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ACCOMMODATING dog-walkers and arranging public consultations and ecological surveys. Admission and car parking issues, fundraising and sponsorship. All those matters were on the mind of St Brigid’s club chairman Eunan Conway pre-match – but one desire was absolutely settled: “A win, that’s the most important thing.” After the shock of conceding a poacher’s goal to St Gall’s teenage corner-forward Padraig O Muirigh Jr inside two minutes that imperative outcome for St Brigid’s was never in doubt. With a deadpan delivery, manager Cathal Murray agreed that he was “slightly” happier than after their opening round loss away against Cargin. The home side at Musgrave Park were level by the eighth minute, thanks to a two-pointer and a point, both from forward-minded defender John Morgan. St Gall’s then briefly suggested that we’d have a close contest, until Brigid’s attacker Ronan McGrady fired in a goal in the 23rd minute. Back after a spell hurling in London, his free-taking was off-target – but his finish to the net, after receiving the ball from a quickly-taken free, was struck with complete confidence. The four-point lead that gave his team was increased to seven by half-time, 1-10 to 1-3, and victory was never in doubt in second half. The aerial ability of Jack Dowling, the Finnegan twins – Joseph and Patrick – and Paul Bradley around centre-field provided plenty of possession, with all of them notching scores too. Boss Murray commented on the gathering up of ‘dirty ball too’, saying: “Paul Bradley popped up with some great catches. As much as you need big men, it’s when it drops - and break balls are key as well. “We had that tenacity and a bit of bite in there to win it and to keep it moving.” Niall Duffy was excellent as well, with three points from play, and St Brigid’s eased to the win they needed. Murray was particularly pleased with the manner of the performance going forward, more of the front foot football he is trying to get the team to play: “It’s no big surprise to me, that. “As I said to the boys, that’s what we do in training, we do that on a Wednesday and a Friday and a Sunday. “That’s the sort of football that we’ve been trying to get them to play… “When you’re trying to maybe change a style of play that the boys are used to playing, I think that was the problem against Corrigan - they were ‘safe’ and we’ve been trying to get them to play on the front foot, kick and drive. “We have the players to do that. That was one of the most disappointing things against Cargin.” St Gall’s manager Terry O’Neill was full of praise for the victors: “St Brigid’s were far superior today all over. Their kick-outs, break ball, their attacking play, their defensive work, they were far superior… “The levels they’ve been playing at the last couple of years compared to where our team has been and where we hope to go…. They’ve been in semi-finals, quarter-finals, whereas we’ve struggled to get to that stage over the last number of years… “They’ve had that experience – and they knew that if they lost the game they were out of the Championship.” As for his own side, apart from their young goalscorer and centre-forward Daniel Quinn, who scored 0-6 (five frees), he acknowledged that it was an off-day overall: “I think the lads know themselves that they’re more incapable of a better performance. We’re just really disappointed with our own.” St Brigid’s are now well-placed to reach the quarter-finals, their final game on September 6 against Moneyglass, who have already been well beaten by both St Gall’s and Cargin. In contrast, the west Belfast men know they probably need to beat the Toomebridge side, who have two wins to their name – and may require an eight-point winning margin to boot. Senior success has been the target for St Brigid’s in recent seasons, but longer-term the aim is to own their own home at Upper Malone. The hope is that work will begin before 2028, which would mark this ambitious club’s 30th anniversary. In the short-term, Conway’s conclusion holds true – a win against Moneyglass is the important thing, as Murray concurred: “We knew it was going to the last game. We’ve taken a wee bit of control ourselves for our own situation. “We knew if we were beaten there that we were gone. At least now we know what’s in front of us.” St Brigid’s: D Heery; P King, J Morgan 0-4 (2p), S Campbell; S Downey 0-1, J Finnegan 0-2, R Boyle; J Dowling 0-1, P Finnegan 0-2; D Quinn 0-1, N Duffy 0-3, P Bradley 0-1f; R McGrady 1-3 (0-1f), J Smith 0-2, JJ Higgins. Substitutes: C McNicholl 0-1 for McGrady (45); R Carleton for Campbell (46); J Toner for Dowling (60). St Gall’s: C Kerr; C Hale, G Mac Adhaimh, A McDonagh; C Ryan, E McCabe, G O’Neill; A Gallagher, M McCrossan; D Wilson, D Quinn 0-6 (0-5f), C Walsh 0-1; B McCaffery 0-1, M Pollock, P O Muirigh Jr 1-1. Substitutes: N Fallon for McCaffery (43); C Burke for Pollock (43); N Burns 0-1 for Wilson (44, inj.); C Murray for O Muirigh Jr (47); J McCaffrey for Mac Adhaimh (52, inj.); Referee: Collie Thompson.