Inside Track: St Bride’s aiming to prevent Stabannon from going one better this time
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
If you have to lose one to win one, Stabannon Parnells will be celebrating after next Sunday’s Intermediate championship final.
Controversy surrounded Parnells’ defeat by Hunterstown Rovers in last year’s final, just one point dividing the teams at the finish after they had looked certain to collect. An incident along the line late in the game caused much post-match comment.
In the hope of avoiding a second successive defeat, Parnells face St Bride’s at Castlebellingham’s Grove. It’s a final lacking nothing in promise, two evenly-matched sides razor-keen to make it back to senior football.
Bride’s had the most recent spell in the top grade. Their win over Kilkerley Emmets in 2020 was watched by only a handful at Darver, but there were many looking in on telly.
Covid was reaping a rich harvest at the time; and the intermediate final was one of three held over one weekend, Naomh Mairtín winning the senior and Naomh Finbarra, the junior.
Knockbridge followers saw their side win easily, opponents Kilkerley turning in a disappointing performance to be beaten 1-21 to 1-8.
Aaron Hoey was involved that day, and the former Louth player had a part to play in his side taking the Séamus Flood Cup to Páirc Uí Chuinnigh for the first time.
Aaron’s son, Senan, is aiming to make it a family double on Sunday, lining out in the Bride’s forward-line that includes Kieran McArdle and Seán Marry, two who have worn the county senior jersey, the first-named in this year’s memorable campaign.
Bride’s didn’t build on that win when they moved up to senior, unlike Stabannon. Winners of the intermediate just once, Parnells’ 1989 success was the foundation on which the first two of their four senior championship wins were built.
They won the Joe Ward Cup in 1991 and again three years later, and then further on in the decade added two further titles. Supporters who remember those days would like nothing better than to see a return.
Just as Bride’s carry a big attacking threat, Parnells will be looking to midfielders, Seán Reynolds and Colm Giggins, to provide the likes of Harry Butterly and the Shevlin twins, Dylan and Ryan, with scoring opportunities.
And mention of the Shevlins; could this be an omen? When Dundalk Gaels won the intermediate a couple of years ago, they had twins on the first fifteen, Seán and Oisín Murray.
Bride’s had the expected win over Geraldines in the semi-final, while Stabannon weren’t favourites to beat Mattock Rangers but still came through with 0-15 to 1-10 win, thanks mainly to a strong finish.
This is a hard one to call, but having come through a more competitive league section than Parnells and then easily accounting for St Kevin’s in the quarter-finals, before taking care of Geraldines, Bride’s might just have enough going for them to make it a second Flood Cup win in this decade.