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Saul 1-06 Bredagh 3-14
Friday 22nd May 2009
Bredagh seniors continued their winning ways with an emphatic win away to Saul in their sixth league game of the season on Friday evening. Despite a significant lead at half-time, the Bredagh charges were determined to continue with their game plan in the second half and went on to close out the game winning by a fourteen point margin.
The game was evenly contested in the first fifteen minutes as both teams traded the first four points. Saul opened the scoring, followed by Bredagh corner-forward Ciaran Rice registering the first score for the away team with a well taken point from play. This effort was closely followed by a Rory McCaughey point before Saul got back on level terms. Bredagh edged the lead again with a free by Brian Rice, who confidently floated the ball over the black spot from 45m out. However, as close as it was in the opening fifteen minutes a superb goal by Ciaran Rice turned the game in Bredagh’s favour for the remainder of the match. A great quick passing exchange via seven Bredagh players, having won the ball in the half-back line, presented Ciaran Rice with a goal scoring opportunity which he diligently struck into the top left-hand corner of the net from 15m out, leaving the Saul goalkeeper with no chance.
From this moment on Bredagh raised the tempo of their game and Saul were forced into damage limitation mode. Mark Robinson and Mark Diamond were winning the battle in the middle of the park with some great fielding, while Shane Donnelly and Fergus Coyle where picking up the breaking ball. Brian Rice scored a goal and two points in succession, and the brilliant Cormac Hughes, in at full-forward to replace the injured Deazley, scored a great point from play. A momentary lapse in concentration in the rock solid Bredagh defence led to a scramble in the small square and a Saul player managed to poke to ball over the line to give the home team a glimmer of hope of getting back into the game. However, thoughts of a comeback were short-lived as, on the stroke of half-time, Brian Rice lobbed the ball directly into the net from wide out on the right-hand side of the pitch. A quick look at the expression on Rice’s face and it was clear that the end result was what he intended!
Bredagh lost no momentum with the half-time interval, coming out at the restart and hitting four points without reply. Jody Gormley, who showed great leadership at half-forward, slotted over the first two points of the half. Gormley’s scores where followed by two more great points from corner forward Brian Rice, who was giving the Saul defence a torrid time with his speed, skill and agility. Saul tried their best to get back into the game but the resilient Bredagh defence of Niall Devlin, Gareth Farmer, Donal McKegney, Rory McCaughey and Joe Steele made it very difficult for the home team as they only managed one point from play in the second half. Following another point from Brian Rice, from a fabulous long through ball from Rory McCaughey, the best point of the game was scored by Kevin Muldoon. The tenacious Muldoon picked the ball up well out on the right-hand side of goal and close to the end line, struck the ball with the outside of his boot from an almost impossible angle, and there was great delight all around as a massive cheer went up from the Bredagh line when the umpire raised his hand to signal a point. Bredagh completed their scoring tally with two more good points from the youngest players on the field, first from substitute Michael Magee and then Cormac Hughes, who had a superb game at full-forward.
Well done to all the players for providing an entertaining evening of football and keep up the good work.
Team and Scorers: Sean Armstrong, Niall Devlin, Joe Steele, Gareth Farmer, Donal Mc Kegney, Shane Donnelly, Fergus Coyle, Rory McCaughey (0-01), Mark Robinson, Mark Diamond, Jody Gormley (0-02), Kevin Muldoon (0-01), Ciaran Rice (1-01), Cormac Hughes (0-02), Brian Rice (2-06) Subs used Michael Magee (0-01), Matthew Hollywood, Colin Mc Guckian.
See pictures from the game below:
Mark Diamond wins the ball in a congested midfield area
Mark Robinson shows great aerial strength
Cormac Hughes in action
Brian Rice lobbed goal Part 1
Brian Rice lobbed goal part 2
Half-time team talk
Michael Magee hits a point
A very anxious looking Bredagh sideline
Kevin Muldoon looking happy after scoring a wonder point
Bredagh 2-08 St Paul's 0-06
Friday 1st May 2009
Bredagh played St Pauls at Cherryvale in a entertaining game and after 60 minutes of action ran out deserving winners to continue their winning ways.
Despite having the majority of the early possession St Pauls found it difficult to create scoring opportunities due to the disciplined tackling of the Bredagh rearguard. Bredagh however took advantage of whatever opportunities came their way and it was they who lead by 1.03 to 0.01 at the end of the first quarter. Bredagh's scorers being Somers 1.2 and Deasley 0.1. St Pauls continued to enjoy plenty of possession and were rewarded with 3 points from play to reduce the deficit to 2 points. Bredagh however struck back and got a crucial score just before half time when Deasley took a good pass from Hughes to blast to the net to give Bredagh a somewhat fortuitous 5 point lead at half time.
St Pauls started the second half as they had begun the game. Two points from frees in 31st and 36th minute had reduced Bredagh's lead to 3 points and it looked as though we were in for a close fought second half. These scores however were to prove to be St Pauls last scores of the game as Bredagh took a firm grip on the game especially in the midfield sector. Five further points from Deasley, Hughes and Somers(3) closed out the game in Bredaghs favour for a deserved victory.
Bredagh 3-10 St Johns 1-10
Monday 20th April 2009
Having suffered 2 narrow defeats Bredagh finally got their first points of the season with a 6 point victory at St Johns. The foundations of their victory were laid firmly in a first half display that had them leading by 10 points at the half time break.
Despite St Johns taking an early lead from a free it was Bredagh who dominated the remainder of the first half of this game. Between the 3rd and the 23rd minute Bredagh outscored their opponents by 3.3 to 0.2 to give them a commanding lead, Deasley 2.2, Kieran Rice 1.1 being the Bredagh scorers. Two pointed frees give St Johns some hope before Brian Rice concluded the first half scoring with 3 points to leave Bredagh with a commanding lead Bredagh 3.6 - St Johns 0.5 at half time.
The half time break and injuries to Mc Kenna and O Donnell seemed to affect Bredagh's game and it was St Johns who started the second half in determined fashion. After an early exchange of points it was St Johns who dominated second half possession and by the 50th minute had reduced Bredagh's lead to 4 points. Several positional changes in the Bredagh team however nullified the St Johns threat and Bredagh finished strongly with points from Hughes and Mc Glade to run out winners on a scoreline of Bredagh 3.10 St Johns 1.10.
Bredagh 3-06 Dundrum 2-11
After suffering defeat in their opening league game Bredagh welcomed Dundrum to Cherryvale on a pleasant early summer evening. A large crowd were in attendance and they were treated to a highly entertaining, hard fought and physically demanding encounter.
Dundrum set the early running and got off to a great start with points from Hurley and Mc Comiskey. Bredagh had numerous chances to register an early score but failed to accept them until indecision in the Dundrum defence let Deasley in to scramble the ball to the net for Bredagh's first score. Brian Rice shortly afterwards was denied a second Bredagh goal as King in the Dundrum net made a great save.
Dundrum recovered from this setback and playing some attractive football registered 4 unanswered scores from Hogg, Venney and Mc Comiskey (2) to take a 3 point lead. Disaster then befell King in the Dundrum net as he failed to clear his line and was dispossessed by Deasley who dispatched the ball to the net to bring Bredagh back on terms. Hurley put Dundrum back in front with a point only for Rice to level once again. Bredagh then had a dominant spell and went in front with a well taken point from Somers, they extended this lead when Deasley struck for his third goal to put Bredagh 4 points up with half time approaching. Dundrum however replied with 2 quick points from Hogg and Mc Comiskey to narrow the gap to 2 points at the half time break. Bredagh 3-02 Dundrum 0-09.
On the resumption, Deasley immediately extended Bredagh's lead with a point from play and despite a period of dominance they failed to add to their tally. Having weathered the early Bredagh onslaught Dundrum regrouped and struck for their first goal through Kavanagh to draw level. This was followed shortly afterwards by a point from Walsh to give Dundrum the lead. Rice did bring Bredagh level with a point but it was Dundrum who were now very much in the ascendancy. Venney pointed, Melville hit the crossbar and then Kavanagh struck for the crucial score in the 52nd minute with a goal to put 4 points between the sides. Bredagh did rally and scored 2 points in the last few minutes but it was a little too late to leave the final score Bredagh 3.06 Dundrum 2.11.
For Bredagh there were great defensive performances from Mc Caughey, Diamond, Steele and Devlin, while Robinson had a great midfield battle with his Dundrum counterparts, upfront Deasley was a constant threat and was ably assisted by Muldoon,Hughes and Brian Rice.
This result leaves Bredagh with 2 defeats from their opening two games and it is now imperative that something is gained from our visit to newly promoted St Johns on Friday 24th.
Ardglass 2-12 Bredagh 2-10
Friday 17th March 2009
Bredagh seniors got their 2009 Divison 3 league campaign underway last Friday evening with a visit to Ardglass.
Bredagh entered this game with confidence and this confidence seemed justified as, with the aid of a strong breeze, they opened brightly and had 5 points on the board within 5 minutes. Bredaghs continued dominance, especially through Robinson and O'Donnell around midfield, lead to good quality ball being delivered into a lively forward line of Brian and Kieran Rice, Henry Deasley and Cormac Hughes. By the 20th minute Bredagh had stretched their lead to 1-07 to 0-00 and seemed set to register a significant lead by half time. The game however changed thereafter as Ardglass registered their first score which came from a close-in free in the 21st minute. Indecision in the Bredagh defence shortly afterwards lead to the referee awarding a penalty which was despatched to the Bredagh net. This gave Ardglass renewed impetus and they reduced Bredaghs lead further when a forward was allowed to solo through unchallenged from midfield to the 20 before rifling the ball to the roof of the Bredagh net. A Rice point brought the first half scoring to a close to leave it Bredagh 1-08 Ardglass 2-01.
Given the strength of the breeze a 4 point lead did not augur well for the second period and so it proved. Having trailed by 10 points at one stage Ardglass's comeback was complete within 5 minutes of the second half as they drew level with some fine range points from placed balls and play. Bredagh were finding it increasingly difficult to retain possession against a now resurgent Ardglass side and were restricted to isolated attacks which yielded a point from a Rice free in the 45th minute. Ardglass continued with their scoring spree and by the 50th minute had stretched their lead to 6 points. Bredagh did however continue to battle away and were rewarded with a Hughes goal and a point from Ollie McWilliams to reduce the deficit to 2 before the referee called a halt to proceedings to leave the final score Bredagh 2-10 Ardglass 2-12.
