Steelstown Brian Ógs 3-14 Trim 2-5
Derry club Steelstown Brian Ógs were a class apart in the All-Intermediate club football final.
In truth, they’ve been a class apart all year. Some context.
Since its inception in 2004, Kerry clubs have won six of this competition’s seventeen renewals so it was a fair statement two weeks ago when, with three Kerry seniors lining out on a highly fancied Na Gaeil team, Steelstown Brian Ógs gave them a five point beating.
We probably should have known then. Trim, too, have danced their way through a spectacular season but on a calm February night in Jones’ Road, on one of the most beautiful nights in the GAA calendar, it quickly became clear that the Meath side hadn’t met anything yet like Steelstown Brian Ógs.
Trim were no match for them here.
Inspired by the brilliant Ben McCarron, the Derry outfit played football so good that, when Eoghan Concannon was farcically sent off in the 38th minute, it didn’t even go close to derailing these men on a mission. Trim got a bounce out of that but it wasn’t long before they were dragged straight back down to earth.
Predictably, it was that man Ben McCarron – a Derry underage star and huge senior prospect – who put the thing to bed if it wasn’t already with a sublimely taken 42nd minute goal. The kick-pass from Shane O’Connor, the brilliant hand-pass from Cahir McMonagle and then the finish from McCarron, it was Steelstown at their best.
Cluiche Ceannais Idirmheánach Peile na hÉireann 🏆
Buaicphointí ón gcluiche!!
Cúl iontach ó Ben McCarron do @BrianOgs!! Críoch dochreidte!! 🤩👀
@GAA_BEO @officialgaa
#GAABeo | #TheToughestBEO/LIVE YouTube Spórt TG4 pic.twitter.com/8zQO4F2Ija
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 6, 2022
Coming just two minutes after Cahir McMonagle had split the other top corner, that was the end of this game and it set Steelstown up for a canter up the run-in. Trim, to their credit, never gave up but this was all about Steelstown and their daring, expansive football, their passages of play that carved their opponents wide open.
Afterwards, their inspirational captain Neil Forrester had Croke Park hanging on his every word in a passionate victory speech. The club is named after Brian Óg McKeever – a young man who lost his battle with leukaemia in 2008 – and as Forrester himself said, “tonight, everyone will know his name and our club’s name.”
"Brian Óg McKeever is the true captain of this club. It should be him climbing these steps.
"We named our club after him even though he was only 17.
"Tonight everyone will know his name and our club's name"@BrianOgs captain Neil Forrester paid tribute to a fallen soldier. pic.twitter.com/QVMKLJUXdV
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) February 6, 2022
