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Senior Hurling
Ulster League: Bredagh 3-11 2-12 Carrickmore
Bredagh senior hurlers held off the challenge of hot favourites Carrickmore to record a victory in the first match of their Ulster League campaign on Saturday afternoon. The Bredagh lads hit the ground running with full forward Donal McAuley the star of the show. McAuley bagged 3-2 during the opening half when he was well served with a good supply of ball from Gallagher, McCamphill and Hughes. At half time Bredagh went in 3-6 to 1-5 ahead and Carrickmore knew they had a job on their hands to turn the match around.
Second half
Carrickmore were a different side in the second half after a stern talking to from former Down manager John Crossey. With former Bredagh star Seamus McLoughney the main scoring threat for the Tyrone men they clawed their way back into the game and cut the Bredagh lead to a single point 10 minutes into the second half. Despite the pressure the Bredagh defence, led by the evergreen Lorenzo McMullan in goals and Charlie Dillon at full back, held firm and Cormac Hughes kept the scoreboard ticking over for Bredagh with a number of frees. With time running out Carrickmore couldn't get the goal they needed and at the final whistle the score stood at Bredagh 3-11, Carrickmore 2-12.
Summary
The was an excellent performance from an under strenght Bredagh team missing 8 regulars due to County and work commitments. They led form start to finish and despite some serious pressure from Carrickmore towards the end the Bredagh lads held on for a 2 point win. Manager Sean McGuiness was delighted with the win and pointed out that Bredagh were playing in Ulster Division 2 this year against good quality oppontents from Antrim, Derry and Tyrone.
The next match is away to Ballinascreen on Saturday 13th March.
Antrim HL Div 4A: St Enda's 4-06 1-20 Bredagh
Bredagh 1.20 St Endas 4.6
Bredagh's senior hurlers followed up on their Intermediate championship victory on Sunday with an impressive win away to St Endas in the Antrim hurling league on Wednesday (26th August) evening. Despite travelling without 7 of the team which featured the previous Sunday in the championship, the Bredagh hurlers put on an impressive display against a St Endas team which is always difficult to beat at their Hightown headquarters. Indeed, but for a couple of late goals, conceded in the dying moments of the game, the Bredagh victory would have been even more impressive.
Best for Bredagh on the night were the returning Stephen McGettrick, who played superbly at full-back (a completely new experience for Stephen), Jack Anderson, who was as solid as a rock at centre half back, Paddy Byrne, at left half back, Paul Kelly and Willie Gilmore who completely dominated midfield and Ian Galway and Eoghan Donnelly in the half forward line, who scored 1.9 and 0.8 respectively of Bredagh's total. Paul Morriarty too had an excellent game in Bredagh's half forward line, with his probing runs causing havoc in the St Endas defence and creating numerous scoring chances for the Bredagh forwards throughout. Mention too must be made of Charlie Dillon, who was playing well in left back until he dislocated his finger after 15 minutes of play; if Charlie didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all!
The big plus points from this game from a Bredagh perspective were the scoring performances of Ian Galway and Eoghan Donnelly and the general performances of other players such as Willie Gilmore, Stephen McGettrick, Paddy Byrne, Paul Morriarty and late substitute Donal McAuley, who was returning from injury. All of these lads, with the exception of Eoghan, didn't start Sunday's championship game, but they undoubtedly rose to the challenge presented by the management team Sean and Colm MacGuinness. At the start Sean and Colm asked for everyone to stake their claims for places on the championship team for 13th September. After this performance, a few more players have clearly demonstrated their readiness for championship action and Colm/Sean will undoubtedly will have a few difficult decisions to make when it comes to picking the team for the IHC final.
Bredagh Panel/Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Whyte, Stephen McGettrick, Charlie Dillon, Mark McGinley, Jack Anderson, Paddy Byrne, Willie Gilmore, Paul Kelly, Eoghan Donnelly (0.8), Ian Galway (1.9 - 0.7 F), Paul Morriarty (0.1), Cathair Bonnar, Ali McAlister, Niall Donnelly (0.2), Michael Mullan, Donal McAuley, Matthew McAffee, Conal Mulholland, Michael Kinsella, Vincent McCool, Ultan Power.
IHC Semi Final: Bredagh 2-12 1-11 Ballela
Bredagh's senior hurlers made another bit of history at a blustery
Castlewellan on Sunday by beating Ballela to reach the Down IHC final
for the first time. The final scoreline was a poor reflection of
Bredagh's dominance of the game and apart from a late Balella rally,
Bredagh dominated the greater part of the match.
The opening score came from a Ballela free after two minutes, but
Bredagh quickly got a stranglehold on the match with the lively Niall
Donnelly rounding his opponent to take a fine point with five minutes
played. Niall added a well taken goal two minutes later after good build
up work by his brother Eoghan. Paul Doole then opened his account on
eight minutes with a fine point following an excellent passage of play
which started deep in the Bredagh defence. Ballela responded with a
point from the dangerous Johnnie McCusker but Bredagh's forwards took
control and began to run the Balella defence ragged for the rest of the
opening quarter. Niall Donnelly took a further point after nine minutes
to extend Bredagh's lead and two points from Paul Doole, one from a free
and the other from open play, saw Bredagh open up a six point lead
despite playing against a stiff breeze in the opening period. Paul Kelly
and Fergal McCamphill added two further points from play, with Balella
replying with two points from frees and one from play. First-half man-of-the-match displays came from chief scorers and corner men, Doole and Donnelly, both adding two further points apiece from play with Ballela adding one further point to the scoreboard before the short whistle. A key feature of the opening half was the outstanding display of the Bredagh defence with all 7 defensive players providing a sound platform on which the South Belfast lads built their victory. Cormac Hughes and Paul Kelly were dominant at midfield in the opening period with Donal Hughes, Fergal McCamphill and Eoghan Donnelly putting in a power of work in the half forward line, providing an abundance of
scoring opportunities for the full forward line.
Half time:Bredagh 1-9 Ballela 0-6
Bredagh got the perfect start to the second half with Ali McAlister
adding on a goal and a point in the opening three minute, the goal
coming from a superbly struck ground stroke. Ballela came back with
three points, before Donal Hughes opened his account for Bredagh with a
fine point following a forcefull run at the Ballela defence. Ballela
responded with a further point from play before Donal Hughes added a
final point for Bredagh after twenty minutes of the second half. The
final ten minutes saw Balella mount a final onslaught on the Bredagh
goals which saw a goal and two points being added to the Balella total
bringing a bit more respectability to the final score, which read
Bredagh 2-12 Ballela 1-11.
Summary
Bredagh's victory was their just reward for a fine team performance with
all fifteen starters and substitutes Ian Galway and Willie Gilmore
playing their part in an impressive victory. Young Mark Devlin had an
outstanding game in defence restricting Balella's talisman Johnnie
McCusker to crumbs of possession and two points from play. He was ably
supported by goalkeeper, Lorenzo Mc Mullan, captain Liam McCollum at
centre full-back and the resurgent Michael White in right back.
Bredagh's half back line were the men-of-the-match of the second-half with Mark McGinley and Jack Anderson repelling Ballela attacks time and again. However, Paudie Gallagher was the pick of Bredagh's defence with a superb all-action display at left half back. Midfielders Paul Kelly and Cormac Hughes
dominated the middle third throughout, whilst Niall Donnelly, Paul
Doole, Ali McAlister and Donal Hughes contributed most to Bredagh's
final total, with Fergal McCamphill and Eoghan Donnelly doing a lot of
the "spadework".
Bredagh's management team of Sean McGuinness and son Colm were both
delighted with the Bredagh performance and with the victory. Sean was
effusive in his praise of the team saying; "You have to remember that
seven of our team are 21 or under, with Cormac and Donal Hughes and
Niall Donnelly all still under 19. The experienced lads like Liam
McCollum, Jack Anderson, Fergal McCamphill and Ali McAlister provided
excellent leadership to the younger players today, as they always do,
and Paul Kelly, Mark McGinley and Paudie Gallagher provided much of the
graft on which today's victory was built. It's a fantastic achievement
to reach the Intermediate Hurling Championship final, given that senior
hurling only returned to Bredagh five years ago, but we go into the
final as massive underdogs against a Liatroim team which has
consistently been the top Non-Ards team in Down over the past 10 years."
Colm added; "I'm very proud of what the lads have achieved today and
it's a privilege to work with a group of players who are so dedicated
and keen to do well. It speaks volumes about the quality of the squad
when you look at the players we had on our substitutes bench today.
There's three weeks left until the Intermediate final and we've a few
league games pencilled in during this period, so it's up to each and
every one of the boys to stake their claim for a place on the 13th
September. It'll be very difficult to beat Liatroim, but we've got a
fighting chance."
Bredagh panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael White, Liam
McCollum, Mark Devlin, Mark McGinley, Jack Anderson, Paudie Gallagher,
Cormac Hughes, Paul Kelly (0-1), Eoghan Donnelly, Fergal McCamphill
0-1), Donal Hughes (0-2), Niall Donnelly (1-3), Ali McAllister (1-1),
Paul Doole (0-4), Willie Gilmore, Paddy Byrne, Charlie Dillon, Cathair
Bonnar, Ian Galway, Donal McAuley, Michael Mullan, Ultan Power, Rory
Boyle, Paul Moriarty.
ACHL Div 1: Newry Shamrocks 1-9 3-11 Bredagh
Bredagh's senior hurlers travelled to a sun-baked Pairc Esler for their rearranged Down Division 1 game on Monday 1st June and returned with a handsome 9 point victory over their hosts, who had acceded to Bredagh's request to rearrange the game to fit with their overwhelming programme of fixtures.
The first half was very evenly balanced neither team dominating, although Bredagh just about deserved their 2 point lead at the interval. Ali McAlister continued his rich vein of form with a superb first half goal on 20 minutes with Bredagh's other first half scores coming by way of single points from Paul Doole, Fergal McCamphill Cathair Bonnar and Paul Kelly, with the impressive Ian Galway tagging on 2 points from placed balls. Ian had an excellent first half, exhibiting a tenacity in his game which has hitherto been a scarce commodity and if he can continue to combine this tenacious approach with his undoubted technical ability, he will be an outstanding hurler for Bredagh for many years to come. He was well supported in the middle third by half backs Willie Gilmore, Jack Anderson, Paudie Gallagher and the ever-improving Mark Devlin, who replaced Willie (injured) after 20 minutes, with Paul Kelly and Cormac Hughes also performing starring roles in midfield.
Half Time: Bredagh 1.6 Newry 1.4
The second half opened in blistering fashion for Bredagh with Ali McAlister and Paul Doole scoring two majors in the opening five minutes. Ali's was an opportunistic strike in line with his impressive scores of recent games and he is currently at the top of his game. Paul's goal came from a delightful overhead flick and was undoubtedly the "killer-blow", as the Newry lads never recovered from this double-salvo at the start of the second period. Fergal McCamphill, who was once again outstanding at centre-half-forward, added on his second point of the night, to open up an 8 point gap with ten minutes played in the second half. Paul Doole, who returned to his favoured corner-forward position on the night, added on two well-taken points from play and the game was over as a contest. Newry responded by introducing their talisman, Kieran Courtney, for the final 15 minutes and he rallied the Shamrocks to one final effort, which produced 3 late points. However, Bredagh responded with two points of their own from Ian Galway (free) and Cathair Bonnar and held on to secure an impressive 9 point victory, their second successive win in the Down League.
This Bredagh victory was built on a solid team display from goal-keeper, Lorenzo McMullan to corner forward Cathair Bonnar. Often during the match, Newry players found themselves swarmed by three Bredagh opponents, such was the intensity of the play from the South Belfast lads. In addition to those already mentioned, special mention must be made of the full-back line of Michael White, Mark McGinley and Charlie Dillon, who settled in to fine games after a shaky opening 10 minutes. Mark in particular was as solid as a rock in centre full back and stifled Newry's main scoring threat, Eoin McGuinness, when he moved to the edge of the square in the first half. However, sterner tests lie ahead and an improvement in fitness levels will be required by a number of the Bredagh lads in time for the championship.
In summarising Bredagh's performance, manager Sean McGuinness, who has just returned for a week of warm-weather training in Kerry, described the display of the South Belfast lads as "the best I've seen since becoming involved with Bredagh". Coach Colm McGuinness was equally effusive in his praise adding "It was a great display and we're delighted to come down to Newry and go away with the points. We've the basis of an excellent first team squad now and when you consider the players who weren't available tonight, it augurs well for the future." Colm concluded by thanking Newry Shamrocks for their cooperation by saying "Credit also goes to Newry for agreeing to rearrange the game to suit our schedule; they could just as easily have claimed the points like one of the other so-called hurling teams did to us recently, but they are better than that and would prefer to lose on the pitch than win in the committee room. Our thanks go out to the hurling men of Newry."
Lorenzo McMullan, Michael White, Mark McGinley, Charlie Dillon, Willie Gilmore, Jack Anderson, Paudie Gallagher, Cormac Hughes, Paul Kelly (0.1), Eoghan Donnelly, Fergal McCamphill (0.2), Ian Galway (0.3), Paul Doole (1.3), Ali McAllister (2.0), Cathair Bonnar (0.2), Mark Devlin, Michael Mullan, Paddy Byrne
Antrim League: St Gall's 1-04 4-16 Bredagh
Bredagh continued their pursuit of the Antrim Division 4A league title with an impressive victory over St Gall's at Milltown on Tuesday 26th May. The foundation of their victory was once again built by Ali McAlister who scored three clinical goals in the opening half of the game, each one delivered by way of magnificent overhead strikes. It would do Bredagh's younger generation of players the power of good to see this "old master" in action demonstrating the overhead strike, one of the greatest skills in the game of hurling, but sadly a technique which rarely features in the modern game.
In a strong opening period, Bredagh tagged on a further goal from the impressive Cathair Bonnar and a series of points from Sean O'Dea (2) and Eoghan and Niall Donnelly to lead by 4.4 to St Galls 1.2 at the half way point, St Galls goal coming from a well struck penalty. In the opening period Mark Devlin again displayed his versatility in corner back with another fine performance and together with goalkeeper, Lorenzo McMullan, full back, Charlie Dillon and right-back Michael Whyte formed a water-tight last line of defence in the opening period.
Half time: Bredagh 4-04 St Galls 1-02
Paudie Gallagher, who once again was excellent in the half back line, opened the scoring for Bredagh in the second half with a fine point. Paudie has really found his feet with the Bredagh senior hurlers and is proving to be an outstanding capture for the club. He was ably supported in the half back line by the ever dependable Liam McCollum and Jack Anderson. Sean O'Dea added a well-taken goal and a further point, to which Cormac Hughes added a fine long range point. Eoghan Donnelly then burst through the St Galls defence to blast a further point, which went over via a ricochet off the crossbar. Niall Donnelly and second half sub, Paul Doole, added on further second half points, but special mention must be made of Ian Galway's contribution after coming on for the final 15 minutes. This was a masterstroke from coach Colm McGuinness, who placed Ian at corner-forward as the game entered its final quarter. Ian responded with an outstanding haul of 1 goal and 3 points and 2 more league point were duly secured for the South Belfast men.
Summary
In conclusion, this was a sound performance from Bredagh's senior hurlers and apart from the plaudits already given, midfielder Paul Kelly was again on top of his game and formed an very effective midfield partnership with Cormac Hughes, who got better and better as the game progressed. Fergal McCamphill too led the line superbly and, although he didn't contribute to the Bredagh total, he set up a number of scores for the other forwards and impressed with his overall workrate and link play.
Panel: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael White, Charlie Dillon, Mark Devlin, Liam McCollum, Jack Anderson, Paudie Gallagher (0.1), Cormac Hughes (0.1), Paul Kelly, Eoghan Donnelly (0.2), Fergal McCamphill, Sean O'Dea (1.3), Niall Donnelly (0.2), Ali McAllister (3.0), Cathair Bonnar (1.0), Ian Galway (1.3), Paul Doole (0.1), Michael Mullan, Vincent McCool, Matthew McAffee
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 4-10 1-09 Warrenpoint
Bredagh won their first points in Division 1 of the Down hurling league by defeating a game Warrenpoint team in Cherryvale on Monday 25th May. Despite a shaky enough opening to the match, when Warrenpoint managed to level the scores at 5 points each with 15 minutes played, Bredagh took a commanding lead into the second half. Ali McAllister was scorer in chief during the first period scoring 2 excellent goals and 2 points and leading the line well throughout the match. The versatile Mark Devlin also had a fine game at corner forward scoring a first half point, before dropping back into the half back line in the second half. Mark has matured beyond recognition and is an early front runner for most improved player in 2009. However, Cormac White too had an outstanding first half in midfield and has matured into a fine senior hurler for Bredagh. He too will feature in the shake up for individual honours in 2009 if he maintains his early season promise. Bredagh's other first half scores came by way of a long distance goal from Eoghan Donnelly and points from Cathair Bonnar, Fergal McCamphill and a Jack Anderson free.
Half Time Bredagh 3.6 Warrenpoint 0.5
The second half started well for Bredagh when Cormac White tore through the Warrenpoint defence to kick an early goal. Paul Kelly, who was back to his excellent form of last year, added on a fine point after a strong solo run to help Bredagh extend their lead. Second half substitute, Niall Donnelly and Jack Anderson added on points from frees before Warrenpoint scored a late consolation goal from a penalty. Impact-sub, Seamus McKillop, added on a fine point in the closing minutes to finish the scoring for Bredagh on the night.
Bredagh's overall performance was like the proverbial curates egg "good in parts". Liam McCollum was ever reliable in the half back line, along with Jack Anderson, who had a fine game in Centre-Half-Back and the returning Paudie Gallagher who excelled in the left half back position. Indeed the platform for Bredagh's victory was built in the middle third where midfielders Paul Kelly and Cormac White and Centre-Half-Forward Fergal McCamphill also put in a Trojan's effort. Lorenzo McMullan was as safe as houses in goals continuing his form of recent weeks. Mark McGinley performed well in the full-back line and effectively nullified Warrenpoint's main scoring threat, Micheal Cunningham. Mark was ably supported by Michael White and Charlie Dillon in the corner-back positions. In the forwards, Cathair Bonnar roved to good effect in the corner forward position and contributed well in the half-forwards when moved out in the second half, but Ali McAllister's first half scoring performance was undoubtedly the key to victory on the night and justifiably earned Ali the man of the match plaudits.
Panel: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael White, Charlie Dillon, Mark McGinley, Liam McCollum, Jack Anderson (0.2 f), Paudie Gallagher, Cormac White (1.0), Paul Kelly (0.1), Eoghan Donnelly (1.0), Fergal McCamphill (0.1), Ian Galway, Mark Devlin (0.1), Ali McAllister (2.2), Cathair Bonnar (0.1), Niall Donnelly (0.1 f), Ultan Power, Michael Mullan, Seamus McKillop (0.1) Vincent McCool
ACHL Div 1: Ballycran 4-09 2-06 Bredagh
Bredagh completed their second outing in Div 1 of the Down Hurling League on Sunday with a second loss at the hands of Ballycran in the Ards on Wednesday 22nd April. However, once again the final score was a poor reflection of a very good display of hurling from the Bredagh lads. Bredagh travelled to Ballycran without 8 of the players who featured in the opening game against Ballygalget, but the excellent displays of Willie Gilmore, David Brady, Mark Devlin, Cathair Bonnar, Michael Mullan and young Conal Mulholland, who was making his senior debut on the night, illustrated the overall strength of the Bredagh Senior squad. This was particularly creditable given that Bredagh have opened their campaign against the two best teams in the league, away from home, in the opening two games.
Bredagh played with a strong wind in the first half and dominated phases of the opening period; however the South Belfast lads were unable to transfer their dominance to the scoreboard and the teams were tied at 2.4 apiece at the interval. Bredagh's scores in the opening period came by way of a well taken Ali McAllister goal, a goal from long-distance from Jack Anderson, 2 points from placed balls from Sean O'Dea and a well-taken point from Willie Gilmore.
Despite the good first half performance, things looked ominous for Bredagh as they faced a strong wind in the second half but, taking heed of Colm McGuinness' request for the same level of commitment in the second half, the Bredagh lads produced a dogged display of tenacious tackling and restricted the Cran lads to a further 2 goals and 5 points. This was an outstanding effort considering the scorelines which Bredagh has conceded at the hands of Ballycran in previous visits to McKenna Park in the recent past. Bredagh's second half points came from placed balls from the impressive Sean O'Dea and the equally effective Ali McAllster, who put on his best performance in manys a game. Others to perform well when Bredagh's backs were against the wall in the second half were goalkeeper Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley at full back, Jack Anderson in the half-backs, Paul Kelly in mid-field and Eoghan Donnelly at centre-half forward. Michael Mullan also performed the sweeper role, between the full-back and half-back lines, with aplomb in the second period. Willie Gilmore too was outstanding but was unfortunate to have to go off injured in the second period. However, once again young Cormac Hughes was Bredagh's star man at centre half back and dominated the game to such an extent that he made Ballycran/Down legend Gary "Gazza" Savage look like a novice.
