's beaten finalist Roscommon Gales.
Anthony Cunningham’s side served notice that they are once again in the hunt for major honours come the summer championship.
2-17 to 1-10 it finished in glorious, glorious sunshine in Kiltom this evening when the water breaks were back one in either half.
The big news before throw-in was as St. Brigid’s new transfer signing, current Roscommon senior team football goalie, Connor Carrol, made his debut and goal. And the number one net miner, well he kept a clean sheet.
St. Brigids began well with Bobby Nugent kicking three early points and they were four points to the good inside the opening six minutes of play. Points by Cian Connelly and Richard Walsh kept Roscommon in touch but St. Brigids always looked the more livelier.
Lively St. Brigids
Both sides lined out with strong sides even though St. Brigids were missing the American bound Ben O'Carroll. At nine points to five Roscommon Gales were at the shirt tails of St. Bridges five minutes before half-time.
That was before county man Brian Stack pounced with a brilliant goal and Brigid’s led 1-11 to five-points at half-time.
41 minutes in and another county man Connor Hand, rubber stamp victory for St. Brigids when he finished a flowing move to the net. St. Bridges were home and hosed at 2-13 to 0-8.
Roscommon Gales will be disappointed only Cian Connolly and Richard Walsh work the scoreboard often enough and Mark Dowd has a lot of work to do before Roscommon Gales play Boyle in the opening round of the Hudson Bay Hotel Senior Football Championship in Abbey Park Boyle in three weeks’ time.
For St. Brigids they're in good fettle. Anthony Cunningham will be really, really happy the back-to-back O’Rourke Cup Division one champions.
However, they will know this time last year, they also beat Roscommon Gaels convincingly in the division one league final but they were beaten in the quarter-final of the championship by Padraig Pearses.
