Each month, a match report of an old game from Brian Dillon’s illustrious history will be added to the Series. If there is any game from the past which you would like to see added, please get in touch.
Cork City Minor A Hurling Championship (28/07/1984)
Brian Dillons 2-7 Na Piarsaigh 1-6
Brian Dillons wrote themselves into the history books with a sensational, emotion-charged victory over hotly-tipped Na Piarsaigh at Ballinlough on Saturday evening to win the Cork City minor hurling A championship for the first time. Tears of joy flowed freely at the end of a thrilling. Hard-fought game which Brian Dillons did extremely well to win. Level at the interval, they called upon the vast reserves of spirit to counteract a Na Piarsaigh side which at one stage of the second period looked capable of romping to the easiest of victories. But such is championship hurling, that they did not. Unable to convert a marked superiority into scores, they will look back with deep regret on the number of point chances they created but missed, while Brian Dillons can also pay a big tribute to goalkeeper Kieran O’Neill who brought off three excellent saves during Na Piarsaigh’s dominant spell. Yet, it was not so much frustration which brought about the favourite’s downfall. Rather was it that Brian Dillons found new confidence having survived all the pressure. The sides were still level, each having scored a second-half point when Na Piarsaigh were stunned by Brian Dillons opening goal after 13 minutes, which came via a deflection off the stick of Brian Allen as a Kenny Cotter shot rocketed goalwards. That goal sparked the winners into renewed battle and while Declan Daly narrowed the gap with a point, Cotter replied with a point before substitute Michael Keohane struck for a superb second goal and Brian Dillons rode out the last ten minutes with only the loss of two points.
Kieran O’Neill, Kieran O’Mahony, Martin Desmond, Paul Twohig, Colm Marshall, Richie Walsh (0-3), Brendan Deane, Kenny Cotter (0-2), Jim Deane, Martin O’Regan, Teddy McCarthy, Fachtna O’Mahony (0-2), Gerry Jeffers, Bryan Allen (1-0), Richie Dineen. Subs: Mick Keohane (1-0), Colm Deane
Seandún Division Junior A Football Championship Final (17/09/1998)
Brian Dillons 1-8 Nemo Rangers 0-6
Brian Dillons regained the Cork City divisional junior football championship after a seven-year lapse when they had five points to spare over Nemo Rangers at Ballinlough yesterday morning.
The greasy conditions militated against good football, but credit to both sides for serving up a close encounter that hung in the balance until the closing five minutes when Brian Dillons struck for home with the match winning scores. Nemo enjoyed the lions share of the play in the opening half, but they completely over did the short passing and could make no great headway against a hard tackling Dillons defence in which Kieran O’Mahony, Paul Attridge and John Crowley were superb. Ephie Fitzgerald opened the scoring for Nemo in the sixth minute when he took full advantage of a short clearance by the Dillons defence. The sides were level a minute later through Paul Triggs before Dillons showed their class three minutes later. A marvellous three man passing movement cut the Nemo defence wide open and the impressive Maurice Carey gave Don Bevan no chance with a powerful shot to the net. That goal finally settled the Dillons nerves and Carey might have had a second goal following another great move, but his effort thundered off the Nemo crossbar. Dillons finished the half in total control and points by Paul Triggs and Paul O’Brien gave them a deserved interval lead of 1-5 to 0-4. Dillons increased their lead with a great point from Carey seconds after the restart but then appeared to be content to defend that five-point lead as Nemo took over. Peter Noonan gave them a firm grip at midfield but some dreadful finishing cost them at least four points before Dillons responded to the danger. It took a great save from Don Bevans to deny Paul Triggs a goal in the 45th minute before Tom Fitzgerald eased the pressure with the best score of the game. That score knocked the heart out of Nemo and as they did in the closing minutes of the first half, Dillons finished the second half with a brace of points to claim their first title since 1991.
Bryan Allen, Derek Whelan, Paul Attridge, Kieran O’Mahony, Alan Whelan, John Crowley (0-1), Donagh McCarthy (0-1), Tom Fitzgerald (0-1), Brendan Deane (captain), James Horgan, Richie O’Callaghan (0-1), Paul Triggs (0-2), Kenny Cotter, Paul O’Brien (0-1), Maurice Carey (1-1)
Junior A Camogie Championship Final (22/10/2012)
Brian Dillons 1-8 Enniskeane 1-6
Brian Dillons showed nerves of steel to claim their first county title since 2006. The replay was a cracker, point for point for much of the game before player of the match Therese Drummond steered Dillons to victory. Enniskeane looked dangerous all through and were desperately unlucky not to win this one but in the final ten minutes, Susan-Kate Brosnan was imperious. The current Miss Cork covered every inch of the field, repeatedly bursting out of the Dillon’s defence with the ball. Enniskeane, playing with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half, opened their account with an Orla Cronin free but Dillons then settled into the game. Donna Carroll, a threat all through, sent a screamer to the roof of the Enniskeane net with 14 minutes on the clock and a point from Jane Dooley cemented the lead. Carroll ran Enniskeane ragged in the first half but it was grit in the second half that got Dillons over the line. Enniskeane didn’t do enough with the wind but used the ball cleverly when in possession and corner-forward Sinead Hennessy turned the game on its head when she hit 1-1 in as many minutes for Enniskeane to give them a 1-3 to 1-2 half-time lead. The second half was a nail-biter, Enniskeane coming closest to getting the crucial goal but somehow Brian Dillons goalkeeper Saoirse Rodgers kept out Orla Coughlan’s effort late in the game. Coughlan was odds on to handpass the ball beyond Rodgers but the Dillons girls bottled her up and Orla Cronin pointed the resulting ’45. Therese Drummond was a class apart in the second-half, her monstruous free and point from the middle of the park giving Dillons the impetus but still Enniskeane stayed in touch. Sinead Curtin battled hard at midfield, Mary Ann Hayes was a rock at full-back and Katie Buttimer hit a crucial point. Dillons though, had excellent performers in full-back Anthea O’Brien, Ruth Brosnan and twins Claire and Jane Dooley, their work-rate key to Dillons success.
Saoirse Rodgers, Sarah Cotter, Anthea O’Brien, Sinead Ring, Ruth Brosnan, Amanda Dorgan, Orlaith Ní Shuilleabhain, Susan Kate Brosnan, Deirdre Ring, Claire Dooley, Therese Drummond (0-6), Jane Dooley (0-2), Rebecca O’Mahony, Caoimhe Rodgers, Donna Carroll (1-0): Subs – Emer Keane