At the end of the game Bredagh's coach Colm McGuinness commented that he was well with the overall performance by the Bredagh lads, particularly in light of the many absentees from the previous match. Colm added "Lads like David Brady, Willie Gilmore, Cathair Bonnar, Mark Devlin and Michael Mullan rose to the challenge there tonight and certainly gave the management team something to think about in terms of team selection for the next game. I was particularly pleased with young Conal Mulholland's display in his first outing for the seniors. He certainly can hold his head up high after his performance against some of Down's best young players. Lorenzo too was on top form in goals. On the negative side, one or two of our players looked sluggish against lively opponents, but I'll sort that out over the next few weeks. Extra training, for some, will be the order of the day!"
Breadgh squad and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Whyte, Mark McGinley, David Brady, Willie Gilmore (0.1), Cormac Hughes (0.1), Jack Anderson (1.0), Paddy Byrne, Paul Kelly, Mark Devlin, Eoghan Donnelly, Cathair Bonnar, Sean O'Dea (0.3), Ali McAlister (1.1), Michael Mullan, Conal Mulholland, Vincent McCool, Mark Galway.
ACHL Div 1: Ballygalget 4-12 1-11 Bredagh
Bredagh opened their account in Div 1 of the Down Hurling League on Sunday with a 10 point loss at Ballygalget, with the scoreline somewhat flattering the Ards men. In truth, the final score belied a very good display of hurling from the Bredagh lads and but for the concession of 2 very late goals the result would have been a lot closer.
Bredagh got off to a blistering start with a well taken goal from Niall Donnelly in the first five minutes. Paul Doole and Niall contributed 2 points each from play to which Ian Galway added 2 more points from placed balls and Bredagh's first half scoring was completed with single points coming from the sticks of Fergal McCamphill and Paul Kelly. However, despite playing some fine hurling the South Belfast boys couldn't shake off their illustrious opponents, for whom corner-forward Danny Toner was a constant threat. Indeed, but for young Toner's scoring contribution for Ballygalget in the first half, Bredagh would have held a commanding lead at the midway point, instead of the score being tied at 1.7 apiece.
Second half
The second half was again evenly balanced with Bredagh's scores coming by way of points from Eoghan Donnelly, Cormac Hughes and Fergal McCamphill. However, lapses of concentration in the defence gifted the Galget three second half majors (two of which came in the dying minutes of the game) to which they added a further three points. Despite this, man of the match, Cormac Hughes, and Paudie Gallagher put in sterling performances in the half back line and repelled numerous Ballygalget attacks. Young Cormac was reminiscent of his father Danny in the Centre Half Back position and no higher tribute can be made of his performance. Cormac and Paudie were ably supported by Liam McCollum, in his new full-back position, Mark McGinley, Michael White and Paddy Byrne in the corner back slots. Willie Gilmore too put on a good display in the half-back line when introduced as a second half substitute. In midfield, Ian Galway and Paul Kelly more than held their own against two experienced opponents, but with more playing time together will develop a better understanding and will become and even stronger pairing as the season progresses.
All six forwards persevered throughout with the main scoring threat coming from Niall Donnelly, Paul Doole and Fergal McCamphill, with Eoghan Donnelly's pace being utilised to good effect in the half-forward line. Ally McAllister was unlucky not to find the net in the first half and Sean O'Dea never gave up in the right full-forward position, but both found scores difficult to come by against a tenacious Ballygalget defence. Donal Hughes, Seamus McKillop and Cathair Bonnar also raised the tempo for Bredagh when introduced as second half subs, with Cathair in particular being unlucky not to find the net with a late piledriver.
Summary
In summing up Bredagh's display manager Sean McGuinness commented that he was reasonably satisfied with the overall performance by the Bredagh lads, but added that greater concentration is required in defence to avoid the concession of cheap goals, which proved costly in the end against the Galget. Sean reserved special praise for young Cormac Hughes, describing him as an "exact replica of his Da (Danny)", who Sean hopes will make himself available for selection again, now that the warm weather has returned. Sean also added that he and son Colm are happy with the overall strength of the senior squad for this year and mentioned that absentees on the day such as Danny, Jack Anderson, Colin Murray, Stephen McGettrick, Mark Herron, Cormac White, Mark Devlin, and Matthew McAffee, will only serve to strengthen the squad further for the remainder of the 2009 campaign.
In conclusion, South Down manager and Ballygalget clubman Paddy Brannif paid tribute to Bredagh's performance by saying that 10 of the Galget lads had played for their seniors the day before in an Ulster league game and adding that "Bredagh will win more games than they loose in Div 1, if they maintain the form they showed today".
Bredagh squad and scorers:
Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Whyte, Liam mcCollum, Mark McGinley, Paddy Byrne, Cormac Hughes (0.1), Paudie Gallagher, Paul Kelly, Ian Galway (0.2f), Paul Doole (0.2), Fergal McCamphill (0.2), Eoghan Donnelly (0-1), Niall Donnelly (1.2), Ali McAllister, Sean O'Dea, Willie Gilmore, Donal Hughes, Seamus McKillop, Cathair Bonner, David Brady, Michael Mullan.
Ulster League Div 5: Bredagh 1 -03 0-12 Craobh Rua, Camlough
This was a game Bredagh never really got into with the Armagh side always in control and making very good use of the wind in the first half. Scores were few and far between for Bredagh with only 2 points scored by our lads at half time. Ultan Power made at least two excellent stops in goal and kept our boys in it at half time. But the Bredagh boys never really matched the intensity of the Armagh lads in the second half and failed to make good use of the wind.
Panel: Ultan Power, Conal Mulholland, Michael Magee, Daniel Higgins, Ryan Curran, Nick Nolan, Gerard Connolly, David Brady, Rory McCaughey, Charlie Dillon, Mark Devlin, Paddy Byrne, Cormac White, Conal Shannon, Kevin Muldoon, Patrick Woods, Vincent McCool, Ciaran Kelly, Willie Gilmore, Paul Boyle, Joe MacManus.
Ulster League: Bredagh IIs 4-08 4-06 Castlewellan
Bredagh juniors won their first Ulster Senior Hurling League Div 5A match on Sat 21st March in an odd game that say them dominate the first half, leading by 4 -06 to 1 -02 at half time but only scoring 2 points in the second half. It was clearly a case of complacency mixed with the fact that all subs were given plenty of game time so that the settled pattern of the team was disrupted. Nevertheless, the squad showed plenty of class and the range of scorers testified to the overall breadth of the panel: Paddy Woods got four points from play from the unusual position of corner forward; Vincent McCool contributed a goal from the other corner while Cormac White got 2 -02 and played a sterling role in the victory. Conal Shannon pointed a free with ease and Sean O’ Dea added a goal. Ian Galway’s late second half point completed the scoring. 5 minors lined out in the display and took to the junior pace quite quickly. Ultan Power had an impressive return to the playing field having recovered from his broken wrist and was a commanding presence in goals.
Panel: Ultan Power, Conal Mulholland, Michael Magee, Daniel Higgins, Michael Guerin, Ryan Curran, Nick Nolan, Gerard Connolly, David Brady, Rory McCaughey, Charlie Dillon, Mark Devlin, Paddy Byrne, Colin Murray, Cormac White, Conal Shannon, Kevin Muldoon, Patrick Woods, Sean O Dea, Vincent McCool.
Junior Hurling Friendly - Bredagh 2-09 1-10 Clonduff
This was a good run-out for the Bredagh juniors in preparation for the Ulster Senior League Div 5A which starts on 21st March. Fielding 4 minors amongst the18 players and composed of a majority of players who didn’t feature on last year’s senior team, the juniors led throughout the game. At half time it was 1-04 to 6 points and the final score saw Bredagh ahead by a point. Sean O’ Dea proved a revelation scoring 1 -02 from play – the goal coming from a free. The club’s other new addition, Conall Shannon, also shone and also scored 1-02. Cormac White added a point from a free, with Ian Galway contributing three points.
The important point about the game though was the depth of talent in the club, enabling us to properly service the Ulster Senior League, as well as the Down and Antrim leagues. (Full details of the Ulster Senior League games are on the club website). In total 8 of the 18 were home grown players aged under 21, with another 6 all in their twenties. Gerard Connolly had a commanding game at full back and Niall Donnelly exhibited his usual skills, this time as the net minder. Great performances too from our dual players, Rory and Scrappy.
Squad: Niall Donnelly, Michael Mullan, Gerard Connolly, Nick Nolan, Mark Devlin, Colin Murray, Rory McCaughey, Kevin Muldoon, Ian Galway, Sean O Dea, Paudie Gallagher, Cormac White, Vincent McCool, Conall Shannon, Michael Magee, Michael Guerin, Paddy Woods.
Hurlers win Antrim League
Antrim HL Div 4B: Davitt's 1-04 Bredagh 6-15
Bredagh were crowned league champions when they kept their unbeaten Antrim record by defeating a battling Davitt's side on Sunday afternoon. Antrim's CCC chairman Joe Edwards praised both teams for a fine display of hurling before presenting the cup to Bredagh captain, Liam McCollum, to loud cheers from the Bredagh support. Edwards was impressed by Bredagh and went on to say " if Bredagh show that sort of form next year then I would expect to see them in the hunt for promotion next season as well, they have a fine bunch of young talented players".
Bredagh led this game by 11 points at half-time due in no small measure to the twin threats of Donal Hughes and Niall Donnelly in the corners as they went on a scoring spree notching 1-6 between them. McAllister and Doole added a major each and Bonner contributed a brace of points. This early onslaught allowed Bredagh to coast to an easy victory in the second half. During that period the older twin threats of Cormac Hughes and Eoghan Donnelly on the half-forward line helped themselves to 1-4, McAllister scored another major - a sweet ground stroke into the far corner - while the Bredagh scoring machine, Paul Doole, buried a goal and added a point to leave him top scorer on the day for the second game running.
Overall this was a professional display by the South Belfats Gaels, apart from a shaky start from the defence they controlled this game start to finish, Heron and Whyte were solid at the back while the experienced trio of McCollum, Hughes and Anderson lorded their half-back sector throughout. This defensive wall was strengthened with the introduction of Woods and Mullan in the second half, both of whom never put a foot wrong. Kelly at midfield was masterful in bringing the corners into play and was well supported by Byrne. Upfront the Hughes and Donnelly brothers were just too hot for Davitt's rearguard to handle and with Bonner, McAllister and especially Doole getting in on the scoring act there was little the West Belfast men could do to stem the wave after wave of attacks.
Coach Colm McGuinness was happy with the teams performance "we set out at the start of the year to win this league and the boys were very dedicated the whole way through, undoubtedly they were the best team in the league by far. Next year will be tougher but if we can progress next year the same way we have this year and bring through a few more of the boys from minor level then I think we can be there or there abouts come September 2009".
Captain Liam McCollum in his acceptance speech said " I want to thank Joe Edwards and the Antrim County Board for allowing us to play in the Antrim leagues, and to Davitt's today for their sportsmanlike performance. On behalf of the players I would like to thank Sean and Colm McGuinness for their professional approach in coaching us this year and we are very pleased that they've agreed to take the team in 2009".
Bredagh chairman, Paul Blaney, was a proud man on the day "our u12 footballers won their championship final earlier today and with the hurlers winning the league, it's a double delight for our supporters. Counting this league cup, I've worked out the club's hurling fraternity have won 6 trophies so far this year and the u16s are in the championship final while the minor team are through to their semi-final, hurling is certainly going from strength to strength in the club and its great to see. I've no doubt this senior squad will be picking up more honours next year".
Bredagh's senior hurlers would like to thank our sponsors, NIAVAC and its MD, James Conlon, for their ongoing support throughout the year and look forward to their continued support in 2009.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, David Brady, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam mcCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-1, Paul Kelly, Paddy Byrne, Paul Doole 2-2, Cormac Hughes 1-2, Cathair Bonner 0-2, Niall Donnelly 0-3, Ali McAllister 2-0, Donal Hughes 1-3, Eoghan Donnelly 0-2, Paddy Woods, Michael Mullan, William Gilmore, Mark Galway, Mark Devlin
The winning Bredagh team.
Centre half Danny Hughes in action.
Top scorer Paul Doole looks for the posts.
The Bredagh goal defended by David Brady & Lorenzo McMullan.
Captain Liam McCallum accepts the cup from Joe Edwards, Antrim County Board.
Antrim HL Div 4: Bredagh 3-20 2-07 Sarsfields IIs
Bredagh ran out comfortable winners in this contest but the signifance of the victory was the fact it put the South Belfast gaels just one win away from lifting the league title in their final game against Davitt's on Sunday 5th October.
Best for Bredagh were Whyte, Brady and Devlin in defence although Heron at corner back probably outshone the lot. Kelly mastered the midfield area while up front Doole, Murray, Bonner, Donnelly and McAllister scored freely throughout the 60 minutes. McAllister was particularly impressive scoring 0-7 from play although the scoring-machine as is Doole outscored him by two points by recording 1-6 on the day and Murray was also a major force in making and taking scores.
Centre-half back and captain Liam McCollum shot two beautiful points when pushed into the attack and Anderson, as is customary, landed a long range effort. Both Magee and Guerin figured well when entering the fray as subs while Power was unfortunate to have a point disallowed due to a dubious square ball.
Overall a good days work from the Bredagh gaels but the big one is down for next Sunday when the face Davitts with a win meaning they will have finished the Antrim league undefeated but more importantly in top spot and guaranteed promotion.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, David Brady, Michael Heron, Mark Devlin, Liam McCollum 0-2, Jack Anderson 0-1, Paul Kelly 0-1, Paddy Byrne, Paul Doole 1-6 1f, Colin Murray 0-4, Cathair Bonner 1-0, Eoghan Donnelly 1-1, Ali McAllister 0-8, Vincent McCool, Ultan Power, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael Magee, Michael Guerin.
All Ireland 7s
Bredagh hurlers created another bit of history at the weekend when the accepted an invitation, as reigning Down Junior champions, to participate in the All-Ireland Hurling 7s at St Jude's GAC in Dublin. The South Belfast gaels were guaranteed four matches and were unlucky not to win their first game against Fullen Gaels, however, the opposition in the remaining three matches were too strong for what was essentially a young inexperienced Bredagh side.
Although the boys were a bit out of their depth they thoroughly enjoyed the new experience as they got to rub shoulders with some excellent hurling outfits and get an insight into the skills levels that can be attained. All of the panel battled throughout none more so than Muldoon. Kelly, the Galway brothers, Bonner, Doole and Byrne covered every blade of grass while Mullan, Donnelly, Devlin and Brady showed well in defence with Brady shooting the goal of the tournament against Fullen Gaels.
Results: Fullen Gaels 3-5 Bredagh 2-3; Rahoon Newcastle 4-7 Bredagh 0-2; Bredagh 2-1 Oranmore Maree 4-4; Bredagh 1-4 Thomas Davis 3-5.
Panel and scorers: Eoghan Donnelly 0-2, Michael Mullan 1-0, Paul Kelly 2-0, Kevin Muldoon 0-1, Ian Galway 1-3, Paddy Byrne 0-1, Paul Doole 1-3, Cathair Bonner, Mark Devlin, David Brady 1-0, Mark Galway, Daniel Mulven
Antrim Div 4: St Brigid's 0-05 2-19 Bredagh
Bredagh's hurlers notched up another convincing victory in the Antrim league to move another step closer to promotion and maintaining their 100% winning record in Antrim this year. The South Belfast gaels took a nine point lead into half-time with Doole, Bonner, Niall Donnelly and Moriarty doing the most damage on the scoreboard.
The second half was more of the same as the Malone Road Gaels found it hard to stay with Bredagh's superior fitness and stickwork with the Hughes brothers, Bonner and Anderson piling on the scores to run out easy winners in the end.
Best for Bredagh were Woods and Hughes in the Bredagh defensive spine well supported by Mullan and McCollum, Kelly and Galway lorded midfield while all six forwards made the scoresheet although they were also guilty of numerous misses. Bonner had a bit of a field day at full-forward and Doole scored heavily from his wing forward position but the man-of-the-match accolade went to corner-back David Brady who put on a polished display throughout sweeping across the Bredagh defence to great effect and snuffing out any possible threat from the Malone attack.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, David Brady, Paddy Woods, Michael Mullan, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-2, Ian Galway 0-1, Paul Kelly 0-1, Paul Doole 0-6 2f, Cormac Hughes 0-2, Paul Moriarty 0-1, Niall Donnelly 1-0, Cathair Bonner 1-4, Donal Hughes 0-2, Eoghan Donnelly, Mark Devlin, Mark Galway, Vincent McCool, Ali McAllister, Ultan Power.
Antrim HL Div 4: Bredagh 5-21 1-04 Larne
Bredagh senior hurlers continued their relentless pursuit of the Antrim Division 4 title with this overwhelming victory over Larne at Cherryvale. The scene was set in the opening minutes when Niall Donnelly opened the scoring with a fine point; this was quickly followed by a major from Colin Murray, who lead the full forward line brilliantly on the night. Further goals from Cathair Bonnar and Niall Donnelly and a succession of points from play from Paul Kelly, Danny Hughes (0.2), Paul Morriarty (0.2), Donal Hughes (0.2) and Niall Donnelly (0.4) ensured that Bredagh carried a 3.11 to 1.1 lead into the second period.
Second half
It was more of the same in the second half with Donal Hughes opening the scoring for Bredagh with a fine goal after soloing in from the right and unleashing an unstoppable shot. Another major was added by Niall Donnelly and further points from Niall, Paul Morriarty (0.2), Colin Murray (0.3), Liam McCollum (0.3), who had been moved to the forwards in the second half and a 65 from Jack Anderson ensured that Bredagh ran out comfortable winners on the night.
Summary
In a good overall team performance goalkeeper Lorenzo McMullan was sound throughout, with Paddy Woods excelling at full-back, well supported by corner backs Mark McGinley, David Brady and Vincent McCool in the second half. The half back line of Jack Anderson, Danny Hughes and Liam McCollum was as solid as a rock and contributed 6 points to the Bredagh total. Paul Kelly again produced an outstanding midfield masterclass and was well assisted by Ian Galway and Mark Devlin in the second period, whilst the 6 forwards all played well on the night, with Paul Morriarty, Cormac Hughes, Cathair Bonnar and Colin Murray showing up well throughout and Donal Hughes and Niall Donnelly contributing handsomely in the scoring stakes.
Seamus McKillop and Donncha Hanrahan both guested for Larne and turned in fine displays in the full-forward line and half-back line respectively, with Seamus contributing Larne's first half goal with a stunning pile driver.
At the final whistle Breadgh manager Sean McGuinness commented on a fine Bredagh performance and singled out Paddy Woods for special mention. He said; "That was real top class performance from the boys tonight and it emphasises the strength in depth the squad has, when you consider that we had eight players missing who could well have started the match. Lads like Colin Murray, Cathair Bonnar, Paul Morriarty and Mark Devlin have come to the fore in recent matches replacing players who have dropped out due to injury or who are away on holidays. They won't be easily displaced from the team and the other lads have a fight on their hands to win their places back. Young Paddy Wood's also produced an excellent performance at full-back, which belied his youth and emphasised the massive potential he has. He has taken the bit between his teeth in recent weeks, improving his fitness dramatically and I've no doubt that he will be an outstanding senior player for Bredagh for many years to come. All in all a good night's work by the lads!"
Team/Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Paddy Woods, David Brady, Liam McCollum (0.3), Danny Hughes (0.2), Jack Anderson (0.1), Paul Kelly (0.1), Ian Galway, Paul Morriarty (0.4), Cormac Hughes, Cathair Bonnar (1.0), Niall Donnelly (2.5), Colin Murray (1.3), Donal Hughes (1.2), Mark Devlin, Vincent McCool,
Antrim HL Div 4: Creggan 3-03 2-17 Bredagh
Bredagh made a disasterous start to this important league game leaking three very poor goals to trial by 9 points after 10 minutes. Creggan were the dominant force in the opening period with every attack looking like it was going to cough up a major. Galway knocked over a couple of long range points to settle Bredagh's nerves. The South Belfast gaels were back into it when Doole won possession in the corner, cut inside and lashed an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net. That left three in it, Murray back from long-term injury was leading the full-forward line, won his own ball and landed a nice point before two long range Anderson frees squared the match on the stroke of half-time.
Half time
Bredagh could count themselves lucky to be level as all the drive and committment had come from creggan in the first half. A stern talk from coach, Colm McGuinness, seemed to do the trick as Bredagh were a transformed team in the second-half. McCamphill landed four excellent points from play as well as picking up breaks to finger and toe in the process, Anderson kept knocking over the frees to take his tally to five for the day and young Donal Hughes finished off Creggan in the final ten minutes as he notched up an excellent 1-3 to see Bredagh through to a comfortable win at the end of the day.
Man of the match has to go to our local GP, Mark Heron, who was a pillar of strength in what was a shaky full back line especially in the first half. His work-rate and clearances throughout the match was a major difference in turning this match around. In the half-back line Hughes, flanked by McCollum and Anderson, took a while to settle but by the time the second-half got underway they were in total control. Up front McCamphill had another excellent game despite his injuries while corner men Doole and Donal Hughes did serious damage with 2-4 between them. It was good to see Colin 'Seemore' Murray back in action after his long break through injury and no doubt he will prove a valuable asset as the season enters the final third with league points crucial in securing promotion to the next level in Antrim. Subs Moriarty, Bonner and McAfee all looked lively when introduced midway through the second period.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Mark McGinley, Stevie McGettrick, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-5 5f, Paddy Byrne, Paul Kelly, Cormac Hughes, Fergal McCamphill 0-4, Ian Galway 0-2 2f, Paul Doole 1-1, Colin Murray 0-1, Donal Hughes 1-3, Paul Moriarty, Cathair Bonner, Matthew McAfee, Michael Mullan, David Brady, Mark Galway.