Overall, given the teams performance in the opening 20 minutes, this was a disappointing result and shows that considerable work is still required if we are to mount a serious challenge for promotion this year in what will be a very competitive league.
Bredagh v Drumgath
Sunday 30th March 2008
Bredagh took on promotion favourites Drumgath in what was easily their toughest assignment to date. Although they had a poor campaign last year, the nucleus of the 2006 intermediate championship winning team is still intact, they have no less than three intercounty players and, to underline their potential, legendary Down footballer Mickey Linden has taken charge of them this year.
Drumgath began with a whirlwind start. Straight from the throw-in the ball was worked into the full forward line, where Packie Downey won posession. Despite being well marshalled and kept out wide by Paul Bradley, the county man showed his class by taking a long range point. The visitors continued as they started, tacking on two more points before John McKenna openned the home team's account with a superbly taken free.
Unfortunately this was only a blip in the pattern of Drumgath's scoring spree. They were winning a lot of breaking ball around the middle of the field which was resulting in scores and, benefited from a rare mistake by Sean Armstrong which gave them a goal and stretched their lead even further. Things were not looking good for Bredagh's unbeaten record in division three and, although Toland lofted over a great point midway through the openning half, the half time score still read Bredagh 0-2 Drumgath 1-7.
Although only registering two scores in the first half, the Ormeau road men had their fair share of chances and, in midfield Deazley and Campbell were more than holding their own in the aerial exchanges. Therefore, despite being eight points in arrears, there was a platform to be built upon.
If the first half was all about Drumgath and their scoring power, then the second half was all about Bredagh, their refusal to give up and a tremendous effort by the whole team which nearly resulted in them snatching a win. Henry Deazley began to lord it in midfield, winning every ball that went near him, allowing Bredagh to build attacks. The forwards,under immense pressure from a tight defence, were showing well and slowly but surely began to eat into the deficit. Points from Gormley, Toland and McKenna and a punched goal from Toland brought the gap down to two. Drumgath were not giving up easily though and went up the field to stretch the lead to four again.
Changes were needed and duly made. Conor Owens was put into the full forward line and Niall devlin onto the half back line. These immediately resulted in success. The confusion caused by Owens' aerial strength yeilded two goals, one from the man himself and, one from Toland to put the home side two points up. Paul Bradley, having been relieved of his marking duties on Downey by Mark Diamond, raced up the flank to put over a beautiful point from a tight angle.
This completed an amazing turn around in fortunes for Bredagh, however it was then spoiled by a long ball in to the defence which Downey then blasted to the net to grab a draw for Drumgath.
This was an amazing game to watch, with great scores, tough tackling and a lot of bravery shown by both sides. Just like the Teconnaught game, the senior footballers again showed amazing spirit to take a point from a game that looked well beyond them at half time. Captain Oliver McWilliams led by example with a typical show of courage and tenacity, Mark diamond showed his class by keeping their danger man quiet in the second half and John McKenna and Eddie McKee were also outstanding up front. Conal Toland also had his best performance this year. However man of the match must go to Henry Deazley. Despite being up against county midfielder Jack Lynch, he ran the midfield making countless clean catches, setting up attacks and tracking back aswell.
Team and Scorers-S Armstrong,S Donnelly,P Bradley(0-1),O McWilliams,R Gormley,M Diamond,G Farmer,H Deazley,P Campbell,J McKenna(0-2)F Coyle,B Rice,C Toland(2-2),E Gormley(0-2)E McKee.subs used C Owens(1-0) for B Rice,N Devlin for G Farmer.
Other results from Division Three
Carryduff 3-11 Saul 1-4
Glasdrumman 3-12 Teconnaught 0-8
Ardglass 3-6 St Pauls 2-8
Glenn Drumaness OFF
St Michaels Mitchells OFF
Bredagh 1-10 Teconnaught 1-07
Sunday 16th March 2008
Bredagh's senior footballers travelled to Annacloy on Sunday to build on their opening day win over St Pauls. Teconnaught have been tricky opposition over the years and this game proved no different.
Bredagh started the first half playing with the wind and immediately took control with a well taken goal. A high ball was launched into the Teconnaught defence which Enda Gormley wisely palmed down to Brian Rice who despatched it to the net past a helpless teconnaught goalkeeper. John Mckenna continued his impressive step up to the senior team with a point.
Unfortunately this bright start to the game was undermined by the Bredagh corner back being sent off for a lack of discipline. With just fourteen men the team had to dig deep. This they did,with Deazley and Robinson completely dominating the midfield sector, while the half back and full back lines were outstanding. Further scores from Rice, Mckenna, Toland and two from Gormley confirmed Bredagh's superiority and they finished the half with a five point lead. Half time score Teconnaught 0-5 Bredagh 1-6.
Facing into the wind in the second half, Bredagh faced a tough task. Yet, despite the breeze and numerical disadvantage it was the Ormeau Road team who played the better football and at one stage were seven points ahead. This was achieved through the tireless tackling of the forwards, excellence of the midfield, and tenacity of the defence.
However, disaster struck again when Robinson was dismissed for striking. His dismissal was a huge blow for the team as he had been having a tremendous game, his clean fielding in the middle of the park and clever distribution easing the pressure on the defence behind him.
Teconnaught were only six points behind at this stage, and there was plenty of time for them to catch up with ten minutes left on the clock. Their comeback was thwarted though. Despite getting a goal and a point, they still trailed by three at the end. Toland who had, by his own standards, a quiet game in the forwards was brought into midfield and caught plenty of ball, even popping up in his own square to claim a high ball. The Teconnaught pressure was extreme, but Bredagh swamped the defence, with Deazley, McWilliams, Bradley, Donnelly, Gormley and McCaughey all deserving of a mention for their brave efforts.
Man of the match was Jody Gormley who marshalled the defence brilliantly, and marked the oppositions best player out of the game. He also popped up in the box to block a goalbound shot in the dying minutes.
In summary, this was a great win for the footballers, who showed great spirit despite the odds being stacked against them. Congratulations to Eddie McKee and Peter Campbell on making their competitive debuts for the club, and also to Niall Devlin on his return from injury. Next up is Drumaness under the stewardship of former Bredagh manager Liam McKenna.
Bredagh team and scorers- Armstrong, O McWilliams, P Bradley, KMuldoon, S Donnelly, J Gormley, R McCaughey, H Deazley(0-1), Robinson, F Coyle, P Campbell, J McKenna(0-3), C Toland(0-1), E Gormley(0-4), B Rice(1-1).
Subs used-E McKee for P Campbell,N Devlin for B Rice
Bredagh 0-9 Ardglass 1-5
Friday 01 June 2007
The game was not a great example of Gaelic football nevertheless, Bredagh come away with a win.
Main points:
- Ardglass had a man sent off & Toly tweaked a hamstring.
- Niall Devlin had a good outing at the senior level.
- A better performance is anticipated against Dundrum on Monday evening.
Other results: Dundrum bt Tullylish, Saul bt Glenn, Bosco bt St Pauls.
St John Bosco 2-11 Bredagh 1-5
Fri 25th May 2007
What a glorious evening and venue for a match. The sun rayed down on an immaculate Johnny Makin Park where a healthy number of Bredagh followers had made the journey to Newry.
The game started brightly with Bosco making most of the running but their failure to convert several good chances made for a low scoring 1st half and wind assisted Bredagh, despite chasing the game, found it easy to stay in touch. The half time score was Bosco 0:5, Bredagh 0:3, Conal Toland getting himself 2 fine points.
Bosco got their 2nd half off to a great start with a goal in the 33rd minute but the Bredagh response was strong and, helped by a fine goal from Sean Bradley, had reduced the deficit to a single point by 47th minute. Then the wheels came off. That point was their final contribution to the scoreboard whereas Bosco found the legs to push on and add a further 1:4. The match ended on a score line of 2:11 – 1:5.
This is proving a testing week for the Seniors, consecutive defeats to Saul and Bosco and Dundrum to come on Sunday (throw-in 2:15). Hard thinking and hard work is needed. Recent performances reveal a high concession rate in the final 10 minutes. The forwards as well will need to consider how they can contribute more by, tackling their markers when out of procession, offering the midfield and defence better outlets and maximising scoring chances.
Although the lads were visibly depressed following this game there are positives to be considered.
(1) These defeats were away matches so the opportunity to reverse them at home is in our favour.
(2) With both Tullylish and Teconnaght loosing and Saul drawing their matches on Fri, Bredagh remain 2nd in Div 3 (albeit jointly with 4 others) a single point behind the leaders.
(3) The top of Div3 is the place to be right now and ought to be a significant motivation for any seriously ambitious side. This is a perfect launching pad for a full out assault.
The top of Div 3 is indeed a very busy place with only 3 points splitting a cluster of 9 teams. A lot of sorting out to be done yet. Where else would a team wish to be?
Lineout:
Henry McDonald
Paul Bradley
Paul Hickson
Niall Boyle
Shane Donnelly
Mark Diamond
Gareth Farmer
Aodhan O'Donnell
Hugh Daly
Brian Rice
Fergus Coyle (0:1)
Paddy Heaney
Conal Toland (0:2)
Conor Owens (0:1)
Sean Bradley (1:0)
Subs: Rory McCaughey for P Bradley, Henry Deazley (1pt) for H Daly, Charlie McCartan for S Bradley, Niall Devlin for C Toland.
Pld Pts
8 12 Tullylish
9 11 Bredagh
9 11 Saul
9 11 Dundrum
9 11 Glenn
10 11 Drumgath
9 10 Teconnaght
9 9 Bosco
10 9 Ardglass
10 7 Mitchels
10 6 St Pauls
8 2 Bright
Bredagh 2-16, Newry Mitchell’s 0-11
An impressive Bredagh win on an inclement evening at Ravenhill.
Starting without several key players manager Paddy H was forced to make positional changes and was glad to draw upon back-up players, they did not let him down. Barney McAnespie and Paul Hickson took responsibility for key defensive positions whilst up front Jonny Cleary stepped in, all with great effect.
Mitchell’s got off to the ideal start playing against a strong wind and were off the mark within the first minute. The wind made playing conditions difficult and both teams relied on frees for most of their scores. The end of the 1st quarter saw Bredagh leading only by 0:5 to 0:03 despite the strong wind at their backs. Then they found their scoring boots and out scored Mitchell’s by 7 to 1 in the 2nd quarter giving a half time lead of 8 points but, given the strength of the wind, this may not have been enough
Whatever they were told during the break worked well and Bredagh got out of the blocks like sprinters in the 2nd half scoring the first point within 20 seconds. Their style of play seemed to suit playing against a strong wind. A supporting runner was always available for the man in possession and all of a sudden the wind didn’t seem to matter so much as Bredagh worked to put the game beyond the tiring Mitchell’s lads. In the final quarter Bredagh created two fine goals delivering the coup de grâce. The whole team, especially the 3 substitutes deserve great credit for this win. The 2nd half performance was pure grit and determination to get the job done. An almost perfect team effort.
Line out:
1. H McDonald, 2. Niall Boyle, 3. Paul Hickson, 4. Ollice McWilliams, 5. Shane Donnelly, 6. Barney McAnespy, 7. Gareth Farmer, 8. Hugh Daly, 9. Aodhan O’Donnell, 10. Bryan Rice (0:1), 11. Jody Gormley, 12. Jonny Cleary (0:1), 13. Conal Toland, (0:1) 14. Enda Gormley (1:9 incl 2 frees), 15. Sean Bradley (1:4 incl 2 frees),
Subs: Paul Bradley for Niall Boyle, Fergus Coyle for Jonny Cleary, Mark Robinson for Hugh Daly, Henry Deazly for Barney McAnespy.
Bredagh 0-16 Drumgath 3-6
Bredagh Survive Late Drumgath Comeback
Bredagh made the journey to a wet Drumgath on Friday evening and in the end were relieved to come away with both points. They fully deserved the points and were easily the better team for about 50 minutes but a late 2-goal surge by Drumgath made it a nervous victory.
In fact the game only really got interesting in the final 10 minutes such was Bredagh’s dominance up to that point. Their defence were in greedy mood and gave little away. Drumgath were held scoreless until the 21st minute by which time Bredagh had clocked up 0:6. Meantime the Bredagh midfield bested their counterparts, Aodhan O’Donnell resolute as always and newcomer Hugh Daly using his might and fielding skills to good effect. The forward lines were kept busy with a steady supply of quality ball and made good use of this notching a tally of 0:7 to Drumgath’s 0:3 by halftime. Had Drumgath not got an early 2nd half goal the game may have been over at this point.
The 2nd half started in similar fashion and, despite an early Drumgath 2nd half goal, Bredagh were not knocked off their organised stride and went into the final 10 leading by 0:10 to 1:4. At this stage it seemed the result was almost certain however, Drumgath are made of stout stuff and did not allow this to happen. In the last 10 minutes they found something, or perhaps Bredagh lost something, either way Drumgath almost claimed the points with 2 late goals. Stalwart rain-sodden supporters were rewarded with a gripping final 10 minutes and were entertained by 2 goals and 8 points during this frenetic period.
Somehow Drumgath found an ability to create room for their midfield and halfbacks to get into the attack and 2 goals and 2 points was the result. The game was tied twice but to their credit the Bredagh lads showed great character and, responding with a tally of 6pts of their own in the final 10 minutes, went back to the Ravenhill somewhat relieved but with two deserved league points in their bag.
Team
1. H McDonald, 2. N Boyle, 3. P Bradley. 4 O McWilliams, 5. S Donnelly 6. M Diamond, 7. N Devlin, 8. A O’Donnell, 9. H Daly, 10.B Rice (0:1), 11. J Gormley, 12. J Cleary (0:5 incl 2 frees), 13. C Toland (0:1), 14. C Owens, 15. S Bradley (0:5 1x free),
Subs: E Gormley (0:4) – for C Owens, P Heaney for H Daly.
Bredagh 2-12 Bright 2-06
Bright were guests at Cherryville on Wednesday evening for a game that the home side expected would be a stiff test. Bright had recently returned impressive results including a comprehensive victory over Saul.
The Bredagh lads started brightly and in the first ¼ had racked up an impressive tally of 1.5 to 0.1. Dominant at midfield, using a fast and clever passing and close interplay game between halfback, midfield and forward lines the visitors were left reeling. It seemed Bredagh would stroll to a significant winning margin. The same story continued up to halftime when Bredagh led by a comfortable 9 points, (2.8 to 1.2).
Preparation, fitness and game plans are vital to be successful in the modern Gaelic game but psychology must also be a major factor in distinguishing good teams from great teams. Whatever psychology was at play on Wednesday’s strong evening sunshine Bredagh turned in a schizophrenic 2nd half. A first half highly driven and totally dominant team transformed into an apathetic bunch that struggled to put any decent combinations together. Bright deserve some credit for this change in affairs but Bredagh will want to look closer to home for answers.
Bright industriously worked their way back into the game and, but for manful performances by the Bredagh back lines, they may have stolen a result. This was not to be however, and Bredagh's 1st half cushion proved good. Although Bright outscored the home side by 7pts to 4 in the 2nd half Bredagh pocketed both league point by a winning margin of 6.
Bredagh will be glad to have this one over and will want to use it as a valuable learning experience.
Division 3: Bredagh 2-12 St Paul’s 1-7
A typical smash-and-grab effort by Bredagh’s ace goal poacher Conor Owens sealed the senior team’s first victory since their return to Division Three.
While eight points separated the teams at the final whistle, the score line disguises what was a very hard-earned victory for the Ormeau Road men.
With six minutes left on the clock, just three points separated the teams. Bredagh had previously moved into a match-winning position when they went seven clear after outscoring their Holywood opponents by 0-5 to 0-1 in the third quarter.
But the home side were left to rue a series of missed chances which would have put them out of sight. St Paul’s took advantage of this profligacy and kicked four unanswered points in the space of eight minutes.
But just as the game looked set for a dramatic climax, substitute Conor Owens snaffled possession on the edge of the square, and despite being surrounded by a posse of bodies, he somehow rifled the ball into the roof of the net.
The goal gave Bredagh some much-needed breathing space and they romped home in the closing minutes after St Paul’s were reduced to 14-men. Late points from Hugh Daly and Owens allowed Bredagh to secure their first win of this year’s league campaign.
Bredagh will take some confidence from this result. The starting line-up showed several enforced changes from the side that earned a draw against Ardglass.
Centre half-back Mark Diamond, man-of-the-match against Ardglass, was unavailable due to work commitments in Hong Kong while wing-back Kevin Harte had returned to university in London. Bredagh suffered a further setback when former Allstar Enda Gormley pulled a calf muscle in the pre-match warm-up, ruling him out of any involvement in the game.
But Bredagh made light of these enforced changes and produced a gallant team effort.
The platform for the victory came at midfield where Aodhan O’Donnell, Henry Deazley and Jody Gormley worked their socks off. Paul Hickson also made a notable impact when he replaced Jody Gormley at half-time.
The defence can also take credit for a whole-hearted performance. Niall Boyle, making his senior debut at corner-back, didn’t put a foot wrong, while Donnelly and McAnespie used their experience to good effect.
Up front, the plaudits must go to Conall Toland who was outstanding from start to finish. The absence of Enda Gormley’s free-taking prowess was also offset by an accomplished display from his namesake Raymond. The Tyrone native landed two fine strikes from 40 metres, and finished the game with a tally of (0-5, four frees).
While there were some doubts if Bredagh could survive in Division Three, they remain unbeaten after two starts, although tougher battles lie ahead.
One such fixture comes on Friday when the senior travel to Glenn.
Glenn won their only encounter so far, beating Saul last Friday night.
Bredagh: H McDonald; N Boyle, P Bradley, R McCaughey; O McWilliams (capt), B McAnespie, S Donnelly, H Deazley (1-0), A O’Donnell; F Coyle, J Gormley, R Gormley (0-5, four frees); C Toland (0-3), M Robinson (0-1), B Rice (0-2).
Subs: P Hickson for J Gormley (h-t); H Daly (0-1) for M Robinson (h-t); C Owens (1-0) for F Coyle (52).
2006 Season
Bredagh 1-8 Teconnaught 0-5
Down Junior Football Championship Final Replay: Bredagh 1-8 Teconnaught 0-5 Ollie McWilliams made a small bit of history on Sunday when he became the first man to ever captain Bredagh to a county championship victory.
Bredagh’s six-point win over Teconnaught marked the Bredagh club’s first senior men’s title since it was founded in St Bernadette’s Hall in 1969.
The late Eamon Gilmore was one of the men who met in that hall 35 years ago. Eamon passed away earlier this year, but the hard work and loyalty he showed to Bredagh has not been forgotten. Ollie McWilliams paid tribute to `Uncle Eamon’ when he received the Cup from Down’s Activities’ Secretary, Seamus Walsh.
Apart from being a momentous day in the club’s history, Sunday’s replay victory in Downpatrick completed a fantastic season for the Bredagh footballers as they completed a league and championship double.
Joint-managers Shane Donnelly and Paddy Heaney and team trainer Jody Gormley can now look back on a season in which their squad lost only one game in 25 competitive outings.
There were several close calls during those 25 encounters, but none was more hair-raising than the drawn final against Teconnaught a week ago when Bredagh looked dead and buried.
Trailing by three points with one minute of normal time remaining, they had to rely on a sensational display by Enda Gormley. The 40-year-old’s heroics enabled the Ormeau Road men to salvage a draw with the last kick of the game.
Having got out of jail in Castlewellan, Bredagh didn’t squander their second chance. A vastly improved performance was expected for the replay and the boys in maroon duly delivered in front of the large and vocal fan base that travelled to Pairc Tomas Ruiseil.
And this time, Bredagh didn’t rely on the evergreen Enda Gormley to fire them to glory. The former Allstar had an off-day with his place-kicking, missing five scoreable frees over the hour.
Had Gormley been in his usual form, Bredagh would have further ahead at half-time when they led by 0-3 to 0-2.
The South Belfast side dominated the first half and were totally on top at midfield. Bredagh’s supremacy was also helped by their industrious half-forward line.
The Teconnaught half-back line caused havoc in the drawn game, but they never got to enjoy the same freedom again as Raymond Gormley, Henry Deazley and Kevin Harte tracked their every movement. The introduction of Rory McCaughey and Liam McGarry to the defence also helped to counter-act Teconnaught’s speedy forwards.
Bredagh also varied their long ball game. For the replay they mixed the route-one approach with some more measured deliveries to the tireless Fergus Coyle who won a glut of possession, particularly in the first half. With centre-back Mark Diamond maintaining his superb form from the drawn contest, Bredagh were always in control, but they struggled to turn possession into scores.
The one great chance they created came on the cusp of half-time when Conor Owens caught a long ball from Jody Gormley. The strong full-forward opted for power, but his ferocious shot was well saved by Justin Kelly.
A goal would have put Bredagh in the driving seat for the start of the second half. However, they didn’t have to wait long before they got that all-important three-pointer.
While Enda Gormley was out-of-sorts from placed kicks, he was doing well during open play and the former Allstar bagged the game’s decisive score when he punched home a looping free-kick from Raymond Gormley.
Teconnaught responded almost immediately with a quick point from Conor Heath, but Bredagh hit back with two sucker blows from Kevin Bradley and Conor Owens.
Bradley’s point was the score of the game. It started with a magnificent catch by Mark Diamond at midfield. The ball was then fed to Bradley who exploded out of the full-back line. After exchanging passes with raiding wing-back, Liam McGarry, Bradley jinked and weaved his way through the Teconnaught defence before planting a delightful effort between the posts. A few minutes later, Owens was on target to put five points between the teams.
Teconnaught refused to surrender and in their search for a goal they put midfielder Simon Kerr to the edge of the square. Kerr proved to be a useful target man. But while he won a couple of balls, he was denied on two occasions by some composed defending from Paul Bradley and Kevin Harte.
Bredagh grew increasingly more confident as the game wore on. The introduction of Conall Toland provided a major injection of pace and drive to the forward line. The Belfast side’s strength and fitness also became increasingly prevalent on the soft underfoot conditions – the product of 90 plus training sessions since January.
In contrast, Teconnaught failed to reach the peaks of the drawn game and their inability to convert simple free-kicks damaged their morale. They missed two 13-yard free-kicks in the second half.
Meanwhile, Bredagh began to flourish, evidenced by the Kevin Harte score which maintained their five-point cushion. The move which started in the full-back line involved nine players and 15 passes. It ended when the student combined with Enda Gormley and coolly converted from 25 yards.
Teconnaught replied with a free-kick from Conor Heath. It proved to be their last score of the game.
By this stage, Bredagh were defending in numbers and happy to deny Teconnaught any sniff of a goal. Even perennial poacher Enda Gormley was seen in the Bredagh defence although it was his namesake, Jody who was performing the miracles during the closing stages of the replay. As the heavy ground took it toll on most players, the ultra-fit Tyrone native relieved his defence with a couple of lung-bursting runs.
The five minutes of injury time offered no salvation to Teconnaught. Rather it was Bredagh who used the added time to tag on further scores from Enda Gormley and Conor Owens, putting them six-points in front at the final whistle.
Bredagh will now represent Down in the Ulster Junior Championship. Their next outing will be against Drum, the Derry champions. The game is expected to take place on Sunday, November 12 in Newcastle.
Bredagh: Henry McDonald; Ollie McWilliams (capt), Paul Bradley, Kevin Bradley (0-1); Rory McCaughey, Mark Diamond, Kevin Harte (0-1); Paddy Heaney, Jody Gormley; Liam McGarry, Henry Deazley, Raymond Gormley (0-1, free); Conor Owens (0-2), Fergus Coyle, Enda Gormley (1-3, three frees).
Subs: Conall Toland for R McCaughey; Jonny Cleary for R Gormley; Matthew Holywood for C Owens; John O’Connor for P Heaney.
Teconnaught; J Kelly; C McNamara, E Flanagan, MFitzsimons; G Fitzsimons, S Madine (capt), D McGreevy; D Mulholland, S Kerr; C Heath (0-3, one free), N Mulholland, Dominic Mulholland (0-1); C. Brennan (0-1, free), R McLeigh, B Rogan.
Subs: P Burns for G Fitzsimons; P Flanagan for Dominic Mulholland.
Referee: Declan Moore (Tullylish).
Captain's Address
 I joined the club two years ago knowing then that the setup was that of a club with ambition. Having come from the brink of collapse after losing their playing field which was sold for development three years previous, hard work and dedication ensured their survival into what is now a thriving community sporting organisation.
Having struggled last year to find a manager at the start of the season, Ciaran Boyle stepped in just before the season start ably assisted by Sean Cunningham, John Gilmore and Tommy White. He introduced a new level of discipline to the team, generating renewed hope for a Bredagh break through and promotion. Ultimately we finished just short of promotion and suffered defeat in the Championship semi final to eventual winners Dundrum. Following that defeat, we took a long look at ourselves and a new determination was surfaced from that disappointment.
This year, we set out our clear objectives with the current management team from the outset, objectives which the entire panel of 38 players accepted and adhered to throughout the season. This new found determination saw us achieve our season’s goal of promotion after 8 long years from division 4.
The championship run has been a wonderful experience for our squad. With some players having never before experienced the thrill of winning a championship match (and some with more than a few), the run was a welcome distraction from the pressure of a league campaign in which the minimum of margins remained between ourselves, St Pauls and St Michaels throughout the season.
Some excellent performances and a little luck saw us beat a fancied Mitchells side, an important confidence booster given their excellent form in Division 3. Further tough encounters against Drumaness and St Johns has now led us to the Junior Championship final.
Our opponents today are a tough, fast footballing side who will be very difficult to beat. As a Division 3 team, they will undoubtedly be favourites for the game a view only supported by their excellent performance in the semi final defeat of a strong and well organised St Pauls side. If both teams play to their potential, it should certainly be a good game of football.
It is our hope and intention to put up a good performance to justify the amount of effort this panel of players has put in this year and to give our club, supporters and wonderful youth set up something to be proud of. This is also an opportunity to demonstrate that football in the city is alive, well and ready to start contributing to the success of the county.
Oilibhéar McLiam
Bredagh abu
PEN PICS
Ciaran O’Keefe |  | | Position | Goalkeeper | | Age | 39 | | Weight | 13 st 4 | | Height | 6 ft | | Occupation | IT consultant | | Henry McDonald |  | | Position | Goalkeeper | | Age | 26 | | Weight | 11 st 5 | | Height | 5 ft 10 | | Occupation | Student | | Jonathan Arthurs |  | | Position | Goalkeeper | | Age | 18 | | Weight | 11 st | | Height | 5 ft 10 | | Occupation | Student | | Conal Toland |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 24 | | Weight | 11st 7 | | Height | 5ft 11 | | Occupation | Physiotherapist | | Conor Owens |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 32 | | Weight | 14st 7 | | Height | 5 ft 11 | | Occupation | Bank official | | Fergus Coyle |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 31 | | Weight | 12 st 4 | | Height | 5 ft 9 | | Occupation | Teacher | | Henry Deazley |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 20 | | Weight | 12 st 9 | | Height | 6 ft 1 | | Occupation | Student | | Johnnie Cleary |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 23 | | Weight | 11 st 7 | | Height | 5ft 11 | | Occupation | Bank official | | Mathew Hollywood |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 18 | | Weight | 11 st 5 | | Height | 6 ft 1 | | Occupation | Student | | Niall Devlin |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 18 | | Weight | 10 st | | Height | 5 ft 7 | | Occupation | Student | | Paddy Finnegan |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 35 | | Weight | 14st 6 | | Height | 5ft 11 | | Occupation | Civil Engineer | | Raymond Gormley |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 34 | | Weight | 12 st | | Height | 6 ft | | Occupation | Company Executive | | Enda Gormley |  | | Position | Forward | | Age | 40 | | Weight | 13 st 4 | | Height | 6 ft 1 | | Occupation | Businessman | | Jody Gormley |  | | Position | Midfield | | Age | 35 | | Weight | 12 st 5 | | Height | 6 ft 1 | | Occupation | Teacher | | John O'Connor |  | | Position | Midfield | | Age | 34 | | Weight | 14 st 5 | | Height | 6 ft | | Occupation | Barrister | | Paddy Heaney |  | | Position | Midfield | | Age | 32 | | Weight | 14st | | Height | 6 ft 1 | | Occupation | Sports Journalist | | Barney McAnespie |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 33 | | Weight | 12 st 7 | | Height | 5 ft 9 | | Occupation | Engineer | | Barry Houston |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 28 | | Weight | 12st 5 | | Height | 5ft 11 | | Occupation | Environmental Consultant | | Kevin Bradley |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 22 | | Weight | 11st 2 | | Height | 6ft 1 | | Occupation | Student | | Kevin Harte |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 19 | | Weight | 12 st | | Height | 5 ft 11 | | Occupation | Student | | Liam McGarry |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 27 | | Weight | 5 ft 10 | | Height | 6 ft | | Occupation | Accountant | | Mark Diamond |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 30 | | Weight | 13st 12 | | Height | 6ft 2 | | Occupation | Engineer | | Mick Burke |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 25 | | Weight | 13 | | Height | 5 ft 11 | | Occupation | IT Electrical Engineer | | Niall Boyle |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 18 | | Weight | 10 st 4 | | Height | 5 ft 10 | | Occupation | Student | | Ollie McWilliams | | | Position | Defender | | Age | 24 | | Weight | 11 st 5 | | Height | 5 ft 9 | | Occupation | Civil Servant | | Paul Bradley |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 23 | | Weight | 11st 5 | | Height | 5ft 11 | | Occupation | IT consultant | | Rory McCaughey |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 21 | | Weight | 12st | | Height | 5 ft 11 | | Occupation | Student | | Rory McDonnell |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 31 | | Weight | 12 st 5 | | Height | 5 ft 11 | | Occupation | Software Developer | | Paddy Cassidy |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 32 | | Weight | 13 st 5 | | Height | 6 ft 11 | | Occupation | Student | | Conal O'Neill |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 20 | | Weight | 10 st | | Height | 5 ft 8 | | Occupation | Student | | Michael Harte |  | | Position | Defender | | Age | 22 | | Weight | 12 st 9 | | Height | 6 ft 1 | | Occupation | Student |
The Management
Left to right - Shane Donnelly(Joint Manager), Sean Cunningham(Trainer), Thomas White(Trainer) and John Gilmore(Trainer)
Down JFC semi-final: Bredagh 1-15 Drumaness 1-7
THE Bredagh senior footballers claimed the first victory of a fantastic day for the club when they clinched a place in the Junior Championship final following a well-deserved victory over Drumaness.
The footballers’ eight-point win at St Mochai’s Park, Darragh Cross on Saturday set up the first part of an historic double. Following their victory, the senior hurlers beat Clonduff in their Junior semi-final at the same venue.
The footballers and hurlers will now contest both finals and are on the verge of a completing a fabulous year for the Bredagh senior teams.
While the hurlers eventually strolled to a facile win, Shane Donnelly’s footballers were forced to work much harder for their place in a decider against Teconnaught who beat St Paul’s the following day.
The footballers failed to reproduce the silky football which they played against St John’s in the quarter-final, but this was a very satisfactory performance nonetheless.
This was a victory borne out of character and resolve - qualities which were epitomized by team captain Ollie McWilliams.
When McWilliams was targeted in an off-the-ball incident in the second half, all the ingredients were in place for all hell to break loose.
In previous years, Bredagh might have been drawn into such a melee, but McWilliams showed commendable levels of self-discipline. Leading by example, he dusted himself down and got on with the business of guiding his team into the county final.
While Bredagh kept their cool, Drumaness were reduced to 14 men when referee P.D. Doyle sent Philip Rogan off for retaliation.
Once again, Bredagh’s hard-working defence provided the platform for their eventual victory. Mark Diamond conducted affairs from centre half-back while he was offered good support from Kevin Harte and Rory McCaughey.
Playing against a stiff wind in the first half, the Bredagh backs contained a decent Drumaness attack to just four points.
A Conor Owens goal had given Bredagh a promising three-point cushion as the interval approached, but Drumaness were handed a lifeline when goalkeeper Henry McDonald conceded a late penalty. Kyle Rogan dispatched the spot-kick brilliantly to leave the sides all square at half-time.
But that’s as close as the Division Three side got to their opponents. The Belfast side took over in the second half.
On top at midfield, they dominated possession and wing-forward Conall Toland tortured Drumaness with his constant foraging and darting runs.
A 40-yard free from Jonny Cleary set Bredagh on their way. Cleary’s measured conversion was followed by a flurry of scores from Enda Gormley, Toland and Cleary. Drumaness could only muster a single point in response.
Bredagh’s strength in depth was also a telling factor. When wing-back Rory McCaughey was forced to retire with a hamstring strain, he was replaced by the ever-dependable Mick Burke. Henry Deazley also made a significant impact when he entered the midfield fray for the last 20 minutes.
Bredagh were leading by four points when the game threatened to boil out of control after McWilliams was struck from behind. Proceedings certainly got more combative for a brief period, but Bredagh’s sound discipline and Jody Gormley’s training regime came to the fore in the last quarter. It was also notable that the 35-year-old Gormley was particularly prominent in this crucial phase of the game.
With Jody Gormley leading the charge from midfield, Bredagh closed out the game with four unanswered points from Enda Gormley (two), Henry Deazley and Kevin Bradley.
A date for the final has yet to be confirmed, but the footballers will now embark on an intensive training campaign as they try to bring some much needed silverware to the Ormeau Road.
Bredagh: Henry McDonald; Ollie McWilliams (capt), Paul Bradley, Barney McAnespie; Kevin Harte, Mark Diamond, Rory McCaughey; Paddy Heaney, John O’Connor; Conall Toland (0-2), Jody Gormley, Raymond Gormley; Jonny Cleary (0-4, one free), Enda Gormley (0-6, two frees), Conor Owens (1-1).
Subs: Mick Burke for Rory McCaughey; Henry Deazley (0-1) for John O’Connor; Fergus Coyle for Raymond Gormley; Kevin Bradley (0-1) for Conor Owens;
Drumaness: Garry O’Hare; Tony Ferris, Paul Armstrong, Brendan Teer; Paddy Bell, Neil McAleenan (0-1), Kyle Rogan (1-1); Neil McAlinden, George Taylor; S. P. McCartan (0-1), Patrick Rice (0-2), Niall Fitzpatrick; Darren Oldroyd, Daryl McAleenan (0-1), Willie Megoran (0-1).
Subs: Conor Deegans for Paul Armstrong; Philip Rogan for Willie Megoran; Michael Rainey for Darren Oldroyd.
Referee: P. D. Doyle (Liatroim).
Down JFC quarter-final: Bredagh 2-19 St John’s 0-6
Down JFC quarter-final: Bredagh 2-19 St John’s 0-6
Bredagh posted their most impressive performance of the year when they cruised into the semi-final of the championship with a comprehensive 2-19 to 0-6 victory over St John’s.
The opening quarter was a very competitive affair. Bredagh sneaked into a two-point lead following scores from Raymond Gormley (two frees), Enda Gormley (0-2) and Conor Owens.
As ever, St John’s put up a strong fight, but they had no answer to Bredagh’s blitzkrieg in the second quarter.
With John O’Connor, Jody Gormley and Paddy Heaney in control at midfield, the forwards were peppered with a constant supply of the ball. They didn’t waste it.
Wing-back Kevin Harte led the way when he charged forward and finished off a good move with a deft strike. The in form Raymond Gormley then added two scores from play.
St John’s couldn’t muster a response, and the few forays they managed into the Bredagh defence were easily smothered by a rampant half-back line featuring Rory McCaughey, Mark Diamond and Kevin Harte.
Bredagh concluded their seven-point scoring blitz with further scores from Enda Gormley, Fergus Coyle and Jody Gormley.
Leading by nine-points at half-time, Bredagh’s performance dipped dramatically in the third quarter. The forwards in particular were guilty of some sloppy football.
Having been ransacked in the second half, St John’s held their own in the third quarter, scoring three points to which Bredagh replied with three of their own.
However, that’s as good as it got for the men from the Mournes. The introduction of Jonny Cleary once again allowed the Ormeau Road to stamp their authority on the game.
In the space of four minutes Cleary thumped in two goals and saw a third astonishing effort from 25 yards bounce off the crossbar. Cleary’s double-salvo ripped the heart of St John’s and the Belfast side strolled to victory.
Bredagh will now play Drumaness in semi-final of the championship on Saturday, September 9 in Darragh Cross at 2pm.
Bredagh: Henry McDonald; Oliver McWilliams (capt), Paul Bradley, Barney McAnespie; Kevin Harte (0-1), Mark Diamond, Rory McCaughey; Paddy Heaney, John O’Connor (0-1); Henry Deazley, Jody Gormley (0-1), Raymond Gormley (0-5, three frees); F Coyle (0-1), Enda Gormley (0-9, two frees), Conor Owens (0-1).
Subs: Jonny Cleary (2-0) for F Coyle, L McGarry for R McCaughey; C Toland for H Deazley, B O’Connell for C Owens; N Devlin for E Gormley.
Bredagh 0-18 Mitchels 1-11
Junior Football Championship First Round, Thursday August 10th - Bredagh 0-18 Mitchels 1-11 - Bredagh senior footballers recorded a famous win in Dromara. Shane Donnelly and Paddy Heaney's men beat Division 3 high-flyers Newry Mitchels by four points. Johnny Cleary, starting as a sub, made an outstanding contribution when introduced, scoring four points. The Gormleys, Enda and Raymond, scored nine points between them, with their other namesake Jody turning in a fine performance on the '40'. Conal Toland (0-2) and Henry Deazley (0-2) had excellent games on the wing while midfield duo O'Connor and Heaney had outstanding games with the latter registering a point from the sideline and O'Connor holding possession powerfully in the last ten minutes. At the back Barney McAnespie was a contender for Man of the Match with Paul Bradley and skipper Ollie McWilliams also winning their individual battles and getting forward to great effect.
New Sponsor
Hampton Estates "right behind" Bredagh
Bredagh senior football team is now sponsored by Hampton Estates. Michael Devlin, proprietor of Hampton Estates, is seen here with his colleague Petra Duffin, presenting the new set of jerseys to goalkeeper Ciaran O'Keefe and manager Shane Donnelly.
Golden Oldies
The current Bredagh team may have gained promotion but we also had a useful team in the days of black and white pictures... this picture was taken before the 1995 East Down League Cup semi-final against Bryansford.
In the back row, you'll find legends such as Mickey Curran (now an U-8 coach), goalkeeper Ciaran O'Keefe (still keeping goals for the Seniors), Thomas Whyte (Senior team selector), and Paul McEvoy (still lining out for the Reserves).
In the front row, there's Liam McKenna, the Locky twins, Cathal Curran, Richard Cosgrove, Barry Carson and Dermot Dowling. If can identify the others in the picture, let us know. Thanks to Matt Fitzpatrick from the Down Recorder for the picture.
Pictures
The Bredagh Senior squad that has won promotion to Division Three. In doing so, they ended a six-year exile in Division Four, thanks to a 2-16 to 0-8 victory over St John's in Cherryvale. Bredagh's two remaining games against St Paul's will decide who become this year's League Champions.
Back Row: John Gilmore, Thomas Whyte, Jody Gormley, Conor O’Keefe, Mark Diamond, Henry Deazley, Paddy Heaney, Mick Burke, Conor Owens, Raymond Gormley, John O’Connor, Enda Gormley, Rory McDonnell, Brendan O’Connell, Sean Cunningham.
Front Row: Barry Houston, Rory McCaughey, Liam McGarry, Paddy Cassidy, Jonathan Arthurs, Barney McAnespie, Jonny Cleary, Paul Bradley, Ollie McWilliams (capt), Niall Devlin, Tim Shannon, Paddy Finnegan, Conall O’Neill.
