St Brigid's (Roscommon) 2-19
Melvin Gaels (Leitrim) 0-10

Three-in-a-row chasing St. Brigid's recovered from a slow start to hammer Melvin Gaels in the opening round of the AIB Connacht club SFC at Kiltoom yesterday.

The home side's full forward line of Frankie Dolan, Senan Kilbride and Eoin Sheehy notched 0-13 between them to overpower their Kinlough opponents, who had led by 0-5 to 0-4 at the end of the first quarter, despite playing against a strong breeze.

Leitrim star Emlyn Mulligan accounted for all five of the Gaels' opening quarter scores, but was left to rue a missed penalty in the 12th minute as Brigid's found their rhythm in the second quarter with eight unanswered points to take a 0-12 to 0-5 lead into the break. Dolan scored seven of them, five of them from placed balls, before his afternoon was cut short by a groin injury after the break.

Kevin McStay's charges increased their lead on the restart thanks to a brace of points from the hugely influential Kilbride. Further points from Ian Kilbride, Richard Blaine and Darren Dolan, as well as a goal from substitute Eddie Egan, had the Roscommon champions perched on a 1-15 to 0-6 lead after 40 minutes.

It got worse for the visitors when Eoin Sheehy added his fourth point before full forward Kilbride teed up Gearoid Cunniffe for St. Brigid's second major with 10 minutes to go.

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). Tweet

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