IHC Q/F: Bredagh 1-08 3-10 Portaferry
Bredagh hurlers made another bit of history when they fielded at intermediate level for the first time against Portaferry in a drenched Downpatrick on Sunday. The story of the match was Portaferry's reliance on Ulster and Down star, Paul Braniff, to see them through in the end as the South Belfast boys battled all the way and only for a lack of experience upfront could have pulled off a shock result in this first round tie. The fact that Portaferry were allowed to field their top senior player at intermediate level raises a major question mark as to what secondary competitions are for but that's something that needs to be addressed by the Down County Board administrators. For Bredagh's part they went too concerned as their own ex-Ulster and Down star, Danny Hughes, was more than capable of reining in the threat of 'Doole' to the extent that the Bredagh centre half's display of his superior strength and hurling ability had you wondering who actually was the current Ulster star!
Both teams were evenly matched in the first half although the Ports were gifted with a major early on, Bredagh fought back with scores from Anderson and Galway and when the latter found the net to square the match after 25th minutes, Portaferry knew they were in for a game of it. As the game moved into the the last five minutes of the half Portaferry hit Bredagh with two sucker-punch goals to lead 3-4 to 1-3 at the short whistle.
It was all Bredagh in the second-half as they tried to claw back the deficit, McGinley had replaced whyte who had to retire with a broken hand and the ex-Fermanagh man marked the Port full-forward out of the game. As Bredagh drove forward through Kelly, Hughes, Anderson and McCollum, Portaferry were forced to foul which Anderson and Galway duly punished. However Bredagh were finding it hard to get the space up front to create goals to close the gap and as the game moved into the final quarter the South Belfast gaels went all out for majors but the more experienced Ards men defended well and the goals Bredagh needed weren't forthcoming as the clock ran down the long whistle ended Bredagh's participation in the championship for another year.
Manager Sean McGuinness wasn't too despondent after the match ' the boys hurled to the best of their ability and we can't ask for more than that. Intermediate is a step up in class from junior but It's a bit of a joke that Portaferry can field Paul braniff at intermediate level but that's for someone else to deal with, we have to hurl whoever is put in front of us and in that regard we did an excellent job today. It was a great experience for the younger players and they will be all the better for it next year'.
All the Bredagh players hurled hard over the 60 minutes, special mention to Mark McGinley when introduced at full-back and he was well supported by Heron and McGettrick in the corners. As usual McCollum, Hughes and Anderson dominated their line while Kelly and Byrne, who shot an excellent point, gave it 100% at midfield. A young forward line of Doole, Donnelly, Galway and the two Hughes, Cormac and Donal, all performed to the best of their ability and were well lead by veteran, Fergal McCamphill, who also made the scoresheet on the day.
Now that Bredagh are out of the championship the team will give their full attention to their main focus this season which is winning promotion in the Antrim league. A win away to Creggan in their next match will go along way to securing that goal.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Stevie McGettrick, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-2 2f, Paddy Byrne 0-1, Paul Kelly, Cormac Hughes, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Paul Doole, Niall Donnelly, Ian Galway 1-4 4f, Donal Hughes, Mark McGinley, Mark Devlin, Ali McAllister, David Brady, Ultan Power, Colin Murray, Cathair Bonner, Seamus McKIllop.
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 1-08 1-15 Portaferry
This was a tighter match than the scoreline would suggest with Bredagh leading the league leaders by a point in the 50th minute before a string of strange refereeing decisions gifted the Ards men 1-3 which effectively won the game for them on the night.
In many ways the match resembled a shadow boxing session as the teams meet again in a week's time in the first round of the intermediate championship and neither seemed prepared to show their hand in this league encounter. The first half was fairly even with the teams well matched, McCamphill was in fine form for Bredagh scoring two excellent points of his own making, 2 frees from Ian Galway and a point from full forward McAllister saw Bredagh turn round at the short whistle three behind 0-5 to 0-8.
Bredagh started well in the second half with Galway and Anderson pointing before McGinley lashed the sliotar to the net to give Bredagh the minimum lead on the 50th minute. An upset looked on the cards but Portaferry introduced a couple of strong subs and a series of dubious frees awarded including a penalty in added time meant the Saint Patrick's men had a comfortable win at the end of the day.
Defensively Bredagh were fairly sound with young Niall Donnelly doing his bit between the posts, Whyte gave his man little room in and around the house while McGettrick quietened a lively corner-forward when moved onto him in the second-half. McCollum and Hughes looked like they were holding back for the championship and the switch from lefthalf back to righthalf forward between Anderson and Byrne lifted both players. Kelly was left with the bulk of work at midfield as an out-of-sorts Galway tried to find his feet, although he top scored with 4 frees including a superb 80 yarder for Bredagh's first score of the night.
Surprisingly Paul Doole was held scoreless for the first time this season but it was good to see McCamphill back in his best form looking the part at centre-half forward but perhaps the man-of-the match accolade should be retained for young Mark Devlin who had an excellent game at corner-forward with his colleagues failing to convert some of his intelligent approach play. Paddy Woods entered the fray in the second period and again put down a marker for a starting position at senior level.
Summary
When all is said it was really only a skirmish with the real battle due to commence in the first round of the IHC in Downpatrick at 2pm on Sunday.
Panel and scorers: Niall Donnelly, Mark McGinley 1-0, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-1, Ian Galway 0-4 4f, Paul Kelly, Paddy Byrne, Fergal McCamphill 0-2, Paul Doole, Stevie McGettrick, Ali McAllister 0-1, Mark Devlin , Paddy Woods, Vincent McCool, David Brady, Paul Boyle.
Antrim HL Div 4: Bredagh 1-11 0-06 Davitts
Bredagh hurlers completed their first round series of the league with a hard fought victory over Davitts and more importantly kept their 100% winning record in tact to remain league leaders going into the second half of the season. The winning margin doesn't reflect the closeness of the contest in a wet and windy Cherryvale but Bredagh's tighter defence and more accurate forwards were the difference in the end.
The first half was a tough battle with the weather and stout defending from both sides making it a low scoring affair, 0-4 to 0-3 in Bredagh's favour at the short whistle with Bredagh's scores coming from Anderson, Doole, Kelly and Donal Hughes.
Second half
In the third quarter Bredagh stretched their lead by five with further points from the same players, however the telling score came in the 50th minute when Galway rounded the full back and made no mistake from close range. This score signalled the end for the Falls Road men but they battled to the end adding three further points as Bredagh lifted the foot of the pedal in the closing stages.
Another clean sheet for the back four of McMullan, Mullan, Whyte and Heron is a sure sign of their competitiveness in this encounter, infact Davitts only scored three points from play and this was down in no small way to Bredagh's half back line marshalled by Hughes and well supported by the versatile McGinley and the free scoring Anderson. Kelly at midfield gets better as each match progresses and is now showing a high level of consistent performances in a Bredagh shirt, another four points to add to his six in his previous outing at Sarsfields is evidence of the impact he is making.
Up front the Hughes brothers, Cormac and Donal, were in great form with Donal continuing to show a great ability to take scores under pressure. Doole kept up his record of scoring in every match and he was well supported by McAfee and McKillop.
Manager Sean McGuinness, reflecting on the first half of the season, said "our plan at the start of the season was to win the Antrim league and this result means we are on track on that score. The amount of matches we've had to take on in Ulster and Down has meant we haven't been as competitive in those leagues as we would like but we got to the quarter-final of the Ulster league which was pleasing. We are now moving into the business part of the season so we will want to close out the Antrim league and give the intermediate and Junior championships in Down a lash where we have two teams competing. I expect to see a full turnout at training from this week onwards".
The junior side are up against Clonduff on the 5th August and it will be an opportunity for a lot of the younger boys to get a taste of championship hurling as the bulk of the senior squad are ruled out due to winning the Down Junior championship last year. But Bredagh's main focus will be at the intermediate level where they have drawn very tough opposition in Portaferry. It's due to be played on the 3rd August and the Bredagh boys are really looking forward to it after their great run in the Ulster championship last year.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, MarkMcGinley, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-2 1f, Paul Kelly 0-4 3f, Ian Galway 1-2 2f, Paddy Byrne, Cormac Hughes, Paul Doole 0-2 1f, Donal Hughes 0-2, Seamus McKillop, Matthew McAfee, Niall Donnelly, Ultan Power, Mark McGinley, David Brady.
Antrim Div 4B: Sarsfield's IIs 1-03 3-26 Bredagh
Bredagh's hurlers had an easy win in Sunday afternoon against Sarsfield's 2nds to maintain their unbeaten record in the Antrim league and remain top of the table. Bredagh won't read too much into this result but it was pleasing to see all eight frontmen make the scoreboard along with right half-back Liam mcCollum when he popped up on the 20 metre line near the end to record a single. The midfield partnership of Byrne and Kelly scored nine between them with Kelly's six confirming his ability to shoot excellent points from play earning him the man-of-the-match accolade. The Down minor contingent of the Hughes brothers and Donnelly also scored heavily accounting for 2-8 of the total while old hands Power and McKillop were always influential round the square. Another on form player Paul Doole wasn't far behind Kelly in the scoring stakes shooting four from play and a further hat-trick of frees to earn him joint top-scorer on the day with seven points which was matched by Donal Hughes' excellent 1-4.
Defensively Bredagh were very strong with McGinley denying his man little space and wing backs Anderson and McCollum always on top. McGettrick put on a fine display at corner back which was great to see having just returned from his long injury lay off.
Bredagh's next match in the Antrim league is home to Davitt's on Sunday 6 July 3pm throw-in. Continued thanks to the Bredagh senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their ongoing support.
Panel and scoerers: Lorenzo McMullan. Stevie McGettrick, Mark McGinley, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum 0-1, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-1, Paddy Byrne 0-3, Paul Kelly 0-6, Donal Hughes 1-4, Cormac Hughes 0-2, Paul Doole, 0-7 3f, Niall Donnelly 1-2, Ultan Power 1-0, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Donncha Hanrahan.
ACHL Div 1: Liatroim 4-13 1-05 Bredagh
Liatroim were simply too strong for Bredagh in this Down division 1 encounter. Bredagh failed to score in the first half playing against the gale trailing by 9 points at the short whistle. A goal by Jack Anderson at the start of the second half brought them to within five but a late flurry by Jerome McCrickard and his merry liatroim men saw them run out easy winners on the night.
Best for Bredagh were McMullan in goals and Whtye at full-back while McGinley and Kelly put in a mountain of work at midfield. A youthful Bredagh attack fought hard but were too light for the phsically stronger Mourne men.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, David Brady, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 1-3, Paul Kelly, Mark McGinley, Paul Doole 0-1, Cormac Hughes, Stevie McGettrick, Niall Donnelly, Mark Galway 0-1, Donal Hughes, Mark Devlin, Paddy Woods, Michael Mullan.
ACHL Div 1 - Bredagh 4-13 2-02 Ballela
Bredagh convincingly avenged their defeat in the first match of this year's Down hurling league at a blustery Cherryvale on Tuesday 17th June.
The foundation of this victory was built around outstanding contributions from Down Minor panellists Cormac and Donal Hughes and Niall Donnelly in the forwards and equally effective performances from Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson, Liam McCollum and Mark Herron in defence and the returning Paul Kelly who had an excellent game at midfield. At full-forward, Seamus McKillop was also proving to be an excellent foil for the younger lads and his outstanding work rate created abundant scoring opportunities for his fellow forwards. Highlights of the first half were a series of fine points from minors Donal Hughes and Niall Donnelly, with Ian Galway adding on several points from frees to give Breadgh a half time lead of 0-11 to Ballela's 2-0. Both of Ballela's goals came from dangerous full-forward Johnny McCusker, who was an ever-present threat to the Bredagh full-back line. The only thing missing from Bredagh's first half performance was goals and this was quickly rectified in the second half of the game.
Second Half
Playing against the wind in the second half made little difference to Bredagh's performance, except that the goals which were missing in the first period came regularly during the second period. An excellent individual goal from Donal Hughes, two from Niall Donnelly, one of which came from a brilliant one-handed overhead flick and a well worked move which concluded with Seamus McKillop rifling the ball to the net, effectively ended the Ballela challenge. However, McCusker wasn't to be outdone and leapt to field a high ball before drilling a magnificent point from all of 70 metres to complete the scoring for Ballela. A couple of points from Ian Galway frees ended the scoring for Bredagh's part. Others to stand out for Bredagh on the night were Goalkeeper Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley and substitutes Michael Mullan and Paul Morriarty, the latter having replaced Willie Gilmore in the first half after he unfortunately suffered a suspected broken hand. Paul Doole and Michael Whyte were strangely subdued on the night, but no doubt will be back to their best in the next match.
At the end Bredagh's senior manager Sean McGuiness commented: 'It beats me how those three minors of ours didn't get a run out for the Down minors on Sunday past against Antrim; Donal, Niall and Cormac were on fire there tonight and contributed handsomely to a good win for us. Cormac has the potential to be a really exceptional centre half forward in Down and Ulster hurling. His work rate was immense in that game, as it always is and he linked superbly with the two other boys who took most of our scores tonight, Niall scoring 2.4 and Donal 1.3. I'd also like to pay credit to some of our older lads, like Danny Hughes and Seamus McKillop, who are great role-models for the younger lads with their appetite for the game and great leadership qualities. They have been so good this year that I'm going to nominate them for the Down over 40 development squad; they remind me of a Rolls-Royce car, in that they continue to perform superbly, despite the passing years!'
Continued thanks to NIAVAC for their sponsorship of Bredagh Senior hurlers.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson, Paul Kelly, Ian Galway, Willie Gilmore, Cormac Hughes, Paul Doole, Niall Donnelly, Seamus McKillop, Donal Hughes, David Brady, Paul Morriarty, Michael Mullan, Gerard Connolly, Mark Galway.
UHL Div 3 Q/F: Cuchullian's, Armagh 2-16 0-07Bredagh
The South Belfast caman men bowed out of the Ulster hurling league competition when they suffered a heavy defeat at the quarter-final stage to a much better Armagh side. The first half was a closely contested affair with Donal Hughes, McCamphill and Galway scoring for Bredagh but the problem was they were the only ones who scored, Bredagh hit too many wides with the full-forward line failing to raise a flag for the whole duration of the game while at the other end Armagh's star forward Declan Coulter was very accurate as the half-time scoreboard recorded 1-9 to 0-4 in Cuchullian's favour. That said Bredagh's cause wasn't helped when midfielder Paddy Byrne was forced to retire early on with a head injury and likewise Eoghan Donnelly, who was competing well in midfield, picked up a leg injury at the start of the second half that forced him onto the sideline
As the game opened up in the second-half, Armagh took full advantage and despite stout defending from McMullan, Whyte, Anderson and Hughes Armagh ran out easy winners.
It is hard for Bredagh to take many positives from this tough encounter as the level of hurling displayed by Armagh was at a level above what they are used to but at least it helped to indicate the standard required going forward. That said one big plus was the display of 17 year old Donal Hughes who hurled superbly throughout landing two excellent points under extreme pressure. Eoghan Donnelly was another one who competed effectively as did Whyte at full-back. Overall the whole Bredagh team fought hard over the sixty minutes but Armagh's superior hurling told in the end.
Next match is another tough one away to Laitroim on Tuesday 17 June. Congratulations to Bredagh's senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, on their recent announcement to expand into new premises.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson, Paddy Byrne, Ian Galway 0-3 3f, Donal Hughes 0-2, Fergal McCamphill 0-2, Eoghan Donnelly, Niall Donnelly, Alastair McAllister, Seamus McKillop, David Brady, Ultan Power, Michael Mullan, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael Kinsella.
UHL: Shane O'Neill's 0-15 6-05 Bredagh
After great wins in the Antrim and Down leagues during the week Bredagh's senior hurlers made it a clean sweep on Saturday night with a convincing win over Shane O'Neill's, Glenarm, to maintain their unbeaten record and go top of the Ulster league.
The scoreline is usually a fair indication of what type of game it was and this one is no different, the Bredagh forwards were sharp and ruthless in front of goal while the defence was simply unbreachable on the night recording their third clean sheet in a row.
The Ormeau Road men, with a strong wind in their favour, started in whirlwind fashion with Donal Hughes hitting a brace of majors before the Glenarm men had settled. This start set the tone for the rest of the half as McAllister, Sidebottom and a long range effort from Danny Hughes took the goal tally to five before the short whistle. In between the goals, Galway converted a couple of frees while Eoghan Donnelly and Donal Hughes landed points to give Bredagh a 14 point lead at the interval 0-05 to 5-04. The Bredagh defence get credit for the gap in scores at this stage of the game as excellent defending all round kept Glenarm at bay, none more so when McMullan threw his body on the line to divert a certain goal for a '65.
Second half
While it was a good lead to start the second-half, the Ormeau gaels knew they would have a fight on their hands as they turned to face into the strengthening wind but a superb Eoghan Donnelly was the first score recorded in the second period. After that it was backs to the wall as Glenarm sought to maintain their 100% record at fortress Feystown hitting ten unanswered points to close the gap to five. However the real story during this third quarter was the bredagh defence as Heron superbly marshalled his man while Mullan and Whyte hurled like demons. The half-back line weren't bad either with Hughes holding the middle while McCollum and Kelly swept along the half-back line to clear ball after ball.
With ten minutes left and five between them, Shane O'Neill's went all out for goal and again McMullan and his cohorts held strong under severe pressure. As the game moved into the final minutes the ball broke up field and young Donal Hughes lashed the sliotar to the net to complete his hat-trick and signal the end of the match as a contest.
Summary
The whole squad are worthy of praise for their valiant efforts and it would be hard to signal out any individual but Heron and Kelly put in a mountain of work in the defence while Eoghan Donnelly and Donal Hughes were a constant threat to the Glenarm rearguard.
Manager Sean McGuinness was pleased with the performance 'I know Glenarm were short of a few key players but so were we and no matter about that there won't be too many teams who will travel to Feystown and come out of it with a win. This game was a good benchmark to measure the squad's development, Glenarm are a very good hurling side and they showed that by winning Division 2 in Antrim last year, so it's fair to say we are making good progress in the right direction'.
Next match is home to Kilclief on Tueday 27th May in the Down hurling league. Continued thanks to Bredagh's senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their ongoing support
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes 1-0, Paul Kelly, Paddy Byrne, Ian Galway 0-2 2f, Eoghan Donnelly 0-2, Alastair McAllister 1-0, Paul Doole, Donal Hughes 3-1, Mark Sidebottom 1-0, Niall Donnelly, Gerard Connolly, Cathair Bonner, Paddy Woods, David Brady, Matthew McAfee
Bredagh hurlers march on with wins in Antrim and Down
Bredagh 1-14 St 0-08 Brigid's
Bredagh kept their 100% league points tally when they recorded a solid victory over their Malone Road neighbours and hurling newcomers, St Brigid's, in the Antrim Division 4B league.
Bredagh dominated the first half with scores from Galway, Doole and Sidebottom to take a comfortable lead of 1-08 to 0-03 at the interval. The same players along with McKillop were the main scoring threat in a much tighter second half where Bredagh took the foot of the pedal in the final quarter to allow the Malone men to close the gap but in the end it was the Ormeau Road hurlers who took the honours.
Bredagh were well-served with a solid defensive unit of Heron, Whyte and Dillon. Captain Liam McCollum put in another strong performance at centre-half while Paddy Byrne had another good game in the middle of the park. Up front Doole continued to score freely from play while Sidebottom emphasised his worth to the squad top-scoring with 1-3 from play
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Michael Mullan, Liam McCollum, Jack Anderson 0-1, Ian Galway 0-7 4f, Paddy Byrne, Paul Doole 0-3, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Paul Moriarty, Cathair Bonner, Alastair McAllister, Mark Sidebottom 1-3, Michael Kinsella, Mark McGinley, Ultan Power, Paddy McGrenaghan, Joe McManus, Mark Galway
Newry Shamrocks 1-09 3-07 Bredagh
Bredagh travelled to Park Esler, Newry to play the Shamrocks on Tuesday 20th May missing several key players, although the Newry lads were also missing their talisman Kieran Courtney and several other players too. The foundation of Bredagh's victory was built around outstanding individual performances in the middle third of the pitch where Liam McCollum and Jack Anderson provided excellent leadership to a youthful group of players who responded with first-class performances. The pick of the crop was Cormac Hughes, at Centre Half Forward, but he was well supported by Paul Doole, Ian Galway/Paddy Byrne, at midfield, and young Michael Mullan in the half back line
Highlights of the first half were two excellent long-range points from Paul Doole and a flicked goal from Michael Kinsella, who was playing in an unaccustomed full-forward role, impressing manager Sean McGuinness with a two goal salvo (one in each half) and linking up well with the other forwards. Cathair Bonner and Paul Morriarty were also well on top of their men in the first half, with their pace causing the Newry defence all sorts of problems. Half-time Bredagh 1-3 Newry 0-4
In the initial part of the second period Bredagh played some excellent hurling, with Paddy Byrne/Ian Galway always in the thick of things at midfield and the defence dominating their opponents with tenacious tackling and excellent pressing of the opposition. This was well typified by Herron, White and McGinley in the full-back line, who restricted the full-forward line to crumbs of possession. By the mid-way point in the second half Bredagh had built up a seven point lead, courtesy of a good point from Paul Morriarty and a number of frees from Ian Galway, but an excellent goal from Newry's full-forward McGuinness and a succession of points from softly awarded frees saw Newry reduce the deficit to 1 point with 10 minutes to play. The Bredagh lads must have been having a deja-vu feeling from 2 years previously, when they were beaten by one point at the same venue following a late Newry surge. It was tit-for tat in the closing minutes of the game, with a well taken Paddy Byrne goal opening up a 4 point gap, only for Newry to come back again to reduce Bredagh's lead to the minimum. However, history wasn't to repeat itself and an Ian Galway free was flicked to the net by Michael Kinsella to again open up a 4 point lead, which Bredagh preserved until the end despite constant pressure from Newry in the closing minutes. During this period Paul Kelly entered the fray following a lay-off due to injury and Paul's experience and that of Liam McCollum, Jack Anderson and Mark Herron, helped to steady the ship and lead Bredagh to their first victory in Division 1 of the Hurling League.
