St Brigid vs Castlehaven Preview
Castlehaven (Cork) takes on St. Brigid’s (Roscommon) in the 2023 AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Club Championship Semi-Final this coming Sunday. They will play on January 7th, at 1:45 pm in FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, County Tipperary, Munster Province.
St Brigid vs Castlehaven Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Castlehaven needed penalties to see off a stubborn Dingle side to book their spot in the All-Ireland Semi-Final. Castlehaven danger man Damien Cahalane bailed out the Cork champions through the fixture and into the semis. He converted the sudden death penalty kick that sealed the victory for a Castlehaven side that hadn’t been at the races. They were unable to lead at any point during the game.
Dingle was likely to win the match in both regulation and in extra time. However, the men of Cork dug deep to take the game to penalties and ultimately complete an unlikely comeback. The win sealed Castlehaven’s fourth provincial Munster championship in its 101-year history.
Castlehaven will play St Brigid’s in the final four of the All-Ireland club senior football championship. The Roscommon side became the kings of Connacht club football for the first time in 11 years. St Brigid flipped the script by beating Corofin at Dr Hyde Park, which was known as a battle to reestablish a new All-Ireland contender.
However, St Brigid’s, buoyed by 3,000 strong Roscommon supporters, defeated Corofin. Thanks to the pivotal efforts of St Brigid’s star full-back Brian Stack, the Roscommon side saw off the Galway side with a well-deserved 5-point victory. Stack put Corofin talisman Gary Sice in his pocket and neutralised his offensive capabilities while scoring a point. He then assisted Ciaran Sugrue in putting the game away. Stack put a proper shift in and a sublime display on both ends of the pitch for the win.
St Brigid vs Castlehaven Predictions
Roscommon and Connacht champions St Brigid’s are relishing returning to the All-Ireland Finals after an 11-year absence. Castlehaven will hope to build on their gritty victory after outlasting Dingle in the Munster final. They will attempt to spring an upset in the semis against their counterparts from Cork.
Castlehaven boss James McCarthy is banking on the side’s fairytale season to continue. He believes the team’s run could be a once-in-a-lifetime proposition for many of his squad members. The Haven has waited a decade to get to where they are now after winning the Munster provincial series for only the fourth time in its 101-year history. There are only a handful of holdovers from their 2012 and 2013 squads. Haven captain Mark Collins and goal threats Damien Cahalane, Michael Hurley, and Brian Hurley will be raring to go. This could be their last chance saloon for GAA football glory.
McCarthy’s Castlehaven side demonstrated a propensity for adapting to their opposition and the weather conditions. In recent wins against Cratloe and Nemo, Haven parked the bus behind the ball in tight, closely contested affairs. The Munster final with Dingle showed that Castlehaven can buckle down with the best of them. Meanwhile, in their succeeding games against Rathgormack and the Barrs, Haven played a more fluid, free-flowing style of football when the situation allowed.
On the other hand, Jerome Stack’s Brigid side has consistently shown attacking prowess on their way to the semi-final. Whether coming back from losing positions or steamrolling the opposition, St Brigid’s offensive talent has seen them through to the final four. This semi-final promises to be a fascinating encounter between two teams that can put on a thrilling, high-scoring affair.
St Brigid vs Castlehaven Betting Tips
St Brigid’s enters the semi-final match as the favourite. The winner of this tie will take on Kilmacud Crokes or Glen in the All-Ireland Final. We predict the men of Cork should be able to negotiate this potentially tricky hurdle against a scruffy Castlehaven side. Looking at this match, Brigid’s is a 4/6 favourite to win, while punters backing a Haven upset face odds of 13/8. Bookmakers believe a draw at the end of regulation time is less likely, with even longer odds of 13/2. Punters holding out for better odds may find luck with live in-play betting. Novibet offers a substantial welcome bonus for chancers who wish to try their hand at the online sportsbooks.
In their last three championship outings, Kiltoom and St Brigid’s lined up against teams who changed tactics to offset the side’s proven quality. While Castlehaven has been successful in adapting to most sides, they will be hard-pressed to match the attacking quality of St Brigid’s. However, St Brigid’s needs to be wary that Haven can opt to put bodies behind the ball and park the bus as they did in their last game. Both sides will need to prepare for what could be a slog on a cold, rainy afternoon in Thurles.
Football in January, especially at the critical stages of the semi-finals, tends to be a dour, low-scoring affair. The weather and pitch conditions are the main contributing factors, as demonstrated throughout the competition. However, the superb pitch at Dr Hyde Park should play to St Brigid’s strength up front. Whenever the green and red brigade gets to strike first and build up a winning position, they have shown they don’t let it go.
St Brigid’s should be able to see off the contenders from Castlehaven and book their spot in the All-Ireland final. It’s difficult to look past the favourites in this match, with the moneyline looking like good value for sports betting fans. Castlehaven will need a lot of luck to get a result against St Brigid’s side.
AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Club Championship Semi-Final Prediction: St Brigid’s.
St Brigid Team News & Lineups
St Brigid’s will rely on the quartet of Ben O’Caroll, Eddie Nolan, Brian Stack, and Ronan Stack. The irrepressible O’Caroll will lead the St Brigid’s attack, while Nolan and Shane Cunnane will duke it out with their Castlehaven counterparts for midfield supremacy. Bobby Nugent, Conor Hand, and Paul McGrath will be called on to play quality minutes. Super subs Brian Derwin and Mark Daly have been reliable coming off the bench this season. The Stacks, Ruaidhri Fallon, and Alan Daly will shore up the stout defence. Lastly, Cormac Sheehy has been solid between the sticks, with his kick-outs crucial to St Brigid’s’ attacking success.
- St Brigid’s Expected Lineup: C Sheehy, R Dolan, B Stack, P Frost, R Stack, A Daly, R Fallon, E Nolan, S Cunnane, B Nugent, P McGrath, C Hand, B O’Carroll, B Derwin, and C Sugrue.
Castlehaven Team News & Lineups
The men of Cork are no slouches, with many skilful players at their disposal. Castlehaven captain Mark Collins and the Hurley brothers remain influential for the side. The trio masterminded the side’s Munster title win, the first since 1997.
Brian and Michael Hurley, alongside Conor and Damien Cahalane, will be called to continue their blistering scoring form against St Brigid’s. The semi-final will be the perfect opportunity for Cork to show their ability to carry the ball and punch holes in the Roscommon defence. Castlehaven needed penalties to get past Dingle, but they require more than the rub of the pitch to see off St Brigid’s. Goalkeeper Damien Cahalane and the Castlehaven defence will attempt to keep out the rampant St Brigid’s attacking threat as they did against Dingle.
- Castlehaven Expected Lineup: D. Cahalane, J. O’Regan, R. Maguire, R. Walsh, T. O’Mahony, R. Maguire, C. Maguire, C. Cahalane, C. O’Sullivan, J. O’Neill, M. Collins (c), S. Browne, B. Hurley, M. Hurley, and J. Cahalane.