Henry Deazley
Enda Gormley
Rory McCaughey
Raymond Gormley
Paul Bradley.
Bredagh 1-14 St Michael’s 1-8
Down ACFL Division Four: Bredagh 1-14 St Michael’s 1-8
Bredagh got their promotion campaign back on track with a hard fought victory over St Michael’s in Magheralin. The Ormeau Road team suffered a major setback when they were beaten by St Paul’s in their previous outing.
While there was no shame in losing to a well-drilled and determined St Paul’s side, it was the manner of Bredagh’s performance which set the alarm bells ringing. Bredagh failed to match the intensity of their rivals’ challenge and were roundly beaten in the 50/50 exchanges.
Fortunately, Bredagh showed significant improvement for this vital game against St Michael’s. They played with much greater conviction, evidenced by their willingness to win breaking ball. The away team dominated the opening quarter, thanks to a magnificent display from Mark Diamond at centre half-back. Whenever St Michael’s did manage to attack, their efforts were continually thwarted by the outstanding Mike Burke, who excelled at full-back.
It wasn’t long before Bredagh marched into a four-point lead, however they failed to capitalise on their great start. St Michael’s converted a free-kick, then poor defending allowed them to bag a goal that came completely against the run of play. The goal lifted St Michael’s and their vociferous supporters. Buoyed by this score St Michael’s grew in confidence and added a couple more scores which gave them a three-point lead.
But Bredagh refused to wilt. Two strikes from Enda Gormley and a superb individual effort from Jody Gormley brought the sides level at the break. The visitors saved their best football until the second half. Centre-back Mark Diamond showed great composure when he strode out of defence and curled a cool shot over the bar.
Diamond’s classy point seemed to inspire his team-mates, and a period of concerted pressure resulted in three converted free-kicks from Enda Gormley.
Bredagh’s momentum was disrupted after an accidental collision between Rory McCaughey and Jody Gormley. A few minutes later, Enda Gormley was also receiving medical treatment after he shipped two heavy challenges.
St Michael’s then enjoyed their best spell of the game and they fired over a couple of tremendous points which reduced the gap to just two points. However, the game turned decisively in Bredagh’s favour after the introduction of Conor Owens.
The powerfully built full-forward caused havoc in the St Michael’s full-back line. He scored a point within minutes of his introduction. Bredagh used the presence of Owens and Enda Gormley to good effect by bombarding the full-forward duo with high balls. The strategy paid off when Gormley forced the Bredagh full-back to spill a catch. Conal Toland latched onto the loose ball and stroked the ball into the net.
Another point from Conor Owens gave Bredagh a six-point lead. It proved to be their last score of the game. St Michael’s fought to the final whistle but their efforts were denied by some stout defending from Burke, McCaughey and Barney McAnespie. This win keeps Bredagh on top of Division Four and on course for promotion if they win their remaining games.
Bredagh: Ciaran O’Keefe; Paul Bradley, Mike Burke, Barney McAnespie; Ollie McWilliams (capt), Mark Diamond (0-1), Rory McCaughey; Paddy Heaney, Brendan O’Connell; Henry Deazley, Jody Gormley (0-1), Conal Toland (1-0); Enda Gormley (0-9, five frees), Kevin Bradley (0-1), Raymond Gormley.
Subs: Fergus Coyle for R Gormley; Conor Owens (0-2) for O McWilliams.
Bredagh 6-22 Aughlisnafin 1-2
Bredagh maintained their unbeaten record in the league when they strolled to a facile victory against Aughlisnafin at Cherryvale. The only time the result was in doubt was when the referee failed to turn up on time. He eventually arrived 15 minutes late.
Bredagh face a tougher challenge this Friday when they travel to Hollywood for their first encounter of the year with St Paul's.
Bredagh: Henry McDonald; Paul Bradley, Rory McDonnell, Tim Shannon; Paddy Cassidy, Ollie McWilliams (capt), Rory McCaughey (0-1); Brendan O’Connell, Mark Diamond (0-2); Conor O’Keefe (0-2), Kevin Harte (1-3), Fergus Coyle (0-1); Conal Donnelly; Paddy Finnegan (2-6, two frees), Jonny Cleary (2-3).
Subs: Paul McGlade (0-1) for J Cleary; Niall Boyle for O McWilliams; Michael Harte for Rory McCaughey; Conal O’Neill (1-3) for F Coyle.
Bredagh 1-11 Ballykinler 0-10
The Bredagh senior footballers survived a tough battle of wills when they enjoyed a hard fought victory over Ballykinlar in Round 11 of the league. The Ormeau Road side travelled to Ballykinlar with a depleted squad and came up against a home side that was bolstered with the return of five players who missed the thrashing in Cherryvale.
Fortunately, the visitors realised that they weren’t going to enjoy yet another cakewalk and they prepared themselves for a competitive game of football. They weren’t disappointed. When Ballykinlar raced into a three-point lead during the opening 10 minutes it looked extremely grim for the Division Four leaders.
But the Bredagh players rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in to the job in hand. Captain Ollie McWilliams provided inspirational leadership when he charged up the field and fired over a morale-boosting point. Conal O’Neill and Paddy Finnegan also showed cool heads when taking pressure scores that helped Bredagh to level the game.
The introduction of Mike Burke to centre half-back strengthened Bredagh’s presence at midfield. Burke took over from Kevin Harte who pushed up the field, adding more potency to the attack. Further scores from Rory McCaughey and Ian Galway gave Bredagh a two-point lead at half-time.
Bredagh’s big break came after the restart when Harte bagged a wonderful individual goal. After collecting the ball 30 yards from goal, he skipped past three players before delivering a low shot to the right of the keeper.
Harte’s clinical strike gave Bredagh some breathing space, but Ballykinlar were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their pitch opening and they were keen to put on a performance for their fans.
The home side continued to press and they reduced the deficit to four points. With the game in the balance, Conal O’Neill and Raymond Gormley produced outstanding displays for the Belfast team. The wing forwards won a glut of possession, and tormented their markers with their tireless running throughout the second half.
However, this was very much a team effort by Bredagh and there were many gusty displays in every department of the field.
With the boys in maroon scrapping for every ball, Ballykinlar couldn’t get the goal they needed to bring themselves back into contention, and it was a very relieved Bredagh side that eventually clinched a four-point win.
That victory keeps Bredagh on top of Division Four. The team will play a challenge game against Ballymena in Cherryvale tonight ( Wednesday at 7.30pm) ahead of their Round 12 encounter against Aughlisnafin at the same venue on Friday (also at 7.30pm).
Bredagh: Henry McDonald; Barry Houston, Rory McDonnell, Paddy Cassidy; Ollie McWilliams (0-1), Kevin Harte (1-1), Rory McCaughey (0-1); Brendan O’Connell, Conor O’Keefe; Raymond Gormley (0-1), Conal O’Neill (0-1), Fergus Coyle; Ian Galway (0-2, one free), Paddy Finnegan (0-4, three frees), Paul McGlade.
Subs: Mick Burke for Paul McGlade; Paddy Heaney for Conor O’Keefe; Liam McGarry for Barry Houston; Niall Boyle for Paddy Finnegan.
Bredagh 2-19 St John’s 0-6
League, Friday June 1st - a stunning goal by Kevin Bradley set Bredagh on their way to an easy victory against St John’s. Bredagh got off to a dream start when Conor Owens volleyed to the net in the fifth minute. Owens’ effort put Bredagh four points in front and it looked like the floodgates might open. But St John’s responded with a couple of well-worked scores. Bredagh were dominating at midfield, where Mark Diamond acted as anchor man, while the strong running Henry Deazley launched a series of promising attacks. But despite receiving an abundant supply of the ball, the Bredagh forward line wasn’t clicking into gear. On several occasions, the players were too ambitious. Various flicks, volleys and shots from long range came to nothing. Simple football reaped richer dividends. When Enda Gormley took a direct pass from midfield he fed Bradley, who had timed his run to perfection. After bursting through the first tackle, Bradley launched an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Bradley’s goal settled the visitors and the defence eventually got on top of a useful St John’s forward line that had been causing a few problems. Paul Bradley was the pick of the defence, while full-back Mike Burke and Conal O’Neill also impressed. Having established their dominance in defence and midfield, the Bredagh forward line was able to run up another hefty tally as the team cantered to a 19-point win.
Summary - after nine games Bredagh are undefeated and top Division Four. They’ve won eight and drawn one, giving them a total of 17 points. But the race for the title and the two promotion places remains wide open. Second-placed St Michael’s are hot on Bredagh’s heels with 15 points, while St Paul’s have 14 points.
Team & Scorers: Henry McDonald; Paul Bradley, Mike Burke, Conal O’Neill; Kevin Harte, Jody Gormley, Ollie McWilliams (capt); Paddy Heaney, Mark Diamond; Henry Deazley (0-2), Conall Toland (0-2), Kevin Bradley (1-4, one free); Jonny Cleary (0-5, two frees), Enda Gormley (0-4, one free), Conor Owens (1-2).
Bredagh 2-20 1-10 St. Michael’s
The Bredagh seniors took a huge step towards ending their six-year exile in Division Four when they enjoyed a great victory over St Michael’s in a thrilling contest at Cherryvale.
While Bredagh ran out comfortable winners in the end, the outcome remained in doubt until the last 10 minutes.
St Michael’s, junior champions in 2004, showed why they had remained unbeaten until their trip to Belfast. The Magheralin side mixed stubborn resistance with superb efficiency when they took maximum advantage from limited possession.
The visitors scored with almost every attack. In contrast, Bredagh hit a string of wides in the first quarter. It looked like the game was set to be a repeat of the drawn encounter when Bredagh’s poor shooting meant they had to settle for a draw after dominating much of the match.
But just as the Bredagh forwards started to get extremely edgy, a few players showed commendable character and composure.
Conall Toland set the tone for a fantastic display when he kicked a point with his first touch. He finished the game with a tally of 1-3. Conor Owens, a sub in the drawn game, showed why he had forced his way into the first I5 with a great performance. He scored five fine points, yet he was still outshone by the superb Enda Gormley. The former Allstar provided a masterclass in marksmanship. He kicked a total of nine points over the hour.