At the end a relieved Sean McGuinness stated; "That was a great result from an excellent team performance. Liam McCollum produced a real captain's performance in the half back line and was well supported by Jack Anderson, Lorenzo McMullan in goals and the entire full back line. However, the most pleasing aspect of the game for me was the performances of our "young guns" Michael White, Michael Mullan, Paddy Byrne, Ian Galway, Paul Doole, Eoghan Donnelly and especially Cormac Hughes, who was outstanding on the night at Centre Half Forward. This was a tough, physical game and each one of those lads were right up for the challenge. Paul Morriarty, Cathair Bonner and big Michael Kinsella also contributed well to in the full forward line, in what was a great overall performance. I'm really proud of the lads tonight and it was heartening to get our first win of the season in Division 1 of the hurling league and indeed our first ever win away against Newry Shamrocks."
Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael White, Mark Herron, Michael Mullan, Liam McCollum, Jack Anderson 0-1, Paddy Byrne 1.0, Ian Galway 0.4 (f), Eoghan Donnelly, Cormac Hughes, Paul Doole 0.2, Paul Morriarty 0.1, Michael Kinsella 2.0, Cathair Bonner, Ultan Power, Paul Kelly, Matthew McAffee, Gerard Connolly, Vincent McCool
Antrim HL Div 4: Larne 3-07 6-20 Bredagh
Bredagh senior hurlers powered their way to the top of the Antrim league with this convincing win on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternnoon in Larne. McKillop, McAllister, Donnelly, Galway and Doole did the damage on the scoreboard but it was a solid all-round team performance with the only sour note being a 'sleepy' defence leaking 2-03 in the last five minutes.
Bredagh were quick off the mark with four successful Galway frees and points from McAllister, Doole, Donnelly and 1-1 from McKillop all in the first quarter putting ten points between the sides and signalling the end of this match as a contest. The second quarter was much like the first with the Bredagh front men continuing to score at will as well as centre-half back Liam McCollum who sneaked up from the defence to knock over a nice point on the 19th minute. McAllister goalled just before half-time to leave the scores 1-02 to 2-13 at the interval.
Second half
Bredagh continued to dominate in the third quarter with McAllister getting his second goal just after the re-start and Byrne drilled over an excellent point from 60 metres, no doubt management will want to see more of this form in future matches. Kinsella landed a long range free shortly after but score of the game came in the 46th minute when McKillop collected a pass from Galway 40 metres from goal, rounded the centre-half and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner of the net. Donnelly was leading the Larne defence a merry dance shooting 1-05 in the process as Bredagh closed out the game with another goal from McKillop to give him a personal tally of 3-01 and deservedly the man-of-the-match award.
Defensively Bredagh had an excellent 50 minutes with all six backs including Power in goal putting on a solid display and feeding intelligent ball to the forwards, notably all the half-backs made the scoresheet, however, the performance in last 10 minutes was amatuerish and something they will want to forget, it's is a timely warning of the importance of concentrating for the full game irrespective of the score.
Paddy Byrne put on another sound performance at midfield while his partner Galway was 100% accurate from frees in the first-half but will be disappointed with some missed chances in the second. Upfront Doole continues to perform at a consistently high level shooting four excellent points from play, the full forward line of Donnelly, McAllister and McKillop were particularly potent on the day with 6-07 shared between them with much of this down to the hard work of the rest of the team including Cormac White in the half-forward line who won a mountain of ball throughout the game. Mark Galway joined the fray in the second half and was unlucky on a couple of occassions not to record a score.
Panel and scorers: Ultan Power, Mark McGinley, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Michael Kinsella 0-1 1f, Liam McCollum 0-1, Jack Anderson 0-1, Paddy Byrne 0-1, Ian Galway 0-6 6f, Cormac White, Cathair Bonner, Paul Doole 0-4, Niall Donnelly 1-5, Alastair McAllister 2-1, Seamus McKillop 3-1, Mark Galway, Paddy McGrenaghan, Rory McCaughey.
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 1-08 4-09 Ballygalget
Bredagh's heavy schedule of fixtures over the past few weeks started to show in this match as a skeleton and visibly tired squad put on a brave performance against a useful Ballygalget side closing the gap to two points on the 50th minute but that valiant effort emptied the tank and the 'Galget men ran out comfortable winners in the end and leave the South Belfast boys still looking for their first points in Down Division 1.
Doole shot an excellent point to get Bredagh off to a good start but Ballygalget had 1-03 on the board before Bredagh's next score from a Galway free. A well taken point from Power and a '65 from Doole left the scores 0-04 to 1-06 in the Ards men's favour at half-time.
A brace of points from Galway followed by a piledriver 25 metre free for a major closed the gap to two points in the third quarter but further points from Ballygalget stretched their lead and although McCamphill landed two excellent points to stem the tide, it was never going to be enough as Ballygalget rattled in a hat-trick of majors in the final 10 minutes to run out deserved winners on the night.
Defensively Bredagh played well for the first 50 minutes of this game, even after losing Hughes early on to injury they held firm but the constant pressure told near the end with a couple of soft goals. McMullan couldn't do much about the goals conceded and Mullan battled hard as did McGinley and Anderson in the half-back line. Byrne and Gilmore got their fill of it in midfield but worked tirelessly to the end. Upfront Doole and McCamphill scrapped for every ball and their four points between them were hard won. All in all the Ormeau Road men did well to stay in touch with a fresh Ballygalget side and can hold their heads high in terms of effort and determination.
Bredagh coach Colm McGuinness said at the start of the season that it would take a big squad to compete in three leagues and this is proving to be the case. Thankfully Bredagh have no Ulster match this week with their next outing away to Larne in the Antrim league this Sunday 11 May 3.00pm throw-in, players to meet in Cherryvale at 1.15pm. Continued thanks to Bredagh's senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their ongoing support.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Mark McGinley, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson, William Gilmore, Paddy Byrne, Ian Galway 1-3 1-2f, Fergal McCamphill 0-2, Paul Doole 0-2, David Brady, Ultan Power 0-1, Seamus McKillop, Paddy McGrenaghan, Joe McManus, Gerard Connolly, Mark Galway, Cathair Bonner.
UHL Div 3: Bredagh 2-14 2-09 Castleblaney
Bredagh maintained their unbeaten record in the Ulster Hurling League when the overcame a battling Castleblaney in a tough but enjoyable encounter at Cherryvale Playing Fields on Saturday evening. This was hurling played at a very good standard with both teams in with a chance of winning it going into the final minutes but a Danny Hughes '65 in the 56th minute and an overhead strike to the net in the 60th minute by Boyle edged it in favour of the South Belfast boys in the end.
Castleblaney started at a whirlwind pace and had notched 1-2 before Bredagh knew the whistle had sounded but the Ormeau men played themselves back into it led by star forward Paul Doole with a brace of points, an Anderson free, McCamphill with a well-taken point followed by Moriarty deflecting a long range free to the net left Bredagh trailing by the minimum at half-time 1-5 to 1-6.
Second half
The Blaney men were first on the scoreboard in the second-half but then Doole took over and hit two tremendous points in a row from 50 metres out and under severe pressure. This was the leadership Bredagh needed with Doole going on to hit six points in total, Bonner and Moriarty helped out with a brace a piece and Anderson chipped in with another long range free to edge Bredagh three in front going into the last five minutes. But the Monaghen men were far from finished and signalled their intentions with a piledriver from a 20 metre free to square the match but Bredagh's reply was almost immediate with Hughes's '65 and Boyle's delicate touch being just enough to record a deserved victory.
The quality of hurling in this match was in stark contrast to Bredagh's previous poor performance against McDermott's. McMullan and Whtye were steady at the back, Mullan at right-back put in another solid mature performance but it was left-corner back Mark Heron who caught the eye the most putting on a man-of-the-match performance in a virtuoso display that was difficult to find fault with as he broke up attack after attack with long clearances up to his half-forwards. McCollum, Hughes and Anderson formed a solid platform along the half-back line while Kelly and Byrne displayed total committment to the cause, Byrne, in particular, put down a strong marker as a first fifteen player displaying silky skills and more importantly great courage, committment and determination in winning many of the break balls.
Doole was the pick of the forwards and would have been Bredagh's top player after Heron. He got good support from Bonner, Moriarty, McCamphill and McKillop when he entered the fray. Boyle's height caused problems for Castleblaney as did Sidebottom's speed earlier on and overall this was the type of performance the Bredagh management were looking for. The trick will be the squads ability to produce this type of performance consistently and improve on it as the season progresses.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes 0-1 '65, Jack Anderson 0-2 2f, Paul Kelly, Paddy Byrne, Donal Hughes, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Paul Doole 0-6 3f, Paul Moriarty 1-2, Mark Sidebottom, Cathair Bonner 0-2, Seamus McKillop, Paul Boyle 1-0, Mark Galway, Vincent McCool, Joe McManus.
Antrim HL Div 4: McDermott's 1-05 2-08 Bredagh
A couple of hours from the 1st May you would expect a nice summer's evening but the conditions for this match was more like a bitter-cold wet winter's night and if the truth be told neither team warmed up enough to the extent that the hurling skills in show were a poor affair, but in the end sharp-shooter, Niall Donnelly, and goals apiece for McAllister and Doole were enough for Bredagh to take maximum points and remain unbeaten in the Antrim league which is priority number one for the management team this season.
Bredagh got off to a good start with points from Anderson, Donnelly and Moriarty but a goal at the other end saw the sides level before Bredagh's Donnelly put the minimum betweem them. The same player released McAllister on the 25th minute and he made no mistake from close range to leave the scores 1-0 to 1-04 in Bredagh's favour at half-time.
Second half
The South Belfast boys were more like their old-self in the second-half and forged ahead through pointed efforts from McCamphill, McAllister and Donnelly, on the 45th minute a McKillop shot was well saved but Doole pounced on the loose ball for a major that secured a Bredagh victory. McDermott's tagged on a few points near the end but it was of little import as the Bredagh boys waited impatiently for the final whistle and the opportunity to find a bit of warmth indoors
Summary
In defence Heron, Mullan and McGinley gave little away. Anderson cleared a lot of ball but was quieter than usual from a scoring perspective while at midfield Gilmore and, in particular Kelly in the second-half, controlled this sector. Niall Donnelly was the pick of the forwards and if he continues on this form he will be a shoe-in for young player of the year come the end of the season.
Next match Saturday 3 May UHL home v Castleblaney 6.30pm throw-in. Players meet @ 5.30. Continued thanks to Bredagh's senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their continued support.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Mark McGinley, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-1, Paul Doole 1-0, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Paul Moriarty 0-1, Gerard Connolly, Alastair McAllister 1-1, Niall Donnelly 0-4, William Gilmore, Seamus McKillop, David Brady, Mark Sidebottom
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 1-12 3-17 Ballycran
Bredagh hurlers suffered their second defeat in a row in their inaugural season in Down Division One. But the management team of Sean and Colm McGuinness were actually very pleased with the performance. Sean says "Our goal this year is to gain promotion in the Antrim league, we are currently competing in three leagues, including Ulster, with three matches every week, we have a big squad so we are rotating the players to ensure we have fresh legs going into the McDermott's match which is in the Antrim league tomorrow night."
"A lot of the boys who played tonight were getting their first full outing of the season and I thought they were excellent against Ballycran's second string who happened to be fielding a couple of the current Down senior panel."
Bredagh playing against the breeze were first of the mark when Boyle won a free close-in that Anderson duly tapped over. For the rest of the first quarter Ballycran were in rampant mood scoring 3-06 with Michael O'Prey being their main contributor. However, after Dillon retired with a nasty cut the South Belfast boys started to settle into their game and Boyle outfielded Dinger Bell and lashed the sliotar to the net to give Bredagh some hope. Doole, who was having a stormer, landed a free from an acute angle and Anderson tagged on a couple of long range efforts before McCollum and Bonner minors left the scores 1-05 to 3-10 in Ballycran's favour at half-time.
An eleven point gap was going to be tough to close but there was a fresh belief and determination in the Bredagh play in the third quarter as Doole, Anderson, Boyle and McKillop shot points to match Ballycran score for score in this period and as the game entered the final minutes Ballycran steadied the ship to land a hat-trick of points and run out easy winners on the night.
Power had a good game in the Bredagh goal and apart from the first quarter he got good protection from Brady, McManus, McGrenaghan and especially Whyte who had one of his best games so far this season. Young Michael Mullan was a rock in the centre of the defence well supported by Connolly and Dillon with White and McGinley putting in a mountain of work at midfield. Up front all the forwards fought hard with limited ball with Doole, who also may have a future as an ace marksman, Anderson and Boyle are worth mentioning for their contribution up front. It was also good to see the return of McKillop who's experience will prove valuable as the season progresses.
Next match is Weds 30 April in the AHL D4B v McDermott's @ Boucher Road Playing fields with a 7pm throw-in. Continued thanks to Bredagh's senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their ongoing support.
Panel and scorers: Ultan Power, Joe McManus, Michael Whyte, David Brady, Gerard Connolly, Michael Mullan, Charlie Dillon, Cormac White, Mark McGinley, Paul Doole 0--3 3f, Jack Anderson 0-5 4f, Mark Sidebottom, Vincent McCool, Paul Boyle 1-1, Liam McCollum 0-1, Cathair Bonner 0-1, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Paddy McGrenaghan.
Antrim ACHL Div 4B: Bredagh 1-17 0-08 Creggan
Bredagh's senior hurlers got their Antrim League campaign off to a great start with a convincing win over Creggan on Saturday afternoon at Cherryvale. While the 12-point margin at the end would suggest a stroll in the park, this game was far from it with only a couple of pucks of the ball in it for a long time and it was only in the final quarter that the Bredagh mentors with victory in sight could breathe easily.
A hat-trick of points from Niall Donnelly settled Bredagh down before McAllister brilliantly doubled overhead for the only goal of the game. Creggan replied with a brace but points from Donal Hughes, Donnelly, McAllister and McCamphill stretched Bredagh's lead to eight.
Creggan were far from being a pushover and they started to show their form in the second quarter rattling over three unanswered points to leave the score 1-8 to 0-05 in Bredagh's favour at the short whistle.
The first ten minutes of the second-half was a lively affair with Creggan determined to put up a strong challenge to get back into the game scoring two points without reply to trail by four. Bredagh sensing the danger upped their game moving into the final quarter, Donal Hughes matched Donnelly's hat-trick in the first half with three text book scores that would have graced any match, McAllister also made a telling contribution during this period with a brace of points but the finale was an 80 metre point from Bredagh's talisman Danny Hughes in the 49th minute.
That score knocked the stuffing out of Creggan and the South Belfast men closed out the game with further scores from Bonner, Moriarty and Donnelly to ease past the post with a bit to spare.
In many ways this was a contrasting game to Bredagh's match against Ballela earlier in the week, Bredagh played a better brand of hurling against Ballela but lost leaking four goals, on Saturday they seemed a lot more casual as if they didn't need to exert themselves too much to muster a victory, tellingly the back four were much tighter evidenced by a clean sheet at the final whistle. McMullan hadn't too much to do but what he did he did well. likewise the introduction of Mullan at corner-back made things more solid. Captain Liam McCollum was relatively quiet for the second match running with a needling back injury not helping matters. Hughes at centre-back got his fill of it from a very strong and skillful Creggan centre-forward but eventually Hughes wore him down and stamped his authority in the middle-third especially in the second-half. Kelly and Bonner worked tirelessly in midfield.
Upfront the right-side of the attack was sizzling with Down minors, Donal Hughes and Niall Donnelly sharing nine point between them, with some of their inter-play a joy to watch. On the other wing Doole battled hard winning dirty ball and taking a nice score to boot, he was assisted by Moriarty whose pace caused problems for the Creggan defence. Down the middle McCamphill did his bit while McAllister was a vast improvement on his Ballela performance top-scoring with 1-3. It would be hard to pick a man-of-the-match but the fact that minors Donnelly and Hughes spent the early part of the afternoon in a sapping Down training session with Richie Power and then turned on a great display for the club's seniors would give the pair the nod over anyone else. Obviously the Kilkenny craft has rubbed off on both of them, long may it continue!
It may sound harsh having won easily but overall the team would be lucky to score 5 out of 10 for this performance. There were too many times where four or five Bredagh players were standing back waiting for someone else to do the work or show leadership, it was good enough to beat Creggan on the day but rest assured it won't be good enough to beat the majority of teams they will meet this season.
Next match is home to Laitroim in the Down ACHL Division 1 on Tuesday 29 April @ 7pm. Players to meet at 6.15. Continued thanks to Bredagh's senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their ongoing support.
Panel and scorers: Loenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes 0-1, Jack Anderson, Paul kelly, Cathair Bonner 0-1, Donal Hughes 0-4, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Paul Doole 0-1, Niall Donnelly 0-5 1f, Alastair McAllister 1-3 1f, Paul Moriarty 0-1, Michael Kinsella, Gerard Connolly, Michael McKervey, Seamus McKillop, Cormac White, Paul Boyle, Ultan Power, Joe McManus, Vincent McCool, David Brady, Paddy Byrne, Mark Galway
ACHL Div 1: Ballela 4-12 2-14 Bredagh
Down Hurling League - Division 1
The old adage that 'goals win matches' unfortunately held true for the newly promoted Bredagh hurlers in their first ever outing in the Down Division 1 Hurling League. Four soft goals against, two in the first two minutes and two in the last two minutes took the polish of a decent all-round Bredagh display that looked until the dying minutes to be a hard fought victory but ended up in recriminations for a back four who have traditionally been the backbone of Bredagh victories in the past.
However it was the whole team effort that was fit to match Ballela in ability and athleticism but fell somewhat short in showing the hunger, determination and commitment to win 'dirty' ball along with the killer instinct necessary to carve out wins at this higher standard of hurling.
The South Belfast hurlers had an awful start against a strong wind gifting Ballela two majors within the first five minutes. In between these scores Bredagh's corner forwards, Doole and Bonner, hit excellent points to keep Bredagh in touch. Donnelly, Anderson (2), and Gilmore (2) all landed minors to help close the gap. Gilmore in particular was revelling in his new half-forward position ending up with a hat-trick of points on the night. However, while the Bredagh forwards were on song so were the Ballela boys with Dan and Johnny McCusker shooting 1-6 between them in the first-half. This was despite Danny Hughes dominating the half-back line showing his form of old with some superb fielding and clearances. As the game neared the half-time whistle, Bredagh trailed by 0-5 but a late scrambled goal by Eoghan Donnelly left just two between them and all to play for.
Second half
The second half was just as tight as the first, the game swayed from end to end and the scoring was fairly even in the third quarter with Anderson (2), Gilmore, Doole and Cormac Hughes knocking over the points for Bredagh to level up the match. Unfortunately, as the game entered the final quarter, Donnelly received a straight red which upset Bredagh's rhythm with Ballela taking advantage to forge 3 points ahead. On the 57th minute Bredagh were thrown a lifeline when the sliotar broke to Bonner and he shook the net from close range to level the game. The same player shot an exquisite point from an impossible angle a minute later to push Bredagh ahead but then came those two crazy goals at the end to kill of any hopes of a first Bredagh victory in the Down premier league.
Summary
This match was a fine hurling spectacle for the nuetral with both teams playing a good standard of hurling and certainly a cut above Bredagh's previous experience in Division 2. Bredagh played a nice mix of ground hurling and accurate passing up the wings and although they went behind they were playing by far the more effective hurling, however, with wind advantage in the second half they seemed to abandon this winning formula especially in the last quarter where they resorted to high ball into their forwards which played into the hands of Ballela's strong central spine.
Bredagh's keeper McMullan along with a number of the defenders will want to forget this match as quickly as possible, the mistakes were basic and will be and were punished at this level, that said McGinley had a sound game especially in the second-half while it was good to see Danny Hughes back to his old dominant self in the centre back berth. Paddy Byrne also showed well in the half-back line when coming on as a replacement for Heron. Midfielders Cormac Hughes and Kelly worked hard throughout with the latter showing improvements match by match. Anderson, Doole, Bonner and Gilmore all had fine performances, scoring 2-14 would win most matches as tight as this, so their efforts can't be faulted. Bonner always had the beating of his man but probably wasn't fed enough good quality ball especially in the second-half, while Gilmore just pipped Hughes for the man-of-the-match award for his overall performance during the hour.
Next Match is in the Antrim Hurling League home v Creggan on Saturday 26 April, 4pm throw-in. Players meet at 3.15. Continued thanks to Bredagh's senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their ongoing support.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Charlie Dillon, Paul Kelly, Cormac Hughes 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly 1-1, Jack Anderson 0-5 1f, William Gilmore 0-3, Paul Doole 0-2, Alastair McAllister, Cathair Bonner 1-2, Paddy Byrne, Ultan Power, Mark Galway, David Brady, Vincent McCool.
Ulster League Div 3: St Enda's 2-05 0-11 Bredagh
A Niall Donnelly point four minutes from time earned Bredagh senior hurlers a well deserved draw in their first outing of the Ulster League but if the truth be told the Glengormley men left the pitch the happier of the two teams netting twice in the final ten minutes to go a point ahead before Donnelly's equaliser.
The first half was a pretty even affair with both defences on top, Enda's opened the scoring before Galway equalised with a close-in free, the same player added another from play with the Saints equalising again almost immediately. Bredagh were starting to get on top and Kelly landed a lovely point over his shoulder and this was followed by an excellent Donal Hughes point from an acute angle. Another Galway free was matched by St Enda's to leave the score 0-3 to 0-5 in Bredagh's favour at half-time.
Second half
The second-half was just as tight as the first with two Galway frees being equalled by a brace of points from the opposition. Galway took his tally to six on the night with another well-taken point. The difference in this period was Bredagh were getting their scores while St Enda's were guilty of a number of bad wides. All looked well for the South Belfast gaels when a St Enda's player was rightly sent to the line but the extra man had no positive effect on Bredagh as St Enda's lifted their game and ex-Antrim star Philly Curran hit the net from close range to close the gap to one. McCamphill pointed to stretch Bredagh's lead to two before disaster struck again as Curran hit another major to give the Glensmen a one point lead with five minutes remaining. Then came Donnelly's equalising point and as the clock ticked down both sides had the chance to win the match but neither did settling for a share of the spoils instead.
Summary
This was Bredagh's toughest test so far this season and they stood up well to the physical challenge put up against them, the players know they can play better and as coach Colm McGuinness commented after the game "St Enda's will always be a tough nut to crack in their own back yard and so it proved tonight, on reflection our young team stood up to them well and with a bit more luck could have stolen all the points but it was a good tough match and it's the sort of pre-season games we need to bring us on"
Overall Bredagh were steady as opposed to being at their best, the defensive unit played well except for the late slip-up, Anderson showed best at the back while McCollum was the pick of the half-backs, both Cormac Hughes and Ian Galway played their part in midfield as did Donal Hughes in the half-forward line. The Donnelly brothers, Eoghan and Niall, had unusually quiet games and the whole forward unit were well shackled, six points from play just isn't good enough to win a match but some credit must go to a tight Glengormley defence.
Bredagh's next Ulster league match is this Saturday v Eoghan Roes, Coleraine, 6.30pm throw-in @ Cherryvale. All support welcome. Many thanks to our senior hurling sponsor, NIAVAC, for their ongoing support.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael Whyte, Jack Anderson, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Michael Kinsella, Ian Galway 0-6 5f, Cormac Hughes, Donal Hughes 0-1, Paul Kelly 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly, Niall Donnelly 0-1, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Cathair Bonner, Michael Mullan, Ultan Power, Mark Galway, Paul Doole, Paddy Byrne, David Brady, Paddy McGrenaghan, Charlie Dillon, Mark Heron, Paddy Woods, Gerard Connolly, Mark Devlin, Cormac Whyte.
Ballygalget match photographs
Challenge match: Bredagh 3-20 0-06 Ballygalget
The South Belfast hurlers had this match pretty much wrapped up at half-time racking up 1-16 to 0-02 in an impressive first 30 minute display.
The Donnelly brothers, Eoghan and Niall were in devastating form scoring 1-6 between them, their performance was mirrored by the Hughes brothers who put in a mountain of work and chipped in with a couple of points between them, and old hands McAlastair and McCamphill were not to be overshadowed sharing a tally of 1-7. Bredagh did most of their scoring in the first half with their team play and accuracy a joy to watch. All 25 of the panel got a run out during the game as the McGuinness's decide on their starting fifteen come Saturday in their first outing in the Ulster league at home to Tir na nog, Randalstown.
While the forwards showed their shooting skills with all of the starting six and both midfielders getting on the scoresheet including a well-taken brace from Bonner as well as a point a piece from subs Moriarty and McKervey, the defence were equally sound with goalkeeper McMullan and his second-half replacement Power, both keeping majors of the scorecard. The half-back line of Kinsella, Danny Hughes and McCollum is a formidable one with McCollum in particular putting on a man-of-the-match display edging out Eoghan Donnelly for this honour. Behind them Anderson, Whyte and McGinley didn't give much away.
Overall what was most pleasing is the progress that's being made by the younger players with their contribution increasing on every match they play.
This was a good confidence booster ahead of next week's Ulster league match. Coach Colm McGuinness was pleased with the display, particularly the first-half but reminded his players that it was a weak Ballygalget side and they won't get the same latitude against Tir na Nog next Saturday who are an Antrim Division two outfit.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Jack Anderson, Michael Whyte, Mark McGinley, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Michael Kinsella, Cormac Hughes 0-1, Ian Galway 0-1 1f, Donal Hughes 0-1, Fergal McCamphill 0-4, Eoghan Donnelly 1-3, Niall Donnelly 0-3, Ali McAlastair 1-3, Cathair Bonner 0-2, Paul Moriarty 0-1, Micky Mckervey 0-1, Michael Mullan, Paul Doole, Matthew McAfee, David Brady, Ultan Power, Mark Galway, Paul Kelly, Joe McManus.
Challenge match: Bredagh 3-06 2-02 St Agnes's
This turned out to be a good work out for the Bredagh hurling squad in what was a low-scoring affair in windy conditions at Cherryvale.
The Aggies were first on the scoreboard with a wind-assisted '65. Eoghan Donnelly equalised with the first of his two successful frees in the first half but in between those frees Donal Hughes shot a major and McCamphill a point to give the Ormeau Road men a 1-3 0-2 lead at half-time.
Second half
With the wind advantage in the second period, Ian Galway recorded the first 2 points, the second from a 45 metre free. On the 40th minute a 90 metre Kinsella free came off the Aggie's keeper's stick to nestle in the corner of the net and from the puck out a 30 metre strike from Donal Hughes also found the net to pretty much wrap up the match for Bredagh. Manager Sean McGuinness took the opportunity to use all the subs and while the maroon and whites continued to be strong in defence, the scores up front peetered out. St Agnes's took some hope from this finding the net twice to close the gap before William Gilmore sealed the victory with a well-taken point, his first in a Bredagh shirt.
Summary
On a positive note, McGuinness got to see 24 players in action with new boys Kinsella and Kelly both putting on impressive displays. McMullan was his usual superb self in goals and would have recorded another clean sheet only for some poor defending. Whyte, McGinley, McCollum, Mullan and Gilmore all showed well in defence as did Woods when entering the fray in the second half. Kelly and Hughes made a good partnership in midfield while upfront it was good to see McCamphill and Ian Galway back in action with Eoghan Donnelly and Donal Hughes a constant threat in this sector.
All in all things are shaping well for the senior hurlers ahead of their first Ulster League clash against Tir Na Nog at Cherryvale @ 6.30pm on Saturday 5th April.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, David Brady, Michael Whyte, Mark McGinley, Michael Kinsella, Liam McCollum, William Gilmore 0-1, Cormac Hughes, Paul Kelly, Donal Hughes 2-0, Ali McAllister, Eoghan Donnelly 0-2 (2f), Ian Galway 0-2 (1f), Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Cathair Bonner, Mark Devlin, Michael Mullan, Paddy Woods, Niall Donnelly, Mark Galway, Ultan Power, Michael McKervey, Cormac White, Michael Guerin.
Betsy Gray Sheild: Bredagh 4-12 1-05 Kilclief
Bredagh hurlers bounced back from last week's defeat to Laitroim with a convincing victory over Kilclief to qualify for a semi-final spot in the Betsy Gray Shield. Playing with wind advantage Bredagh's Eoghan Donnelly registered a brace of points in the first few minutes but his younger brother, Niall, went one better with a brace of goals to give Bredagh the best start possible. In between Donnelly's goals, Bonner lashed in 1-1 from his new top of the left position. Kilclief snatched a goal from a sideline cut that squeezed inside McMullan's post to leave the score at the end of the first quarter 3-3 to 1-0.
Bredagh continued to dominate the first half with captain Liam McCollum commanding the half-back line and chipping in with a point from long range. He was well supported by Charlie Dillon at left-half and Ali McAlastair at centre-half forward who controlled that area of the pitch landing two points, one direct from a '65. Eoghan Donnelly who was a constant threat to the Kilclief defence finished the half with another brace of points to leave the score at the break 3-8 to 1-1.
Second half
As expected Kilclief came out fighting in the second half landing three unanswered points in what looked like a potential comeback. But their efforts fizzled out as Niall Donnelly struck the point of the day, killing a well driven pass from Cormac Hughes on his stick, he caught and struck first-time over the bar from an acute angle on the right. This was followed by another great score from Bonner as he rounded his man and carried the ball into close range before striking over the bar. As the game entered the final ten minutes Kilclief went all out for goals but resolute defending from Whyte, Woods, Devlin and Mullan gave them little hope of breaching the Bredagh goal. Donal Hughes nailed the coffin down with a brace of great points near the end before the killer instincts of Niall Donnelly roofed the net to complete his hat-trick of majors clearly making him the topscorer on the day and no doubt bragging rights over his older brother Eoghan.
Summary
Unlike last week when it was difficult to pick a man-of-the-match, Bredagh had a range of star performers from Liam McCollum and Charlie Dillon in the defence, Bailey and Cormac Hughes controlled midfield while the Donnelly brothers who scored 3-5 between them and Ali McAlastair along with Donal Hughes always posed a threat upfront. The Bredagh minors of Cormac and Donal Hughes, Niall Donnelly, Michael Mullan, Matthew McAfee and Paddy Woods, all who represented Down in a convincing win over Armagh the day before, proved their credentials for a starting position on the senior side. Bonner, contributing 1-2, had probably one of his best games in a Bredagh shirt. Power, Brady, Galway and Guerin all came on to good effect.
Manager Sean McGuinness was pleased with the win "I thought the younger lads were smashing and they were given good leadership by the senior players on the team, overall there was plenty of positive points to build on but it's important we don't get carried away, we need to remember Kilclief were relatively weak missing all their key county players".
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Devlin, Michael Whyte, Paddy Woods, Michael Mullan, Liam McCollum 0-1, Charlie Dillon, Cormac Hughes, Leon Bailey, Donal Hughes 0-2, Ali McAlastair 0-2 1 65, Eoghan Donnelly 0-4 2f, Cathair Bonner, Michael McKervey, Niall Donnelly 3-1, Ultan Power, Matthew McAfee, Mark Galway, David Brady, Michael Guerin, Kevin Duffin
Betsy Gray quater-final
Bredagh 3-07 Liatroim 3-10
There was just a puck of the sliotar in this game but in reality, in Bredagh's first outing of the season, they were out-fought, out-hustled and out-played by a stronger more cohesive Liatroim outfit who showed why they made it to the 2007 Ulster Intermediate championship final.
It was a nip and tuck affair in the first quarter with both teams exchanging two points apiece with the Bredagh points coming from an Anderson free and a well-taken solo effort from Eoghan Donnelly. Bredagh edged ahead on the 14th minute when Doole pounced on a loose ball and first-timed it to the net. The second quarter was all liatroim as they knocked over two easy frees before a mix-up in the Bredagh defence gifted a goal on the stroke of half-time to leave the scores 1-5 1-2 in Liatroim's favour at the interval.
Second half
Bredagh started well in the second period with two well-taken points from Doole and Niall Donnelly who was introduced at half-time. Young Donnelly was posing problems for Liatroim and in the 36th minute he found McAllister who goalled from close range to edge Bredagh two in front. Danny Hughes was forced to retire and this unsettled the Bredagh defence who conceded another goal to go one behind.
As the game entered the final ten minutes Anderson struck a long-range point before Moriarty finished to the net after good work from Niall Donnelly to put Bredagh back in front. Liatroim were now finding a lot of space in their forward line and almost immediately replied with a goal of their own to leave the score 3-8 3-7 in their favour.
As the clock ticked down Bredagh went all out for goals with Niall Donnelly again going close from a free but Liatroim held strong and closed out the game with two further points to finish deserving winners on the day.
Summary
"Just not good enough" was coach Colm McGuinness's assessment after the game and that would be fair comment. The Ormeau Road men never really got going in this game and although they could have won the game that would have been very unfair on Liatroim who were the better team throughout. Liatroim's ability to control the middle-third and close down Bredagh in numbers was a telling factor.
There was no real man-of-the-match displays from any of the Bredagh squad, that said McMullan in goals did nothing wrong and kept Bredagh in the game with a couple of fine saves in the closing stages. Bredagh's defence generally was too slow for a sharp Liatroim attack, the visitors controlled midfield and broke out of their own defence too easily for Bredagh's liking.
Bredagh had a youthful front six with minors McAfee, Donal Hughes and Niall Donnelly starting at senior level for the first time along with Doole, Cormac Hughes and Eoghan Donnelly, all of whom equipped themselves well especially Niall Donnelly who was the pick of them when introduced at half-time. Bredagh having won the Down Division 2 league and JHC last year now need to realise they're operating at a higher level and they will have to make a considerable improvement on this performance if their going to win any honours in 2008.
Bredagh were missing a number of senior players but that was no excuse as Liatroim were also missing quite a few. This defeat consigns Bredagh into the Betsy Gray Shield where they take on Kilclief in the semi-final at 2pm on Sunday 2 March in Cherryvale.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael McKervey, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Mark McGinley, Leon Bailey, Cathair Bonner, Cormac Hughes, Jack Anderson 0-3 2f, Eoghan Donnelly 0-2 1f, Paul Moriarty 1-0, Matthew McAfee, Paul Doole 1-1, Ali McAllister 1-0, Niall Donnelly 0-1, Mark Heron, Donal Hughes, Ultan Power, Michael McGuerin, David Brady, Paddy Woods, Paddy Mcgrenaghan, Kevin Duffin, Mark Galway, Mark Devlin.
Ultan makes Inter-County debut!
Bredagh forward and u12 coach Ultan Power made his Inter County debut on Saturday 3rd November at the age of 46. Ultan lined out for the Antrim over 40s in a challenge game againt BT. The match ended in a draw and big Ultan aquainted himself well.
Waterford man Ultan is now waiting for a call from Justin McCarthy.
Action from the Ulster JHC semi final v Setanta
Ulster JHC S/F Replay: Setanta 0-12 1-05 Bredagh
Bredagh hurlers miss out on Ulster final
Bredagh were 6 points down in the 35th minute but scored 1-3 without reply to level the match going into the final quarter and with wind advantage they looked like going through to an Ulster final but it wasn't to be, they had nothing more to give as the Donegal champions added 4 points in the final 10 minutes to seal a well deserved victory on the day.
The opening quarter was a battle-rousing affair as Setanta, with a strong wind advantage threw everything at the Bredagh defence but McMullan and co held their opponents evens at 0-2 apiece, Bredagh scoring through a Galway free and a point from full-forward Alastair McAllister. Donegal's Cullen was the main threat scoring three frees and one from play to give Setanta a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 30 minutes but 3 excellent Donegal points in added time of the first-half saw them take a undeserved 5 point advantage into the changing room.
Second Half
Setanta got the first point of the second-half but then Bredagh had their purple patch with Donnelly rattling the corner of the net which lifted the Bredagh support who cheered all the louder when Galway added another free, McLoughney landed another point under pressure before Cormac Hughes burst through the Donegal defence to shoot the equalising point. With 15 minutes remaining and the wind and rain in Bredagh's favour it looked like the South Belfast men were on their way but the rain stopped, the wind dropped and Setanta lifted their game with Cullen and Anthony McDaid dominating at half-back and midfield they managed 4 points in the final 10 minutes to run out deserved winners.
Bredagh were well served in the defensive quarter with McMullan keeping another clean sheet while his minders, McGinley, Whyte and Heron put their bodies on the line to repel the Donegal attack time and again. Captain Liam McCollum hurled his heart out at centre-half, well supported by Anderson and Gilmore, who was having an excellent game but had to retire injured in the 20th minute which didn't help Bredagh's cause.
McCaughey, Galway and Bonner when introduced battled hard against a very strong Setanta midfield while Hughes, McKillop and McCamphill gave their all against a well-drilled half-back line. Upfront Donnelly always threatened and his goal was instrumental in bringing Bredagh back into the game, McAllister and McLoughney did their best as did Sidebottom, Moriarty and Connolly when introduced to try and stem Donegal in the final minutes.
The Bredagh players and management were extremely disappointed in not making the Ulster final. Coach Ciaran Donnelly thought at one stage that they had done enough "it looked when we drew level that it was there for the taking but fair play to Setanta they finished the stronger and our challenge faded away". Mentor Rory Galway was full of praise for his players "they gave everything out there, the reality is the just ran out of steam against a very strong Donegal side, I couldn't have asked for more effort".
Bredagh chairman Paul Blaney while bitterly disappointed at seeing his club fail at the penultimate stage of their Ulster challenge for the second year running (the footballers exited at the same stage last year) was philosophical "Look, the senior hurling side of the club is 3 years old, they've completed their county double this year with the Down championship and league title - two out of three ain't bad! It's been a long season for them 30 plus games, 100 plus training sessions, god knows how many injuries they had to endure but they were there to the very end, battling like true Bredagh gaels, the club is proud of their achievements, they are a credit to South Belfast, each and everyone of them. Believe me this is only the start, these boys will be back next year bigger and stronger. We had 20 boys representing Down at various hurling levels this year, this will bring them on no end and that puts into perspective the hurling team's success this year, they've laid a solid foundation for others to follow so watch out next year!"
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Jack Anderson, Liam McCollum, William Gilmore, Ian Galway 0-2f, Rory McCaughey, Fergal McCamphill, Seamus McKillop, Cormac Hughes 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Alastair McAllister 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly 1-0, Charlie Dillon, Cathair Bonnar, Mark Sidebottom, Brian Connolly, Colin O'Neill, David Brady, Matthew McAfee, Ultan Power, Paul Moriarty, Mark Galway, Michael Mullan.
Ulster JHC Semi Final: Setanta (Donegal) 2-06 0-12 Bredagh
Brilliant comeback from Bredagh hurlers!
In a pulsating and nail-biting finish to the Ulster JHC semi-final Bredagh's ace marksman Ian Galway split the posts in the final minute to earn the South Belfast gaels a well-deserved draw and another bite at the cherry at the same venue, Maghera, next Sunday with an earlier throw-in time of 2.30pm.
There was never more than two points between the sides in this tightly fought contest with Setanta having the edge in the opening exchanges to lead by a point at half-time. Bredagh were the stronger side in the second-half edgeing a point ahead in the 50th minute. A Setanta goal in the 55th minute looked like taking them into the final but a glorious McCamphill point from out on the right together with a Galway '65 earned Bredagh a second chance. Indeed McAllister with the last puck of the ball saw his shot from an acute angle out on the left drift a yard wide otherwise Bredagh would have been relishing an Ulster final spot against Antrim champions, Armoy.
Setanta started the brighter pointing through Campbell (free) and Callaghan. Galway and Campbell shared frees as Bredagh started to find their feet with McAllister, Galway and McLoughney adding points without reply to edge the Ormeau road men into a one-point lead. However Setanta restored their lead when Browne fired to the net from close range. Bredagh's Cormac Hughes had the final say of the half to leave the scores 1-03 to 0-05 at half-time. Bredagh could count themselves lucky to be only a point behind as McMullan pulled off two point-blank saves to keep them in the contest.
Second half
Setanta's Campbell pointed from the throw-in but Donnelly made a quick reply for Bredagh. Another Setanta point from Callaghan extended their lead before Bredagh's half-back line of Anderson, McCollum and McCaughey started to take the game by the scruff of the neck winning all the possession and resultant frees that were punished by Galway to push Bredagh into the slimmest of leads.
Setanta struck back in the 55th minute when Lafferty scrambled the ball to the Bredagh net to give the Donegal side a two-point advantage. Shortly after Campbell bore down on goal to seal the match for Setanta but McMullan pulled off an unbelievable save to keep Bredagh's hopes alive. This was when Bredagh's battling qualities came to the fore with McKillop and McCamphill winning possession to keep the Donegal defence under pressure. A superb Anderson line-ball came off the upright and McLoughney spooned it towards the roof of the net but Setanta's minder, Scanlon, managed to somehow tip it over the bar. As the clock ran down Bredagh won a free on the 50 yard line and Galway, who was shaky in the starting period, showed ice-cool composure as he did during all the second-half to fire over the equalising point and earn Bredagh another crack at the Donegal champions.
Summary
Bredagh's full-back line had their fill of it against a dangerous Setanta inside line but as the game wore on McGinley, Whyte and Dillon got on top of their men but had a man-of-the-match performance from keeper McMullan to thank for keeping the South Belfast gaels in the game. Anderson at right-half back was Bredagh's best outfield player and he was well supported in his line by McCollum and McCaughey especially in the second-half. Galway and Gilmore were up against it against a strong Donegal midfield pairing although Bonner came on to good effect in the final quarter to snuff out Donegal's main threat, Danny Cullen, who started at corner-forward for Ulster the night before in their Railway Cup clash with Connaught.
Up front, Bredagh were well marshalled early on but as the game wore on they had the better of the exchanges with wing men Donnelly and Hughes foraging well for break-ball while Mccamphill and McKillop were always in the thick of it. McAllister in his new full-forward role was always on top of his man and you would feel if he could see more ball in and around the house he could do more damage. McLoughney was well shackled but still managed two points from play although he didn't find his customary major which bodes well for the replay.
Coach Rory Galway was pleased with the fighting spirit displayed by his team "I was confident about winning this game but I would be even more confident about winning the replay as I know, and the players have said to me, there is more in us, let's hope we can get it out of them next Sunday". Fellow coach, Ciaran Donnelly, always had a worry about competing effectively in the middle-third "we did compete here and as the game wore on we were getting more and more on top, if we can repeat that performance next Sunday and get our inside line firing on all cylinders we would be hopeful of making the Ulster final"
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Jack Anderson Liam McCollum, Rory McCaughey, Ian Galway 0-6 4f 1 '65, William Gilmore, Eoghan Donnelly 0-1, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Cormac Hughes 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 0-2, Ali McAllister 0-1, Seamus McKillop, Mark Sidebottom, Cathair Bonner, Brian Connolly, Colin O'Neill, David Brady, Matthew McAfee, Ultan Power, Michael Mullan, Paul Moriarty, Mark galway, Vincent mcCool.
Ulster JHC Q/F: Mullahoran (Cavan) 0-07 2-10 Bredagh (Down)
Bredagh eased themselves into an Ulster JHC semi-final spot when they ran out convincing winners over Mullahoran at Kingscourt, Cavan on Sunday. The south Belfast gaels started this game in a blistering pace rattling over 0-3 through Doole, McCamphill and a sweet Donnelly point before the Cavan champions had time to settle. Mullahoran replied with a pointed free from Anthony Sheridan but when the Cavan netminder, Darren Sheridan, spilled a longe-range effort from Bredagh's Anderson, McKillop was quickest to react notching the first of his two majors on the day. Bredagh had shown enough hurling superiorty in the opening quarter to signal an eventual victory but Mullahoran weren't giving up without a fight as Paul and Anthony Sheridan added further points to close the gap to three before an Ian Galway '65 and a close-in pointed free from the same player left five in it at half-time 1-05 to 0-03
Second half
Mullahoran started the second-half in determined mood with Brady and Dalton firing over minors to leave only a puck in it. Galway replied with a long range free but the turning point came in the 40th minute when Galway's delivery into the large square was palmed to the net by full-forward McKillop. This score drove Bredagh on as Donnelly, McCamphill and McLoughney tagged on further points to close out the game. In the final minutes Mullahoran concentrated on majors but the Bredagh defence led by man-of-the-match Danny Hughes together with keeper McMullan and full-back Whyte held out to return a clean sheet on the day.
This was a major improvement on Bredagh's last outing when they were lucky to squeeze past Portadown, the defence was back to it's brilliant best with the return of Hughes and Dillon from injury, McMullan was faultless as usual in goal and was well protected by Whyte and Heron at the back. Bredagh's strongest line was at half-back led by Hughes with excellent support from captain, Liam McCollum and Ali McAllister. Cormac Hughes and McGinley replaced Heron and Dillon at half-time both putting on sterling performances especially from Hughes who will no doubt give management a headache when selecting the starting line-up come the semi-final.
At midfield Galway was as accurate as ever from the placed ball with his partner Gilmore covering every blade of grass as usual. The half-forward line of Donnelly, McCamphill and Anderson played well scoring 0-4 between them with Anderson unlucky not to have registered a major as he saw his pile-driver come back off the bar. The inside line of McLoughney, McKillop and Doole all made the scoresheet but it would be fair to say the trio were not firing on all cylinders but hopefully they can cut loose when it matters in the semi-final. In the final quarter subs McCaughey, Bonnar and McAfee all came on to good effect.
Coach Rory Galway saw an improvement on the previous week but said "our performance today was just ok, we are still making too many elementary mistakes and taking the wrong options, we will need another big improvement if we are going to stay with Setanta who beat us out of sight in an Ulster league match at the start of the season -the extra week gives us a chance to hone our stickwork which we should benefit from".
The Ulster semi-final against Setanta (Donegal) that was scheduled for next Sunday the 14th has been postponed to the 21st October due to some of the Setanta's players involvement on the Ireland shinty team. The prize for the winners will be a run out on Ulster finals day at Casement Park against the winners of Armoy (Antrim) and Naomh Colmcille (Tyrone).
Panel and Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum (capt), Danny Hughes, Alistair McAllister, Ian Galway0-4, 3f, 1 '65, William Gilmore, Eoghan Donnelly 0-2, Fergal McCamphill 0-2, Jack Anderson, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Seamus McKillop 2-0, Paul Doole 0-1, Cormac Hughes, Mark McGinley, Rory McCaughey, Cathair Bonnar, Matthew McAfee, Mark Sidebottom, Brian Connolly, Ultan Power, David Brady, Vincent McCool, Colin O'Neill, Mark Galway.
Antrim League Div 3: St Teresa's 6-12 4-14 Bredagh
In a high-scoring entertaining game divisional leaders St Teresa's just managed to come out on top winning by a 4 point margin where the goals against were the major factor in Bredagh losing.
Nevertheless this was a useful outing for the South Belfast hurlers ahead of their Ulster semi-final clash against Donegal champions, Setanta, next Sunday. Eight players made the scoresheet which will help their confidence but half-a-dozen goals conceded won't help the defence's moral and a porous display like today will surely see them dumped out of Ulster.
McLoughney got Bredagh off the mark with a well-taken point but for the rest of the first quarter the Glen Road men dominated notching up 3-5 without reply. Bredagh steadied the ship in the second quarter with, McLoughney, Doole, O'Neill and Donnelly knocking over minors, the latter also rifled in a major to leave it 3-7 to 1-5 at half-time.
Second half
Bredagh put on a much improved performance in the second-half, McLoughney hit another point and then sent a screamer to the roof of the net to reduce the gap to three. But everytime Bredagh managed to come within touching distance St Teresa's added a goal and that was the story during the final 20 minutes. McAllister shot 1-2 when moved to the full-forward position and further points from Doole, O'Neill, McKillop, Bonnar and Anderson were cancelled out by conceding soft goals at the other end. Bredagh had all the pressure in the final 10 minutes with Doole lashing the sliothar to the net to close the gap to 4 points but the final whistle put paid to any chance of a comeback.
Summary
McGinley at full-back was one of Bredagh's best performers on the day and certainly sent a clear message to the management team ahead of Sunday's Ulster semi clash, Heron and McCollum were steadying influences when introduced in the second-half and new daddy Anderson played as if a weight was off his mind. Gilmore and Bonnar worked hard at midfield with Donnelly and O'Neill always busy on the half-forward line. McAllister's performance makes him an option in the inside line and both Doole and McLoughney scored heavily with 1-3 apiece.
4-14 was good scoring but a tighter defence will be required if Bredagh hope to progress to the Ulster final on Sunday.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark McGinley, Michael Mullan, David Brady, Jack Anderson 0-1, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Cormac Hughes, Cathair Bonnar 0-1, William Gilmore, Colin O'Neill 0-2, Eoghan Donnelly 1-1, Mark Galway, Seamus McLoughney 1-3 1f, Ultan Power, Paul Doole 1-3, Liam McCollum, Mark Heron, Ali McAllister 1-2, Mark Devlin.
Ulster Championship
Sunday 30th September:
Ulster Junior Hurling Club Championship Preliminary Round: (3.30pm)
Bredagh (Down) v St Malachy’s (Armagh) at Ballycran
Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim)
More photos from the JHC Final
Photographs from the final.
Bredagh Captain Liam McCallum recieved the championship trophy.
The winning Bredagh squad with the Down JHC trophy.
Danny Hughes hooks Karl Maxwell of Warrenpoint.
Ali McAllister tackled by Liam Boyle of Warrenpoint.
Ian Galway - Down Democrat Man of the Match with his trophy.
Bredagh hurlers crowned Down champions for the first time!
JHC Final: Bredagh 2-10 1-02 Warrenpoint
Bredagh senior hurlers added the Down Junior Hurling Championship to their league crown when they ran out easy winners at Ballela on Saturday afternoon. The score doesn't really reflect the tightness of this game as only four points seperated the sides going into the final quarter but a goal from Seamus McKillop on the 47th minute plus a hat-trick of points from McCamphill put paid to any chance of a Warrenpoint comeback. Tellingly Bredagh only conceded one point from play and only four in all three of their championship matches and it was this fighting performance that did the business.
With wind advantage Warrenpoint were in the ascendacy in the first quarter but a combination of poor shooting and excellent defending especially from centre-half Danny Hughes kept them scoreless and it was Ian galway who opened the scoring from a long range free. In the 10th minute McLoughney first-timed a break ball in the large square and found the corner of the Warrenpoint net. Further points from Galway, McLoughney and Doole stretched Bredagh's lead to seven before Warrenpoint's John O'Kane landed a 30 yd free on the half-time whistle. While Warrenpoint were guilty of a number of bad wides in the opening half, Bredagh were also wayward with McKillop twice flashing sliotars just wide of the post and McLoughney forcing a fine save from Spud Murphy in the Point goal.
Second half
The Bredagh team who hadn't really sparked as yet received a severe tongue-lashing from Bredagh coach Ciaran Donnelly at half-time and this seemed to buck them up in the second period with Eoghan Donnelly firing over a point in the 33rd minute. Warrenpoint replied through McNally. McCamphill then landed a lovely point over his shoulder but Warrenpoint's spirits were lifted when O'Kane crashed a 20 metre free to the net to leave four between them. This was a nervous time for the Bredagh boys and getting the next score was vital. On the 50th minute Anderson found Doole down the left and he hit a pin-point cross-field pass to McKillop who lashed the sliotar bullet-like to the back of the Point net raising a mighty cheer from the large Bredagh support. The last 10 minutes saw McCamphill land two further points split by a brace of Galway frees to seal an historic victory for the South Belfast hurlers.
Summary
A text message before the game from coach Rory Galway, who missed the final due to work commitments read "emphasise discipline and our pattern of play - I don't believe they'll have an answer to those strengths" and this was how it turned out. Bredagh were far from their best, the nerves and tension was evident in their play but so too was their battling qualities and superior style of hurling that they have displayed all year. McMullan was faultless in goals and was unlucky not to save the only goal against him in the championship thus far. The full-back line of Heron, Whyte and McGinley were as tight as a drum while Bredagh's strongest line on the day was their half-back line of McCollum, Anderson and especially Hughes all of whom would have pushed for the Down Democrat man-of-the-match award that was deservedly won by marksman Ian Galway. His partner in midfield, William Gilmore, put in a mountain of work evidenced by breaking 4 camans in the process!
Up front McCamphill, Donnelly, McAllister and young Cormac Hughes were all effective with McCamphill being the pick of them. The inside line will be disappointed with their return of 2-2 but McLoughney and McKillop's goals were crucial to this victory as was the general play of Doole in the corner. McCaughey, McKervey, Connolly and O'Neill all came on to good effect emphasising the squad's strength in depth.
Post match comments
Bredagh chairman, Paul Blaney was delighted with the result "the footballers did the double last year so it's great to see the hurlers repeat that feat in 2007, they done themselves and the club proud". Coach Ciaran Donnelly commented "This was far from Bredagh's best performance of the season but finals are all about winning and an eleven point victory is a solid platform to build on, they gave their all out there, especially in the second-half and that's all we can ask for". Manager Eamon Mulvenna said he was relieved more than elated after the final whistle "when the Point got that goal I started to think about last year's defeat - deja vu - but when McKillop fired home I knew we had it. There's more in this team and we'll give Ulster a lash, we can relax now as wins from now on in are a bonus, I'm looking forward to meeting the Armagh champions in the preliminary round at Parc Esler on the 30th September".
Thanks
Special thanks to the senior hurling team sponsor, James Conlon of NIAVAC, who laid on drinks for the team at the after match banquet in the Pavilion bar. The ring of 'we are the champions' was heard well into the wee small hours of Sunday morning on the Ormeau Road.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Mark McGinley, Liam McCollum (capt), Danny Hughes, Jack Anderson, Ian Galway 0-4 all frees, William Gilmore, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Eoghan Donnelly 0-1, Alastair McAllister, Seamus McLoughney 1-1, Seamus McKillop 1-0, Paul Doole 0-1, Cormac Hughes, Rory McCaughey, Michael McKervey, Colin O'Neill, Brian Connolly, Mark Sidebottom, Ultan Power (number 23), Paddy Byrne, David Brady, Paddy McGrenaghan, Paul Boyle, Cathair Bonnar, Michael Mullan, Matthew McAfee, Vincent McCool.
Antrim Div 3: Bredagh 8-16 3-07 Larne
Bredagh hurlers had a convincing win over Larne which proved to be a good warm up in preparation for the JHC final in six days time. Only 7 of the 15 who played in Bredagh's semi-final win lined out but the other 8 possibles did themselves no harm as they dominated this match from start to finish. Power got the ball rolling with a crisp ground stroke to the corner of the net and points from Connolly, Donnelly, Hughes and Doole piled on the agony for Larne. On the 20th minute Gilmore popped up from midfield to smash the sliotar to the net while O'Neill also found the corner to give Bredagh an 8 point lead at half-time 3-9 - 1-04.
Second Half
Donnelly did the damage in the second-half scoring two terrific goals together with a hat-trick of points, Hughes split the post for a hat-trick of his own and Bonnar landed another from distance before Doole contributed 1-2 to leave Bredagh to coast home. In the final 10 minutes young Mark Devlin pounced on an error by the keeper to lash the ball first time to the net and O'Neill got himself another goal and then struck a lovely point from an acute angle near the end but score of the game went to Donnelly's second goal and he salomed through the larne defence before 'roofing' the net from 20 yds.
Summary
All in all this was a good run out for the boys, McKervey and Connolly were the pick of the defence, while Dillon, McGrenaghan and McGinley did well with midfielders Gilmore and Bonnar dominating their sector. Upfront teenagers Hughes, Donnelly, Devlin and Doole scored heavily with Power and O'Neill chipping in with 3-2 between them. This game will have given the Bredagh management food for thought ahead of next week's final and it certainly confirmed the strength in depth of this Bredagh squad as a major factor in the team's success so far this year.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Paddy McGrenaghan, Mark McGinley, Charlie Dillon, Michael McKervey, Michael Whyte, Brian Connolly 0-1, William Gilmore 1-0, Cathair Bonnar 0-1, Cormac Hughes 0-4, Eoghan Donnelly 2-4 1f, Jack Anderson, Colin O'Neill 2-1, Ultan Power 1-2, Paul Doole 1-3, Mark Devlin 1-0, Vincent McCool, Michael Mullan, Liam McCollum, Ian Galway.
JHC semi-final: Bredagh 2-10 0-07 Ballela
Bredagh hurlers reached another Down Junior hurling championship (JHC) final when they put paid to Ballela's hopes in a tightly fought contest in Darragh Cross. As a famous American football coach once said "offences win matches but defences win championships" and so it was in Darragh Cross on Sunday as seven out of eight Bredagh forwards scored, with McLoughney top-scoring again with 2-3 but with only five points in it at half-time and facing into a strong wind in the second-half it was the Bredagh defence, led by a man-of-the-match performance from goalkeeper Lorenzo McMullan, that out-hurled and out-fought their opposite numbers to ensure Bredagh a place in the final.
Ballela managed the first score from a free but this was quickly cancelled out when McLoughney found the net from an acute angle. Points followed from McKillop, Gilmore, McCamphill and Anderson but Ballela stayed in touch through Magee and McCusker. In the 20th minute McKillop saw his penalty shot tipped over the bar to extend Bredagh's lead to four points. Ballela's McCusker landed two pointed frees but these were cancelled out by two minors from McLoughney with Galway landing another from long range to stretch Bredagh's lead to five at half-time, 1-8 to 0-6. This lead didn't look like much given the strength of the breeze and Bredagh were wasteful during the opening period, the question was were they going to pay for it in the second period.
Second half
The third quarter yielded no scores from either side as Bredagh's defence battled ferociously for every ball as if their life depended on it. McLoughney pounced for another major on the 46th minute to extend Bredagh's lead to eight forcing Ballela to focus on goals in the final quarter. This is when Bredagh's defensive unit came into their own, McMullan oozed confidence under the dropping ball and this confidence spread throughout the defence as Dillon, Heron and Whyte hurled like demons to afford the Ballela inside line no space, the best example of this was when Ballela's McCusker set up his corner forward for a goal chance but both Whyte and Heron threw their bodies in front of the shot blocking what would have been a certain goal and then clearing up the field for McLoughney to add another point. Further pressure from Ballela saw Bredagh's half-back line of McCollum, Hughes and McGinley battle and win every scrap driving back the Ballela's attack with an intensity that the Ballela boys had not experienced before, Hughes was especially dominant during this period. Doole closed out the game with a sweet point to ensure Bredagh another crack at a Down Junior championship medal.
Summary
The question at half-time was had Bredagh done enough and this was certainly a worry for management but they had no need to bother their heads as the never-say-die attitude of the players weren't going to let a final opportunity slip. McMullan in goals was a major frustration for Ballela and the swarming and last ditch tackling of Bredagh's defence afforded the Ballela forwards no room to breath. McAllister was on top of his man before being forced to retire in the first-half with injury but his understudy McGinley was a more than able replacement. Gilmore at midfield did his usual fair share of defending as well as knocking over his first championship point. Marksman Galway didn't get many opportunities from frees but worked hard throughout finding his forward line with intelligent ball.
Anderson at left-half forward put in a sound performance winning clean ball and setting up attacks, as did McCamphill at centre-half while young Eoghan Donnelly was the only one of the eight forwards not to get onto the score sheet, his contribution was immense given the injury he carried into the game. The inside line always looked dangerous scoring 2-6 between them. Again it was McLoughney who got the lion's share but he would be the first to admit that that's all about the quality of sliotar received from his teammates, McKillop gave his marker all the hurling he wanted while Paul Doole's performances just get better and better with every match. Subs Cormac Hughes, McKervey and Connolly all came on to good effect near the end as Bredagh march on to their second JHC final determined not to let this one slip come the 15th September.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum (Capt), Danny Hughes, Ali McAllister, Ian Galway 0-1, William Gilmore 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Jack Anderson 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 2-3, Seamus McKillop 0-2 1f, Paul Doole 0-1, Mark Sidebottom, Michael McKervey, Mark McGinley, Michael Mullan, Colin O'Neill, Paddy Byrne, Cormac Hughes, Paul Boyle, Vincent McCool, Brian Connolly.
ACHL Div 2: Bredagh 4-10 Ballygalget 3-10
Bredagh hurlers crowned league champions in historic victory.
Bredagh hurlers sealed promotion to Down Division 1 with a hard fought victory over Ballygalget on Tuesday night. It took a man of the match performance from goal ace Seamus McLoughney scoring 3-1 to see off Ballygalget and secure the league championship for Bredagh.
First Half
Ballygalget started the brighter going two points up before McLoughney's first goal edged Bredagh in front. The game ebbed from end to end with Galway and Doole landing points for Bredagh but a Ballygalget goal saw them finish the half with a one point lead 1-5 to 1-4.
Second Half
McKillop levelled just after half-time but by the 45th minute Ballygalget led by 2-7 to 1-6. Goals from McKillop and McLoughney along with points from Galway, McKillop and McCamphill saw Bredagh in front by five as the game entered the last five minutes. Ballygalget were giving the Bredagh defence their fill of it scoring a major to bring it back to a two point margin but up popped McLoughney again, rounding the corner-back and burying the sliotar into the right-hand corner of the net to restore the five point cushion. In the final minutes it was all Ballygalget as they tried for goals to close the gap but the Bredagh defence held out to record an historic victory gaining Bredagh promotion to Division 1 for the first time in the club's history.
Summary
This was far from Bredagh's best performance of the season but they showed great determination - as they've done all year - to secure the win. McMullan had a busy time in goals and did well to limit a strong Ballygalget inside line to three goals. Heron, Whyte and Dillon all battled hard while McCollum, Hughes, McGinley and McKervey had a tough assignment in quelling the Galget half-forward line. In midfield Galway's accuracy was as good as ever landing three long range points from play while his partner, minor Cormac Hughes had an excellent first half putting down a solid marker for inclusion in the starting fifteen come the junior championship semi on Sunday. Connolly, McCamphill and Anderson all had an off-day on the half-forward line but the inside line of Doole, Sidebottom, McLoughney and impact sub McKillop were strong throughout and, with 4-4 between them, did the damage on the night.
Bredagh chairman, Paul Blaney, was full of praise for the hurlers " we have a strong and committed hurling committee and it has been their work over the past few years that we are now reaping the rewards from. Bredagh tried to get hurling going in the 80s but those efforts faded out however with the youth structures in place now we are confident we can build further on this success and hopefully there's more success for the senior hurlers this year in the junior championship".
Manager Eamon Mulvenna was full of praise for his senior squad " every year over the past three years since we resurrected senior hurling the team has got stronger and stronger with a good blend of experience and youth. Like every team we've had our fair share of injuries throughout the seasons but the difference this year was we had strength in depth and that's why we've only been beaten once in the league this year. It hasn't been the effort of just 15, it took all 35 squad players throughout the year to achieve this. The players have shown great committment and I'd like to thank them for that but they have had two great coaches in Rory Galway and Ciaran Donnelly who have left no stone unturned in their quest to hone a winning team. It's nice to win the league but our main focus all year was to use the league to develop a junior championship winning side, we have a semi-final against Ballela this Sunday in Darragh Cross and that's where the real test will be"
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Mark McGinley, Ian Galway 0-5 2f, Cormac Hughes, Brian Connolly, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Jack Anderson, Seamus McLoughney 3-1, Mark Sidebottom, Paul Doole 0-1, Seamus McKillop 1-2, Michael McKervey, Vincent McCool, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael Mullan, Paul Boyle.
JHC Q/F: Bredagh 4-18 0-03 Castlewellan
Bredagh hurlers breeze into championship semi-final.
Bredagh coach Ciaran Donnelly commented on the final whistle that "we could have no complaints with that performance" begrudging praise from a man who's hard to please. If there's such a thing as a perfect performance then the South Belfast hurlers produced it on Sunday as they convincingly beat Castlewellan in the quarter-final of the Down Junior Hurling Championship at a rain and wind swept Kilclief.
Ciaran's son Eoghan was the epitome of a superb team performance as he just nicked the Man of the Match award from his more senior colleagues in the likes of Gilmore, Hughes, McCamphill and McKillop. Eoghan landed 1-3 from play but he contributed much more putting on a text book wing-forward display always picking the right option whether that was taking scores when they were on or delivering intelligent low ball into the inside forwards.
Bredagh played with the wind in the first-half with Galway setting the standard with a long range point from play. McCamphill, McKillop, Donnelly, Doole and Anderson all added points to take Bredagh into a six point lead at the end of the first quarter. This lead was extended further as McCamphill who was having a great game with three first-half points to his credit found the net from 30 yds and just before half-time Donnelly rounded the corner-back and lashed the sliothar into the far corner.
At the other end Bredagh's defenders were in miserly form with Hughes his usual brick-self and McGettrick dominating his man at wing-back. Anything slipping past the half-backs had Dillon and Whyte to deal with while McMullan made little of Castlewellan's efforts on goal. One of the best scores of the half came when Donnelly fired the ball into the large square and Doole rose, caught and swivelled to fire the ball over the bar for a rousing score. Half-time Bredagh led 2-12 to no score.
Second Half
Turning round at half-time against the wind, it was the turn of the Bredagh defenders to stand up and be counted and that they did restricting Castlewellan to a single point from play. McGettrick who was having a superb game but, unfortunate for him, shifted a heavy challenge and had to retire with a broken collar bone to be replaced by Byrne. Heron protected the square with aplomb with Dillon and Whyte clearing their lines time and again. Up front McKillop was leading the attack to good effect landing a brace of points with Doole, Donnelly, Anderson, McCamphill and Galway adding singles.
An incident on the 60th minute summed up Bredagh's hunger in this game when the Castlewellan centre-forward gained possession he was swarmed by Hughes, Gilmore and McGinley and had no option but to throw the ball in the air to relieve the pressure which led to Hughes setting up another attack with McKillop winning possession on the 45 and driving towards goal, his shot on the 20 metre line had goal written all over it but Castlewellan were saved by the crossbar. But not for long, McLoughney who had been relatively quiet up to now awoke with devastating effect firing in two goals in quick succession to kill off any hope of a Castlewellan comeback.
Summary
This was easily Bredagh's best performance of the season and if they can repeat this in the semi-final on the 19th August they should be looking at another JHC final in September. McMullan was assured in goals with his intelligent puck outs setting up good Bredagh attacks. Heron, Whyte and Dillon were faultless as were McCollum, Hughes and McGettrick in the half-back line. Midfielders Galway and Gilmore put on one of their best performances of the season with Galway setting up attacks while Gilmore was in the thick of every scrambled ball usually emerging with it and managed to keep Castlewellan's danger man quiet to boot. Galway and all six forwards got on the score sheet while you could have counted the Bredagh wides in one hand. McCamphill played his best match of the season shooting 1-3, this scoring rate was matched with the superb Donnelly, Anderson got 0-2 while Doole contributed 0-3 and McKillop went one better with 0-4 while McLoughney outscored them all with two goals in the last two minutes. Subs Byrne, McGinley, Moriarty and Cormac Hughes all made appearances to good effect.
All in all a good day at the office and at last a bit of praise from coach Ciaran Donnelly!
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-3 (2f), William Gilmore, Eoghan Donnelly 1-3, Fergal McCamphill 1-3, Jack Anderson 0-2, Seamus McLoughney 2-0, Seamus McKillop 0-4, Paul Doole 0-3, Mark Sidebottom, Paddy Byrne, Mark McGinley, Ali McAllister, Colin Murray, Paul Moriarty, Brian Connolly, David Brady, Cormac Hughes, Matthew McAfee, Paddy McGrenaghan, Rory Galway.
Friendly: Bredagh 4-17 3-05 Davitt's
In preparation for the championship Bredagh had a challenge match v Davitt's last week winning 4-17 to 3-05. Anderson, Gilmore, McCollum and Moriarty all pointed. McKillop got 0-2 and McAllister 0-3 while McLoughney got his obligatory 2-1 and Ian Galway top scored with 1-7 but it was his younger brother Mark who got the score of the game as Mullan found him with a hand pass and he buried the sliothar into the roof of the net for his first goal at senior level.
ACHL Div 2: Ballygalget 1-06 Bredagh 1-13
This hard fought victory - Bredagh's first on Ballygalget soil - helped the South Belfast boys edge closer to the title of league champions with one more victory securing the top spot and promotion to Division 1.
Bredagh got off to a good start moving into a 5-2 lead through a hat-trick of Galway frees along with points from McAllister and Doole. Galway from play and points from McCamphill and McLoughney saw Bredagh lead 7-3 at half-time. Bredagh were playing well below par against a very young and inexperienced Ballygalget outfit and were flattered with a four point margin at this stage.
The second half saw Bredagh pick up the tempo with a brace from McLoughney to take their lead to 10-3. The killer blow came in the 45th minute when a long Galway free was pulled to the net first time by McAllister to open a 10 point cushion. The next 10 minutes saw Bredagh dominate proceedings but woefully wasteful in front to goal, giving hope to Ballygalget of a late comeback, and their full forward strengthened that hope when he reacted quickest to a break ball to record their only goal of the game. But Bredagh's defence held firm led by man-of-the-match Paddy Byrne who was one of a very few Bredagh players to emerge from this encounter with his reputation enhanced. McCamphill and McAllister added 2 further points to close out the game and leave Bredagh 2 points closer to a league title.
Summary
If you were judging Bredagh on this performance then 5 out of 10 would probably be airing on the generous side and would in no way be good enough to challenge for a Junior Championship title which is Bredagh's main focus this year after last year's final defeat. Apart from Paddy Byrne at right half back nobody else covered themselves in glory. Sidebottom was steady enough in goals with his long accurate puck-outs setting up a number of attacks but both he and Hughes will be disappointed in the manner of the Ballygalget goal. This was Hughes only mistake in a solid full back performance. Cornerbacks, Heron and Dillon , had a very shaky start but steadied as the game went on. McCollum battled hard against a strong centre half-forward and Gilmore was always in the thick of it at midfield and although Galway got his fair share of scores he should expect more from play against this level of opposition.
The forward six were generally wasteful especially Donnelly and Doole down the left where they fought hard to win good possession but only managed a point between them. Stalwarts McAllister and McCamphill had a better return of 1-4 but both have had better games and the same could be said of McLoughney and McKervey. The returning injured, Connolly, Moriarty and McGinley all looked rusty although Connolly has managed to keep himself in shape and this showed but all 3 will benefit from this outing adding pressure on the six missing players for a place on the starting 15 come the championship.
Coach Rory Galway was philosophical at the end "A wins a win - first victory in Ballygalget - first time to beat all 3 Ards teams in the one season - but performance needs to improve 200% or we're out of the championship at the first hurdle. That improvement will only happen if players put the effort in and that starts with a full turn out at training on Tuesday night".
Bredagh's next match is again against Ballygalget at home on the 31st July. A win will ensure Bredagh's first ever Down hurling league title .
Panel and scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Mark Heron, Danny Hughes, Charlie Dillon, Paddy Byrne, Liam mcCollum, Mark McGinley, Ian Galway 0-5 4f, William Gilmore, Eoghan Donnelly, Ali McAllister 1-2, Micky McKervey, Seamus McLoughney 0-3, Feargal mcCamphill 0-2, Paul Doole 0-1, Colin O'Neill, Cormac Hughes, Paul Moriarty, Matthew McAfee, David Brady, Kevin Muldoon, Brian Connolly, Mark Galway, Rory Galway.
ACHL Div 2: Clonduff 0-03 7-13 Bredagh
Bredagh senior hurlers continued their relentless pursuit of the Down Division 2 title with a comprehensive victory over Clonduff in Hilltown on Tuesday night. This was an outstanding team performance from the excellent Lorenzo McMullan in goals right through to young Paul Doole, who contributed 3 goals and a point from corner forward and excelled throughout the game. Eoghan Donnelly opened the scoring with a well taken point in the opening minute and this was quickly followed by an Ally McAllister point and the first of Paul Doole's goals. Seamus McLoughney, Ian Galway (free) and Jack Anderson tagged on three more points, before talisman Seamus McKillop added on a further 2 goals and one point from the full-forward position. Two further goals; one from a long distance Ian Galway free and Paul Doole's second of the night ensured that Bredagh had built up a healthy lead at half time.
Half-time Clonduff 0-02 5-06 Bredagh
I was a case of more of the same in the second half, with key features of the game being Bredagh's excellent support play in the middle third of the field and the clinical finishing of the Bredagh forwards. Seamus McKillop and Paul Doole added on a further goal each with a succession of points coming from Ally McAllister, Seamus McLoughney and Ian Galway ensuring that there was no way back for Clonduff. It was fitting that young Paul Doole scored the final point of the night, to cap a superb individual performance from Paul. However, overall this was an outstanding team performance against a Clonduff team which normally proves to be a very difficult assignment, especially at there home ground.
In defence, Danny Hughes was once again outstanding in Centre-half-back and was ably supported by Liam McCollum and Paddy Byrne, who were both really on their game in the wing-half-back slots. The full-back line, of Michael Mullan, Michael White, David Brady (who replaced the injured Michael White in the first half) and Rory McCaughey, was water tight, limiting their opponents to scraps of opportunities. At mid-field, Ian Galway and William Gilmore had excellent games, with William dominating Down senior panellist, John Murphy, throughout with and just about shading Paul Doole for "man of the match". As the score line suggests, the forwards were really on fire and all six linked brilliantly on the night, with Seamus McKillop and Paul Doole meriting specific mention for their individual scoring exploits.
Final score: Clonduff 0-03 7-13 Bredagh
Panel and Scorers: Rory Galway, Michael Mullan, Michael White, Rory McCaughey, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Paddy Byrne, William Gilmore, Ian Galway (1-5), Jack Anderson ( 0-1) Ally McAllister (0-2) Eoghan Donnelly (0-1) Seamus McLoughney (0-2) Seamus McKillop (3-1) Paul Doole (3-1) Cathair Bonnar, David Brady, Colin O'Neill, Ultan Power, Ciaran Nixon, Rory Galway.
ACHL Div 2: Warrenpoint 0-08 3-09 Bredagh
Another 10 point victory, another step closer to the Down Div 2 title but Bredagh got their fill of it with the Point matching them blow for blow in the middle third but it was Bredagh's last line and front line who proved too hot for the Point to handle. McGettrick at corner back and McLoughney at corner forward were the architects of Bredagh's win as the former broke down many of the opposition's attacks while McLoughney,with limited ball, hit 2-2 to see Bredagh comfortably over the winning line.
Warrenpoint dominated the early exchanges landing the first 2 points of the match but McLoughney with his first touch shook the Warrenpoint net and doubled his scoring rate shortly afterwards to give Bredagh a 7-4 lead. Galway was back to his best from the placed ball maintaining Bredagh's margin with a string of frees. McLoughney knocked over a neat point from wide on the right and just before half-time corner forward Paddy Byrne connected first time finding the bottom left-hand corner of the net to leave the half-time score 0-7 to 3-4. Admittedly this score flattered Bredagh as the Warrenpoint boys had the bulk of possession but failed to turn it into scores.
Second half
Bredagh's performance improved in the second-half with the introduction of minors Cormac Hughes and Matthew McAfee, both players laying down a marker for a starting position next time out. Galway landed 2 frees and a well taken point from play before McKillop lashed McLoughney's pass over the bar to extend Bredagh's lead. Meanwhile Warrenpoint simply couldn't penetrate Bredagh's last line of defence with McGettrick clearing everything that came his way, Whyte doing likewise and young Hughes cleaning up what they left behind and old hand McMullan self-assured in goals notching up another clean sheet. The best score of the game came in the 50th minute when McAfee won the ball on the 50 metre line, weaved past 3 defenders and knocked over a sweet point to cap a fine individual display.
Summary
This was far from Bredagh's best performance of the season as they struggled to keep pace with Warrenpoint's greater mobility, overall fitness will need to improve as the season moves into the heat of the championship. The full back line held their men while Rory McCaughey was the pick of the half back line after a shakey start with both McCollum and Hughes playing an important role in keeping Warrenpoint's best players quiet. William Gilmore was always in the thick of the action at midfield with his midfield partner Ian Galway having one of his better games of late. The half forward line of Anderson, McCamphill and Byrne struggled to get the better of Warrenpoint's half-back line but never stopped battling throughout. McLoughney was his usual deadly self although, because he never saw too much of the sliothar in the second half, McGettrick managed to pip him for the man-of-the-match accolade.
Next match up is Tuesday 26th June away to Clonduff. Players to meet in Cherryvale at 5.45.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Stephen McGettrick, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Rory McCaughey, Ian Galway 0-6 5f, William Gilmore, Paddy Byrne 1-0, Fergal McCamphill, Jack Anderson, Seamus McLoughney 2-2, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Mark Sidebottom, Cormac Hughes, Matthew McAfee, Ultan Power, David Brady, Cathair Bonnar.
ACHL Div 2: Warrenpoint 0-08 3-09 Bredagh
ACHL Div 2: Bredagh 6-10 Ballycran 4-06
28-10 sounds like an easy victory but this was far from the case in this top-of-the-table clash at Cherryvale on Tuesday night. Bredagh after a slow start surged ahead leading by 8 points at half-time. This advantage increased to 14 after 40 minutes but with 10 minutes to go the never-say-die attitude of Ballycran had reduce the deficit to 5 before Bredagh made the final push over the winning line managing to retain their pole position in the league.
Ballycran got the first score of the night from a long range free but McKillop leading the attack broke through in the 3rd minute and his unstoppable shot was the first of 3 great first half Bredagh goals. McLoughney rippled the net from what looked like an impossible angle and McAllister added another piledriver to extend Bredagh's lead. Ballycran replied with 2 pointed frees but these were matched by points from McKillop and McAllister to keep Bredagh comfortably in front. Even at this early stage Ballycran realised goals were needed to get back in contention but McMullan refused to be beaten while full-back Whyte was having another superb match.
Second half
Ballycran came out all guns blazing in the second-half dominating the early exchanges but superb defending from Whyte et al saw them return a meagre point from play. The turning point came in the 40th minute when Doole who had been threatening to score all evening bulged the net from close range, he repeated the dose almost immediately latching on to McKillop's through ball and Bredagh had what looked like an unassailable lead of 14 points. But Ballycran hadn't read the script introducing 3 subs and scoring a major in the next attack. Galway replied with a point from play, McLoughney added a brace, all were needed as in the next 7 minutes ballycran had found the net 3 times to reduce Bredagh's lead to 5. A dubious Ballycran penalty in the 55th minute looked like they were going to achieve the impossible but a great save from McCollum and resultant clearance from Hughes averted the danger as Bredagh closed out the game with a superb pointed free from Anderson, another from play from McAllister with Power nailling down the coffin with a goal on the final whistle.
Summary
This was a must-win match for Bredagh, it needed every man to stand up to the plate and the Ormeau Road men weren't found wanting. McMullan had another great game in goals with man-of-the-match Whyte pocketing the Ballycran full-forward and keeping him scoreless, he also managed to curtail Ballycran's other danger man, Conor Arthurs with two great saving tackles in each half. Hughes in the half back line was his usual brilliant self, something Bredagh fans have come to expect with his powerful interceptions and clearances from defence. He was ably assisted by McCollum and McGettrick on either side with Colin Murray putting in another powerful display at midfield before retiring injured in the closing minutes. Galway's free-taking wasn't on song but he still managed a point from play. Up front all 6 forwards got on the scoresheet and as the score suggests are a potent force against any team. McCamphill, McAllister and Anderson in the half foward division ooze confidence and experience - McAllister in particular stood out with 1-2 from play - providing excellent ball into an even more potent full forward line of McLoughney, McKillop and Doole who landed 4-4 between them. The bench weren't found wanting with Power grabbing a late goal, Mullan proved effective when introduced for the injured Dillon while Paddy Byrne did himself no harm when introduced at wing-back getting into the thick of the action with his rousing and fearless tackling.
Up coming games
Next match up in the Down league is another tough encounter away to St Peter's, Warrenpoint next Tuesday while tonight Bredagh are at home again in the Antrim league against Ballymena.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Micky McKervey, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-1, Colin Murray, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Ali McAllister 1-2, Jack Anderson 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 1-4, Seamus McKillop 1-1, Paul Doole 2-0, Michael Mullan, Paddy Byrne, Ultan Power 1-0, Cathair Bonnar, Joe Boyle, Ciaran Nixon, David Brady, Mark Sidebottom.
Bredagh 2.12 O'Mitchell Og 1.5
Bredagh senior hurlers recorded their first, on the field, win in Division 3 of the Antrim Hurling League on Wednesday 6th June at sunny Polegless. In truth this game was not as comfortable as the scoreline might suggest with the hosts battling manfully for the first 45 minutes and Bredagh eventually pulling away in the final 15. The first half in particular was evenly balanced, with Joe Boyle sniping a fine first half goal to give Bredagh a 3 point lead at half-time (Bredagh 1.5 O'Mitchell Og 0.5). During the first half a number of Bredagh's young guns were to the fore, with minors Michael Mullan, Matthew McAffee, Cormac White and the excellent Mark Devlin particularly prominent. Mark, who was making his senior debut, repelled several Mitchell's attacks in the first half with his direct, first-time, hurling. He was ably assisted in the half back line by Stevie McGettrick and another debutant, young Cormac White, whilst David Brady, Michael White and Paddy McGrenaghan were equally effective in the full back line, limiting their direct oponents to very few scoring opportunities. A point worthy of mention is that Michael, Cormac, Matthew and Mark are only 17 years of age, whilst Stevie, in his third campaign with the seniors, is a mere 20.
The second half began in the same fashion and in the initial stages it looked like the West Belfast lads were going to make a real push for a victory. It was during this period that William Gilmore proved his worth, with his skill and battling qualites to the fore ensuring that Bredagh held the sway at midfield. There can be no doubt that Bredagh has inherrited an excellent addition to the squad in the bold William and that he will be an outstanding hurler for Bredagh for many years to come. The final 15 minutes saw Bredagh open up a healthy lead and Cathair Bonnar was featuring prominently with driving runs from midfield, setting up a number of scoring opportunities for the forwards. Jack Anderson too was a key player during this time adding on 2 points to the 1 he scored in the first half. Fergal McCamphill was also proving to be a real talisman during the second period, initially in the half-forward line and at centre half back, when filling in for the injured McGettrick in the dying minutes of the game. Ultan Power eventually put the game beyond doubt with a goal in the final 10 minutes, to add to 2 earlier points. Substitutes Vincent McCool, Ciaran Nixon and Eamon Mulvenna also contributed well in the final quarter with Eamon scoring two well taken points in the final minutes to close out the game and ensure that Bredagh had secured their first win in the Antrim Hurling league.
The main plus-point from this game was the continued emergence of minor players, making the transition to the senior squad. Debutant, Mark Devlin, had an excellent match in the half-back line and Cormac White wasn't far behind, in this his first appearance for the seniors too. Michael "The Rock" Mullan and Matthew McAfee are growing in confidence with every game at this level and Stevie McGettrick is now a seasoned campaigner at the ripe old age of 20. More will follow in the coming months and Cormac Hughes and Rowan Smart, in particular, are expected to make the step up in the remaining Antrim league games, ensuring that the steady supply of young hurlers from the juveniles to the senior ranks continues to flourish.
Panel and Scorers: Rory Galway, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael Mullan, David Brady, Mark Devlin, Stevie McGettrick, Cormac White, Colin O'Neill, William Gilmore,
Jack Anderson (0.3) Fergal McCamphill (0.2) Cathair Bonnar (0.1) Joe Boyle (1.0) Ultan Power (1.2) Mathew McAfee (0.2) Kevin Muldoon, Mark Sidebottom, Vincent McCool, Ciaran Nixon, Eamon Mulvenna (0.2), Mark Galway
Down Div 2: Ballyvarley 1-11 2-14 Bredagh
Bredagh put on a battling performance at 'fortress' Ballyvarley and came away deserving winners on the night. Bredagh's forwards were the masters in the first half but it was a resolute rearguard in the second period that secured the points for Bredagh and kept them top of the league.
