Kilbride pulls the strings for champions St Brigid's

St Brigid's (Roscommon) 2-19 Melvin Gaels (Leitrim) 0-10:SENAN KILBRIDE and veteran Frankie Dolan were the key performers as St Brigid's remain on course for a third successive Connacht SFC title.

The Roscommon champions were on the back foot in an entertaining opening quarter but they responded with a devastating display on their own pitch at Kiltoom to dismiss a Melvin Gaels challenge which faded after a bright opening quarter.

A shock result seemed to be building when Emlyn Mulligan kicked five points to edge the Leitrim champions ahead 0-5 to 0-4 during that period against the strong wind.

They should have been further ahead but Mulligan missed a 12th minute penalty and the champions seized control of the game to hit eight points without reply to lead 0-12 to 0-5 at the interval.

Frankie Dolan hit seven of them, five of them from placed balls, but he had to go off with a groin injury at the break.

But with Senan Kilbride, who kicked two good points in the opening half, superb in attack, the Roscommon champions had a play-maker whose distribution opened up the Melvin Gaels defence and they pulled further in front.

The Leitrim champions needed a good start to the second half but it was St Brigid’s who got it with points from Ian Kilbride, Richard Blaine and Darren Dolan before sub Eddie Egan got through for a goal which made it 1-15 to 0-6 after 40 minutes.

Eoin Sheehy added his fourth point before Senan Kilbride set up Gearóid Cunniffe for their second goal ten minutes from time.

ST BRIGID’S: S Curran; P Domican, D Donnelly, R Stack; D Kelleher (0-1), I Kilbride (0-1), N Grehan; K Mannion, G Aherne; G Cunniffe (1-0), D Dolan (0-1), C McHugh; S Kilbride (0-2), F Dolan (0-7, five frees, one 45), E Sheehy (0-4). Subs: R Blaine (0-1) for McHugh (27 mins), D Sheehy for F Dolan (30 mins), E Egan (1-1) for D Dolan (37 mins), J Murray for Aherne (43 mins), A McInerney (0-1) for Grehan (50 mins).

MELVIN GAELS: G Phelan; S Clancy, F McMorrow, S Ryan; P McGurrin (0-1), P Brennan, D Clancy; S McGurrin (0-1), B Brennan; C Sheridan, E Mulligan (0-8, four frees), C McGowan; J Connolly, J Phelan, P McGowan. Subs: J McGuinness for P McGowan (36 mins), C Regan for C McGowan and M McCarron for J Phelan (both 41 mins) J Bredin for Connolly (43 mins), A Tiffoney for S Ryan (57 mins).

Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo).