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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 | |