When St. Michael’s scored their first point, Bredagh responded with a goal from Toland, and it was this score which separated the sides at half-time.
The fitter Bredagh players made their push for victory after the break when they controlled the third quarter. Conor Owens put the ball between the uprights in the opening seconds. This was quickly followed by points from Enda Gormley and Toland.
St Michael’s slowly fought their way back into contention, but they found it hard to break down their opponents’ defence. Mick Burke, who was bombarded by a succession of high balls at full-back, produced a battling display against a very dangerous and effective full-forward.
Further scores from Owens, Henry Deazley and Gormley added to Bredagh’s lead, but a goal from St Michael’s player Declan Laverty meant the boys in maroon couldn’t relax.
The Ormeau Road side continued to exert pressure at midfield where Mark Diamond made a solid contribution after his introduction as a sub at half-time. A 56th minute goal from Kevin Bradley effectively settled the contest.
This was a tense game, with a lot at stake for both sides. Both teams displayed great determination, but in the end it was Bredagh’s long pre-season and superior strength in depth which paid off.
Team and scores: Henry McDonald; Conal O’Neill, John O’Connor, Kevin Harte; Mick Burke, Jody Gormley, Ollie McWilliams (capt.); Paddy Heaney (0-1), Henry Deazley (0-1); Kevin Bradley (1-0), Conall Toland (1-3), Paul Bradley (0-1); Fergus Coyle, Enda Gormley (0-9), Conor Owens (0-5).
Replacements: Mark Diamond for John O’Connor, Raymond Gormley for Conall Toland.
Nuala Canavan
Bredagh 4-20 - 1-2 Killyleagh
Bredagh registered another easy victory in Killyleagh on May 12 when they cruised to a 27-point win against the Sky Blues.
Bredagh were anticipating a much tougher encounter. The previous week Killyleagh gave an under strength St Paul’s side a real scare. The Hollywood club, who were missing eight regulars, eventually escaped with a four-point win.
Bredagh also travelled to Killyleagh missing a host of first choice players and were expecting a solid test against a side that had registered two wins from four games.
But Bredagh’s fears of an upset never materialised. James Mullan, Barry Houston, Paddy Cassidy and Rory McDonnell filled the vacancies left in defence and produced extremely solid displays.
The Ormeau Road side dominated from start to finish. Enda Gormley hit a succession of points before being substituted at half-time while Conor Owens cemented his place in the full-forward line with a impressive haul of 2-3. He was also replaced at the break.
Bredagh led 3-13 to 0-2 at half-time and their dominance continued in an equally lob-sided second half.
Bredagh: Henry McDonald, James Mullan, John O’Connor, Barry Houston; Paddy Cassidy, Ollie McWilliams (capt), Rory McDonnell; Paddy Heaney, Kevin Bradley (1-1), Liam McGarry, Conal O’Neill (1-2), Conall Toland (0-1); Paul Bradley (0-3); Enda Gormley (0-6, one ‘45), Conor Owens (2-3).
Subs: Paddy Finnegan (0-2) for Enda Gormley, Conor O’Keefe for C Owens, J Cleary (0-2, one free) for Liam McGarry.
Bredagh 6-16 - 0-1 Ballykinlar
Down ACFL: Bredagh 6-16 Ballykinlar 0-1
By Nuala Canavan
The Bredagh seniors enjoyed another comfortable victory on Monday night when they steamrollered Ballykinlar at Cherryvale.
Bredagh were without team trainer and centre-back Jody Gormley. He was in Carlow with the Abbey CBS team who clinched their first ever Hogan Cup title – a great achievement for Jody Gormley who is in his first year at the Newry school.
Gormley’s presence in the Bredagh side wasn’t missed. Mike Burke, his replacement in the No. 6 jersey, had a superb game as the boys in maroon cruised to a facile victory over Ballykinlar.
The Bredagh onslaught began in the first minute with a stylish point from Kevin Harte, and continued with scores from Fergus Coyle and Conall Toland.
Henry Deazley’s powerhouse display at midfield meant the one-way traffic continued and former All-star Enda Gormley fisted the first of his team’s six goals in the eighth minute.
Ballykinlar enjoyed a brief period of sustained possession midway through the first half but the Bredagh defence ensured that the Ballykinlar forwards failed to capitalise on any ground gained.
Most of the action took place in the away team’s half, with Ballykinlar failing to gain the possession they needed from an organised Bredagh midfield.
Three goals in as many minutes from Enda Gormley, Ian Galway and Henry Deazley set the tone for the rest of this one-sided game. A point from a free on the cusp of half-time was their only score of the match. Bredagh responded immediately with points from Conall Toland and Deazley.
After half-time Bredagh continued their assault, with further points from Toland (0-1), Gormley (1-2), Galway (0-4) and Kevin Harte (1-3). This was too much for Ballykinlar, who failed to put a single point on the scoresheet in the second half. To their credit, Ballykinlar struggled on until the final whistle but were overpowered by a much stronger Bredagh side.
After an unbeaten beginning to the league, Bredagh are now drawn at the top of Division 4 along with St. Michael’s Magherlin. They go on to meet Aughlisnafin in Annsborough on Friday (May 5). That game is followed by a crunch match against neighbours, and strong contenders for promotion, St. Paul’s, Hollywood on Monday 8th at Cherryvale.
The game against St Paul’s could have a huge bearing on their hopes of getting out of Division Four.
Bredagh: Ciaran O’Keefe; Rory McDonnell, John O’Connor, Barry Houston; Ollie McWilliams (capt), Michael Burke, Liam McGarry; Paddy Heaney, Henry Deazley (1-1); Conall Toland (0-3), Fergus Coyle (0-2), Kevin Harte (1-4); Conal O’Neill, Enda Gormley (3-2), Ian Galway (1-4).
Replacements: Conor Owens for Conal O’Neill, Paddy Cassidy for Liam McGarry, Conor O’Keefe for Conall Toland, Tim Shannon for Barry Houston, James Mullan for Ollie McWilliams.
Registered Players
(Football & Hurling) - Paddy Heaney, Shane Donnelly, Conor O'Keefe, Ciaran O'Keefe, Conall O'Neill, Paul O'Reilly, James McKenna, Liam McCollum, Ultan Power, Brian Connelly, Rory Galway, Ian Galway, Paddy McGrenaghan, Mark Heron, Michael Burke, Mark Diamond, Paddy Cassidy, Timothy Shannon, Raymond Gormley, Stephen Hand, Patrick Finnegan, Paul McEvoy, Conall Donnelly, Michael Whyte, Fergal McCamphill, Paul Bradley, Oliver McWilliams, James Mullan, Barry Houston, Rory McDonnell, Liam McGarry, Stephen McGettrick, Brian Willighan, Charlie Dillon, Seamus McKillop, Michael McKervey, Ciaran Nixon, Conor McCaughey, Paul Boyle, Colin Murray, Jody Gormley, Brendan McAnespy, Enda Gormley, Henry Deazley, Emmett Mullally, Conor Owens, Peadar Heffron, Rory McCaughey, Fergus Coyle, Paul McGlade, Kevin Bradley, John O'Connor, Colin O'Neill, Shane Matthews, Michael Harte, Kevin Harte, Henry McDonald, Jonny Cleary, Conal Toland, Ryan McGaughey, Michael Tunney, Brian McKenna, Paul Moriarty, Paul Johnson, Jack Anderson
Fixtures
MENS FOOTBALL
Senior Challenge Games
Sunday, February 26 - Bredagh lost to St Brigid's
Saturday, March 11 - Bredagh 5-10 St Enda's 0-6
Sunday, March 19 - Bredagh 2-8 Saul 1-4
Wednesday, April 5 - Bredagh 3-16 Aghaderg 1-4
Sunday, April 9 - Bredagh 2-15 Dundrum 1-4
Senior League
Monday, April 17 - St Michael’s v Bredagh
Friday, April 21 - Bredagh v Dromara
Monday, April 24 - St John’s v Bredagh
Monday, May 1 - Ballykinlar v Bredagh
Friday, May 5 - Aughlisnafin v Bredagh
Monday, May 8 - Bredagh v St Paul’s
Friday, May 12 - Killyleagh v Bredagh
Friday, May 19 - Bredagh v St Michael’s
Friday, May 26 - Dromara v Bredagh
Friday, June 2 - Bredagh v St John’s
Friday, June 9 - Bredagh v Ballykinlar
Friday, June 16 - Bredagh v Aughlisnafin
Friday, June 23 - St Paul’s v Bredagh
Friday, June 30 - Bredagh v Killyleagh
Thursday, July 6 - St Michael’s v Bredagh
Sunday, July 23 - Bredagh v Dromara
Friday, July 28 - St John’s v Bredagh
Monday, July 31 - Ballykinlar v Bredagh
Friday, August 4 - Aughlisnafin v Bredagh
Friday, August 20 - Bredagh v St Paul’s
Saturday, September 23 - Killyleagh v Bredagh
Junior Championship
Preliminary Round
St Michael’s v Teconnaught
Killyleagh v Drumaness
Bredagh v Newry Mitchells
Aughlisnafin v Dromara
Round One
Aughlisnafin or Dromara v Killyleagh or Drumaness
Bredagh or Newry Mitchells v St John’s
St Paul’s v Ballykinlar
St Michael’s or Teconnaught v Bright
Championship Dates
August 12-15 – Round 1
August 25-27 - Quarter-finals
September 8-10 - Semi-finals
Sunday October 15 – Final
Junior Football Sevens
Sunday May 14 - at 12.00 in Ballykinlar
Bredagh v Killyleagh
Reserves - Terry Lawlor Cup
Saturday, February 11 - Semi-final - Dromara 2-4 Bredagh 1-8
Saturday, Feburary 18 - Final - Bredagh 0-8 Carryduff 0-10 (aet)
Reserves League (all at 7.00pm)
Sunday, April 23 - Bredagh v Castlewellan
Sunday, April 30 - Dundrum v Bredagh
Sunday, May 14 - Bredagh v Bright
Wednesday, May 17 - Carryduff v Bredagh
Sunday, May 21 - Bredagh v Teconnaught
Sunday, June 11 - Bye
Sunday, June 25 - Ardglass v Bredagh
Sunday, July 2 - Bredagh v St John’s
Sunday, July 23 - Saul v Bredagh
Sunday, July 30 - Bredagh v Drumaness
Sunday, August 6 - Liatriom v Bredagh
Sunday, August 20 - Bredagh v St Paul’s
Sunday, August 27 - Darragh Cross v Bredagh
Bredagh 1-14 - 0-5 St John’s
Monday night’s match against St John’s promised to be a much more competitive affair. Last year, Bredagh’s bid for promotion shipped a serious blow when they lost this corresponding fixture.
St John’s teams are always fit and well prepared and Bredagh travelled to the Drumaroad venue expecting a solid test.
They weren’t disappointed, particularly in the first half when St John’s played with the advantage of a strong breeze.
The home team bombarded their razor-sharp full-forward line with a series of long, probing balls, but Bredagh’s excellent full-back line held firm.
Mike Burke, playing his first game in the No.3 jersey, cut a commanding figure on the edge of the square and he ably assisted by Rory McCaughey and Paul Bradley.
Despite playing against the elements, Bredagh won their fair share of possession. Midfielder Henry Deazley and Kevin Bradley both landed some fine catches at midfield while Jody Gormley drove the team forward from centre half-back.
After a nip and tuck first quarter, Bredagh seized the initiative when a smart Johnny Cleary flick put Enda Gormley through on goal. The former Allstar placed the ball coolly into the top corner with the outside of his trusty left boot.
Gormley’s goal meant the visitors enjoyed a five-point lead at the break.
A flurry of scores at the start of the second half from the left boots of Enda Gormley (two) and Johnny Cleary (two) ensured that St John’s weren’t given any chance to work their way back into contention.
To their credit, the home side never gave up and battled until the final whistle. Strong defending from Liam McGarry and Ollie McWilliams meant St John’s were restricted to just one point (a free) in the second half.
Bredagh’s fine display was capped off with a wonderful point from Conall Toland.
After three games, Bredagh remain undefeated and their hopes of promotions are still very much alive. Next up is Ballykinlar in Cherryvale on Monday night (May 1) at 7pm.
Bredagh (v St John’s): Henry McDonald; Paul Bradley, Mike Burke, Rory McCaughey; Ollie McWilliams, Jody Gormley, Liam McGarry; Paddy Heaney, Henry Deazley; Kevin Bradley (0-1), Enda Gormley (1-7, three frees), Conall Toland (0-2); Raymond Gormley, Johnny Cleary (0-4, one free), Fergus Coyle.
Subs: Conor Owens for Kevin Bradley
Bredagh 4-22 - 0-5 Dromara
Friday night’s match against Dromara was a rout. Played in perfect conditions, a sizeable home support watched as their seniors eased to victory in a very one-sided game.
One of the highlights of the evening came when Conor Owens marked his return to senior football in the second half. After a few years away from the game, Conor is in the process of returning to full fitness, but he hasn’t lost his scoring touch. Introduced for the last quarter, he bagged two goals and added a point for good measure.
Down ACFL: St Michael’s 0-12 Bredagh 1-9
Jody and Enda Gormley will make their competitive home debuts for Bredagh on Friday evening (April 21) when the Ormeau Road side plays host to Dromara at Cherryvale (7pm throw-in)
Former Allstar Enda Gormley enjoyed his first experience of Down league football on Monday night when he starred against St Michael’s in Magheralin.
The crunch clash between the two teams gunning for promotion ended in a draw. Given Bredagh’s injury crisis, they probably would have settled for a share of the spoils prior to the throw-in.
Manager Shane Donnelly was without Jody Gormley, Brendan O’Connell, Mike Burke, John O’Connor, Barney McAnespie and Mark Diamond.
Due to a chronic absence of midfield players, Donnelly was forced to utilise Enda’s Gormley strength and experience in the middle of the field.
The former Derry footballer provided an exhibition which belied his 40 years. He won a stack of breaking ball and his measured distribution ensured that the Bredagh forward line enjoyed a stream of quality passes.
Despite being under strength, Bredagh dominated the first half. They had over 60 per cent possession, but rushed shooting and poor decision-making proved costly.
Although they had played with the breeze and ‘downhill’ in the first half, the scores were level (0-4 to 0-4) at the break.
While Bredagh’s high wide-count was frustrating, the boys in maroon and white showed commendable composure, and they kept up the pressure in the second half.
Raymond Gormley held his nerve to fire over a wonderful point which sparked another period of intense pressure from the away team.
Rory McCaughey extended Bredagh’s lead to two points, before substitute Johnny Cleary collected a superb pass from Conall Toland and blasted to the net.
St Michael’s responded immediately, but Cleary, having missed a few decent chances, had now found his range, and he landed over two sweet efforts.
Cleary’s 1-2 meant Bredagh were five points in front with 10 minutes to go.
However, St Michael’s finished with a late push, scoring a succession of points which brought them level with three minutes on the clock.
But Bredagh still had a chance to win the game. With time running out, Enda Gormley gave his team a one-point lead. St Michael’s refused to surrender, a `Hail Mary’ punt resulted in a free-kick which was coolly converted by Niall Lavery.
The Bredagh players could barely mask their disappointment at the final whistle. But overall this was a creditable performance. While Enda Gormley was the man-of-the-match, Kevin Harte, Raymond Gormley, Fergus Coyle and Johnny Clearly also made notable contributions.
And had goalkeeper Henry McDonald not produced a great save in the second half, the result could have been much worse.
Bredagh: Henry McDonald; Paul Bradley, Kevin Bradley, Tim Shannon; Liam McGarry, Oliver McWilliams (capt), Rory McDonnell; Paddy Heaney, Enda Gormley (0-2, one free); Conall Toland, Raymond Gormley (0-2), Kevin Harte (0-1); Rory McCaughey (0-1), Fergus Coyle (0-1), Ian Galway.
Subs: Johnny Cleary (1-2) for Ian Galway, Henry Deazley for Rory McDonnell.
Bredagh 3-16 - Aghaderg 1-4
Senior Football Challenge
Wednesday April 5th
Ian Galway stole the show as the senior team strolled to a facile win against an under strength Aghaderg. Galway’s cool finishing allowed a dominant Bredagh team to open up a six-point lead at half-time. Playing against the wind, the Ormeau Road boys bossed much of the first half, but a combination of over elaboration and wayward shooting meant they didn’t translate their superiority onto the scoreboard. At one stage, it looked like Bredagh might kick themselves out of it, but some smart improvisation from Rory McCaughey enabled him to score a goal which settled the home team. And Galway increased the advantage with three stylish strikes, one with the fist and two with his right boot. Whenever Aghaderg did break forward they met a stubborn defence which was well marshalled by centre back Jody Gormley. Skipper Ollie McWilliams turned in yet another sterling performance and he received solid assistance from Paul Bradley. Aghaderg did gain something from their efforts when their full-forward Stephen McCumiskey bagged a well-worked goal on the cusp of half-time.
SECOND-HALF
Bredagh kept piling on the pressure after the break. Midfielder Mike Burke led the charge from midfield and the Aghaderg defence started to concede free-kicks which were punished by the unerring Galway. He converted three tricky frees and added another score from play, bringing his tally for the evening to 0-7 (three frees). High turn-outs at training means there is now intense competition for places in the senior team, and manager Shane Donnelly availed of the opportunity to look at his other options.
Donnelly received plenty of food for thought. Brendan O’Connell shored up the full-back line, Kevin Harte impressed at wing-back, while Jonny Cleary (1-1), Paddy Finnegan (1-0), and Conall O’Neill (0-1) all got on the scoresheet.
SUMMARY: this was another pleasing performance by Bredagh, but they’ll meet stronger, fitter and more focused teams in the not too distant future.
TEAM & SCORERS: Ciaran O’Keefe; Tim Shannon, Paul Bradley, Rory McDonnell; Ollie McWilliams (capt), Jody Gormley, Paddy Cassidy; Paddy Heaney, Mike Burke; Henry Deazley (0-1), Kevin Bradley (0-2, one free), Rory McCaughey (1-1); Conall Toland (0-2), Fergus Coyle (0-1), Ian Galway (0-7, three frees). Replacements: Henry McDonald, Brendan O’Connell, Kevin Harte, Paul McGlade, Conor Owens, Conall O’Neill (0-1), Paddy Finnegan (1-0), Jonny Cleary (1-1), James McKenna (one great catch), Brian McKenna, Conor O’Keefe.
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Saul 1-06 Bredagh 3-14
Bredagh 2-08 St Paul's 0-06
Bredagh 3-10 St Johns 1-10
Bredagh 3-06 Dundrum 2-11
Ardglass 2-12 Bredagh 2-10
Bredagh v Drumgath
Bredagh 1-10 Teconnaught 1-07
Bredagh 0-9 Ardglass 1-5
St John Bosco 2-11 Bredagh 1-5
Bredagh 2-16, Newry Mitchell’s 0-11
Bredagh 0-16 Drumgath 3-6
Bredagh 2-12 Bright 2-06
Division 3: Bredagh 2-12 St Paul’s 1-7
Bredagh 1-8 Teconnaught 0-5
Captain's Address
PEN PICS
Down JFC semi-final: Bredagh 1-15 Drumaness 1-7
Down JFC quarter-final: Bredagh 2-19 St John’s 0-6
Bredagh 0-18 Mitchels 1-11
New Sponsor
Golden Oldies
Pictures
Bredagh 1-14 St Michael’s 1-8
Bredagh 6-22 Aughlisnafin 1-2
Bredagh 1-11 Ballykinler 0-10
Bredagh 2-19 St John’s 0-6
Bredagh 2-20 1-10 St. Michael’s
Bredagh 4-20 - 1-2 Killyleagh
Bredagh 6-16 - 0-1 Ballykinlar
Registered Players
Fixtures
Bredagh 1-14 - 0-5 St John’s
Bredagh 4-22 - 0-5 Dromara
Down ACFL: St Michael’s 0-12 Bredagh 1-9
Bredagh 3-16 - Aghaderg 1-4
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