Bredagh started the livelier with points from Anderson (2), McAllister (3), Galway and a brace from McLoughney however Ballyvarley kept in touch with a string of frees from O'Neill. McLoughney found the net from a ground stroke to stretch Bredagh's lead to 5 at half-time 1-9 to 0-7 with all 'Varley scores coming from generous frees.
Second half
Ballyvarley knocked over 2 further frees at the start of the second to leave 3 between them however the ever dangerous McKillop hit a hat-trick of points to restore Bredagh's advantage before McLoughney struck another major to allow Bredagh to coast home. Doole took a fine point to take the gap to double figures however Ballyvarley were a constant threat and a string of McMullan saves along with a dominant Hughes repelled every attack to keep Bredagh well ahead. A late goal and point for Ballyvarley closed the gap to 6 but the Bredagh boys had too much hurling in them to lose out marching home with another victory under their belt.
Summary
Overall this was a good performance by Bredagh against a strong and determined Ballyvarley side. Bredagh's forward's were a joy to watch in the first quarter as neat interplay between all six forwards ripped through the 'Varley defence to post score after score. Both Anderson and McAllister posted 0-5 during this period, while McKillop, Doole and McLoughney all looked dangerous.
In the second half the defence took the plaudits, in the half-back line returning captain Liam McCollum afforded his man no space, McGettrick snuffed out Ballyvarley's scoring threat along with a man-of-the-match performance from Hughes who dominated the last third and was instrumental in setting up attack after attack. In the last line Heron played his usual no-nonsense hurling and was well supported by Whyte and Mullan although they can thank their keeper McMullan who made a string of important saves in the second period to ensure a comfortable victory in the end.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-2 1f, Colin Murray, Cathair Bonnar, Alistair McAllister 0-3, Jack Anderson 0-2, Paul Doole 0-1, Seamus McKillop 0-3, Seamus McLoughney 2-3, Ultan Power, Ciaran Nixon, david Brady, Joe Boyle, Matthew McAfee, Paddy Byrne, Mark Sidebottom.
UHL Div 3: Eoghan Roes 6-17 Bredagh 2-07
As the score suggests Bredagh were well beaten by a very strong Coleraine side whose standard of play was a couple of notches above what Bredagh are used to. The Roes started brightly with their forward unit proving too hot to handle as their star player McGoldrick showed his county credentials scoring 1-4 without reply. Bredagh didn't start to play until the 2nd quarter where Galway's 2 frees and lovely point from play by defender-turned-forward Micky McKervey. This reduced the gap to six at half-time.
Second half
Bredagh got their hopes raised when McLoughney roofed the net at the start of the 2nd half but it proved a false dawn as Coleraine replied immediately with a goal. A repeated dose saw Bredagh trailing by 9 points and although the team battled hard Coleraine proved too strong. Bredagh added further points through McAllister, Bonnar and a Joe Boyle goal near the end but it was never enough to close the gap.
Summary
None of the Bredagh players did themselves justice on the night, a match best forgotten as the team now focuses on a must-win Ulster match at home to Lisbellaw on Saturday night.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Micky McKervey 0-1, Colin Murray, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-4, all frees, Ali McAllister 0-1, Cathair Bonnar 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 1-0, Paul Boyle, Michael Mullan, Ultan Power, Joe boyle 1-0, Vincent McCool, Paddy McGrenaghan, David Brady.
Down Div 2: Bredagh 2-13 0-04 Portaferry
Bredagh had a comfortable win over Portaferry in this Division 2 Down game but don't let the score mask the fact that it was a superb defensive display that laid this foundation with a man-of-the-match performance from keeper Lorenzo McMullan - an ex-Portaferry and Down star - who simply refused to be beaten by his old comrades.
The Ormeau Road men started brightly with Doole, McLoughney, McKillop, McAllister, McCamphill and Galway all pointing to give Bredagh an early lead before Doole found the net to stretch Bredagh's lead even further. Galway added a hat-trick of points from play to give his team a comfort cushion of 1-10 to 0-4 at the short whistle.
Early on in the second half Portaferry sought goals to bring them back into the game but time after time McMullan and his miserable men refused to give anything away as they totally fustrated their opponents with goal line saves and clearances that would have broken any team's resolve. Bredagh were finding scores hard to get at the other end but in the 50th minute Doole fielded a high ball in the large square only to see his drive come off the bar but thankfully McKillop saved his blushes by dispatching the rebound to the net. McAllister doubled his scoring rate with a fine point out on the left while McKillop who lorded the large square throughout added another minor to finish top-scorer with 1-2. All the while Portaferry tried in vain to register a score but Bredagh's defensive unit was having none of it. McLoughney just back from honeymoon and obviously suffering from depression eventually sprang to life with his second point of the night to round off a polished Bredagh display.
Summary
In short, this was an emphatic win for Bredagh, the Ports didn't travel up to Belfast to lose given that some of their 2nds were available due to their fixture being called off, and were no doubt disappointed by the manner of their defeat. McMullan excelled in goals and was well protected by stand-in captain Michael Whyte who yet again had another stormer - the same player got most improved player when they were handing out the end of season accolades in 2006 but if he continues in his current form the honour of player of the year for 2007 isn't beyond him. Mullan, Brady, McKervey and especially Heron were excellent in defence while Hughes controlled the half-back line and looks to be back to his very best. There was the usual glimpses of magic from McGettrick while Galway did well to notch 0-3 from play however his midfield partner, Eoghan Donnelly put in a mountain of work and wasn't far behind McMullan in the man-of-the-match stakes.
Up front Anderson tried hard but unusually didn't score while his colleague McAllister weighed in with a healthy 0-2 with one less for the returning-from-injury Fergal McCamphill, but again the full-forward line got the lion's share of the scores landing 2-4 between them with Doole as sharp as ever and McKillop constantly threatening the Port defence while newly-wed McLoughney hadn't been practising his hurling strokes over the past 3 weeks although he still managed to post a credible 0-2.
Next match up is a UHL fixture v Eoghan Roes @ Ballymena on Thurs evening 7.30 throw-in. Cars leave Cherryvale @ 6.15.
Panel and Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, David Brady, Mark Heron, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-5 2f, Eoghan Donnelly, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Alistair McAllister 0-2, Jack Anderson, Seamus McLoughney 0-2, Seamus McKillop 1-2, Paul Doole 1-1, Cathair Bonnar, Ultan Power, Michael McKervey, Joe Boyle, Ciaran Nixon, Rory Galway.
UHL Div 3: Bredagh 0-10 2-19 Setanta
Bredagh's senior hurlers travelled to Donegal on Saturday evening to take on table-toppers Setanta and were well beaten but nevertheless the small squad who made the effort to travel played well - the score read an easy victory for Setanta however the reality was but for a disastrous 10 minute spell in the opening half there was little between the teams.
The first 10 minutes started of score for score with Bredagh's Galway sharing a brace of frees with the Setanta marksman. Goal chances for Bredagh were a plenty and Boyle flashed over a point which could as easily have been a goal. At the other end Setanta hit a superb strike for a major but Bredagh had the chance to match it when O'Neill found Connolly in the large square who's shot was cleared off the line, an identical chance for the same player was also squandered before Setanta rattled up 1-4 in as many minutes to put 10 points between the sides. It was a very strong Setanta midfield pairing who done most of this damage and Bredagh managed to tighten up on the pair for the rest of the half with Galway adding a hat-trick of frees to keep Bredagh in touch.
Second half
Bredagh's second half performance was first class as they matched their opposition blow-for-blow although scoring chances were few and far between as both defences were on top. Bredagh's full back line were first class with Whyte pocketing his County star opponent with his fellow defenders McCaughey and Dillon putting in sterling performances. Infact Setanta tried a number of forwards on Dillon but none managed to get a score of him on the night. The teams exchanged further points with Galway adding 0-3 for Bredagh to take his tally to 0-7 on the night and he was well assisted by another well-taken point by Boyle as well as O'Neill who knocked over a fine point from an acute angle and was unlucky not to double his tally shortly afterwards with a long range effort just dropping the wrong side of the post. Young Donnelly who tormented the Donegal defence in the first half before taking a knock on the wrist wasn't going to give up breaking through twice in the last 5 minutes in search of goals but both shots were well saved by the Setanta minder. Further injuries to Connolly and McGinley didn't help Bredagh's cause but all tha players gave it their all to the final whistle.
If Donnelly's efforts along with 4 goalden opportunities in the first half had been taken this would have been a much closer affair although one win from Bredagh's last 2 remaining Ulster games could still see them qualify for a quarter-final spot in mid-June.
Summary
Overall The management were pleased with the performances of the players who made the effort to make the long trek to Donegal with Coach Galway expressing his disappointment with the number of no-shows. McMullan put in another faultless display in goals, the star line was undoubtedly the last line while McGettrick and McKervey were solid in their respective wing-half positions. The Bredagh forwards were well marshalled by the Setanta defenders and a return of 4 points from play was never going to be enough to win this match, Donnelly was very lively especially in the first half while both Boyle and O'Neill had one of their better games and Anderson battled throughout both at centre half-forward and also the same position in defence when McGinley was forced off through injury. Bonnar also had a good game when introduced in the second half.
Next match up is a home game in the Down league v Portaferry on Tuesday night. Players to meet at 6.45 for a 7.30 throw-in.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Rory McCaughey, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Michael McKervey, Mark McGinley, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-7 5f, 1 65, Eoghan Donnelly, Jack Anderson, Brian Connolly, Colin O'Neill 0-1, Paul Boyle 0-2, Paul Doole, Cathair Bonnar.
Down Div 2: Bredagh 4-17 Castlewellan 0-2
Young Eoghan Donnelly and his more mature teammate Seamus McKillop would normally be bitter rivals if they were playing for their 'birth' clubs Ballycastle and Loughguile respectively, but in this match they combined with devastating effect racking up 3-6 between them to blow away what was a very weak Castlewellan side.
It was their third partner on the full-forward line, Paul Doole, who got Bredagh started with a well taken point and shortly afterwards the same player made a neat hook on the Castlewellan goalkeeper to allow Mckillop to score the easiest of his hat-trick of goals. Anderson and McAllister added a brace for Bredagh before McKillop rattled the net for his second goal to leave a 10 point difference at the short whistle.
While the first half had been hotly contested, the second half saw the Castlewellan heads drop as Bredagh went on a scoring spree led by Donnelly whose solo through four defenders and resultant point was the score of the game. Galway whose free-taking was rusty in the first half started to find his range knocking over 3 frees and one from play. McKillop latched onto a break ball and again found the corner of the net with a rasping first time strike from an acute angle. Sidebottom also got in on the act knocking over a point before first timing overhead a long Colin Murray's delivery. Danny Hughes finished off proceedings when he sauntered upfield and shot a superb point from 60 yds - an unusual feat for Danny!
Overall Bredagh need not read too much into this win, Castlewellan were disappointingly weak and will certainly be a totally different proposition come the first round of the championship in August. Defensively Bredagh gave nothing away with Castlewellan's only point from play coming of Dillon's man who had one of his better games in the corner back berth. Heron commanded the other corner while Whyte put in another faultless display in defending the big square. McMullan in goals had more to deal with than the score suggests with Castlewellan hunting for goals from early on but he was able for every shot keeping his goal intact throughout.
Hughes supported by McGinley and McGettrick in the second-half commanded the halfback line while Murray put on a fine display of high fielding and ball winning skills around the middle to allow the forwards to have a constant supply of ball. Upfront it was the Donnelly, Doole and McKillop show as they racked up 3-9 between them with Sidebottom reminding management that he hasn't lost it as he bagged a credible 1-1.
Next up is Creggan at home tomorrow night with an away match in the Ulster on Saturday to Donegal side Setanta. Bus leaves Cherryvale at 3.30pm. All supporters welcome.
Panel and Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Brian Connolly, Danny Hughes 0-1, Mark McGinley, Colin Murray, Ian Galway 0-4 3f, Stevie McGettrick, Alistair McAllister 0-1, Jack Anderson 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly 0-5, Seamus McKillop 3-1, Paul Doole 0-3, Mark Sidebottom 1-1, Cathair Bonnar, Ultan Power, David Brady, Joe Boyle, Ciaran Nixon, Mark Galway.
Antrim Div 3: St Enda's 6-16 Bredagh 1-07
It would be fair to say that the score doesn't reflect the play on this occassion as Bredagh battled hard throughout but were severely punished by the Enda's sharp full-forward as well as leaking a string of points when going down to 14 men in the last quarter due to a nasty hand injury to debutant Mark Galway.
St Enda's were first off the mark when their full forward gave Galway no chance from close range, 3 further points from the same player stretched their lead before Anderson got Bredagh's first score from a free. This was followed by a well taken goal from Joe Boyle when he capitalised on a mistake by the Enda's keeper. Two more goals from the Glengormley men saw them rake a 11 point lead at the short whistle. Bredagh's effort wasn't helped when Eoghan Donnelly had to retire due to injury after 10 minutes.
Second Half
Bredagh continued to battle hard in the second half scoring three unanswered points from Anderson and McAllister but this hard effort was cancelled out by a soft St Enda's goal. The game petered out as a contest when young Mark Galway received a nasty injury reducing Bredagh's numbers to fourteen as Enda's ran out easy winners on the night.
Summary
The boys who put in the effort to turn up for this match did the club proud as they battled galliantly against a very strong Glengormley side, all six defenders put in strong performances and Mark McGinley at centre-half did all he could to stem the Enda's attacks. Young McAfee and captain Colin O'Neill covered every blade of grass from midfield while upfront McAllister and Anderson carried Bredagh's main scoring threat although the inside line of Boyle, Power and McCool were unlucky not to get more scores.
Next match is in the Down league at home to Castlewellan on Tues 22nd May who also happen to be Bredagh's opponents in the first round of the Down Junior Championship scheduled for August.
Panel and Scorers: Rory Galway, Mark Heron, David Brady, Charlie Dillon, Eoghan Donnelly, Mark McGinley, Brian Connolly, Colin O'Neill, Matthew McAfee, Cathair Bonnar, Alistair McAllister 0-02 2f, Jack Anderson 0-05 4f, Joe Boyle 1-0, Ultan Power, Paddy Byrne, Vincent McCool, Mark Galway.
UHL Div 3: Bredagh 2-04 1-13 Tir Na Nog
Bredagh were beaten by a strong Randalstown side in a rain swept Cherryvale where weather conditions didn't lend themselves for good hurling but the Bredagh boys - after a good win over Clonduff the night before - simply didn't have enough strength in depth to field winning teams on two consecutive nights although they never stopped battling the Antrim Division 2 side with a six point defeat no disgrace in the circumstances.
Playing against the gale in the first half Donnelly got Bredagh off to a great start when he rounded his man and ran through to tap over a lovely point. Shortly afterwards a defensive scramble saw the ball break kindly to Randalstown's fullforward and he made no mistake from close range and when Captain Liam McCollum was forced to retie with a pulled hamstring it was the Bredagh backs to the wall as thier opposition piled on the pressure and the points to lead by 11. Just before the break in a rare Bredagh attack Sidebottom won the ball and his attempted point dropped into the net to give Bredagh a fighting chance with the wind behind them in the second half
Half time Bredagh 1-01 1-09 Tir Na Nog
Bredagh got another lift just after the break with Anderson rattling the net to reduce the gap to 5 but Randalstown settled and replied with 2 well taken points. Galway knocked over a couple of close range frees to keep Bredagh in touch but Randalstown fought back to cancel these scores. Connolly managed a point near the end but it was never going to be enough as time ran out in what was a credible Bredagh challenge.
Summary
On hindsight the management now realise that asking players to perform two nights running just isn't on with players picking up injuries and not given sufficient time to recover and will need to ensure a reasonable time gap in future fixtures.
Overall the team battled hard with McMullan having a good game in goal and the fullback line of Heron, Whyte and Dillon doing little wrong with Whyte in particular continuing to make the fullback berth his own. McCollum before going off injured was putting in a mountain of work with McGinley also pulling his weight for the full hour. Randalstown's midfield were just too many for Galway and to a lesser extent Connolly and Bredagh were well beaten in this sector over the hour.
Up front the Bredagh boys never really got going although again McKillop and Anderson battled hard along with Doole and Donnelly they never managed to get much change out of a solid Randalstown defence.
This result makes it unlikely that Bredagh will repeat last year's feat and qualify for the Ulster play offs which might be a blessing in disguise as the focus will be on the Down league and championship. Next match up is away to Ballygalget on Tues 15th May. Cars will leave Cherryvale at 6pm.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Mark Heron, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Paul Johnson, Liam McCollum, Mark McGinley, Ian Galway 0-2, Brian Connolly 0-1, Cathair Bonnar, Seamus McKillop, Jack Anderson1-0, Eoghan Donnelly 0-1, Mark Sidebottom 1-0, Paul Doole, Michael Mullan, Ciaran Nixon, Alistair McAllister, Paddy McGrenaghan, Paul Boyle, Colin O'Neill, Ultan Power, Nick Nolan, Paddy Johnson, Mark Galway.
Down Div 2: Bredagh 4-10 1-00 Clonduff
The Bredagh senior hurlers defeated a weak Clonduff side at Cherryvale on Tuesday evening to continue their fine start to the league. Report to follow.
Portaferry 1-08 Bredagh 2-12
HT 0-05 1-06
Bredagh's senior hurlers recorded their first ever victory in the Ards with a hard fought win against a tough Portaferry side in their first outing of the season in Down Division 2. Although the records will show a 7 point victory this game was anybody's up to the final minutes. In this period points from McKillop, Anderson and Galway along with a Paul Boyle goal sealed a fine victory for the Bredagh men.
Galway opened the scoring for Bredagh and McCamphill added a brace of points to stretch the Belfast side's lead. Portaferry closed the gap to the minimum before Anderson landed the first of his four points from play, McKillop made it a four point gap at half-time when he doubled on a long Murray delivery and found the corner of the net.
Portaferry came out with all guns blazing after the interval scoring two points and when the Ports Chris Mageean ran through to hit an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net the sides were level. Galway put Bredagh in front again with two well taken frees but Portaferry came back to close the gap as the game entered the final 5 minutes.
Bredagh's superior fitness and determination took hold at this stage with McKillop landing a fine point from the right wing, Anderson knocked another point over before Boyle found himself unmarked in the big square and made no mistake from close range. Galway received a pass from man-of-the-match Murray and split the posts from 65 yds, while Murray himself landed the last point of the game from 45 yards.
This was an excellent Bredagh victory, the first in the Ards since the senior hurling code was resurrected 3 years ago. The last line put in a superb performance with McMullan, Mullan and Heron all to the fore but it was young Michael Whyte debuting at full-back for the first time who caught the eye with a first class performance against a tough opponent. McKervey and McCollum mastered their men in the half-back line while Colin 'Seemore' Murray was a revelation at midfield putting on an exhibition of high fielding throughout the game.
Upfront McCamphill and Anderson shared 6 points from play while Donnelly and McKillop were a constant threat on the full forward line, the latter weighing in with 1-1.
Overall this was an encouraging start to the Down Division 2 league campaign and can look forward to their first home match next Tuesday against Ballyvarley.
Panel and scorers; Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Rory mccaughey, Liam McCollum, Mickey mcKervey, Colin Murray 0-1, Ian Galway 0-4, 3 frees, Cathair Bonnar, Fergal mcCamphill 0-2, Jack Anderson 0-4, Paddy Byrne, Seamus McKillop 1-1, Eoghan Donnelly, Paul Boyle 1-0, Colin O'Neill, Mark Sidebottom, Vincent McCool, Paddy McGrenaghan, Ultan Power.
Bredagh 3-09 Warrenpoint 0-05
You might find it hard to be critical when a team goes out and wins by 13 points but Bredagh management's review of the game suggested this was one of Bredagh's worst performances in the last couple of years. However this doesn't take away from the St Peter's squad who outfought Bredagh in most departments and did not deserve to be beat by that margin. This was a night when the big guns didn't fire and if it weren't for a couple of the younger boys such as Doole and Donnelly the score would have been much tighter.
Bredagh started lively enough with corner forwards Doole and Sidebottom firing over points before Warrenpoint got their first score from a free. Freetaker Anderson added a couple more for Bredagh with McKillop stretching his team's lead to six when he booted to the net from close range which was an unusual way to finish for an ex-Loughguile man.
The second half saw St Peter's continue to out battle the Bredagh boys but they were unable to turn their possession into scores and were guilty of a number of bad wides. Bredagh continued to take their opportunities with Anderson taking his haul to 5 points. It was Donnelly when coming on in the second half who finally put Warrenpoint away with a superb goal in the 50th minutes before setting up Doole who also found the net from close range to give Bredagh a flattering 13 point vicory at the final whistle.
Bredagh were happy with the win but were disappointed with their performance, McMullan kept another clean sheet while the full back line denied space to their opponents keeping the Warrenpoint full forward line scoreless from play. The middle third was most disappointing with the very strong on paper half back line of Hughes, McCollum and McAllister failing to ignite, Murray was unusually quiet at midfield although his partner Byrne did himself no harm with his intellignet play into the corners. McCamphill at centre half forward was another who failed to get going. But Bredagh still managed to pull through with first time hurling from Johnstone and Anderson taking some nice points while Doole and Donnelly were a constant threat in the attack which was well marshalled by McKillop although he too was quieter than usual.
Still that makes 3 wins out of 4 in the Down league keeping Bredagh in pole position but another performance like that against stronger opposition will soon see Bredagh knocked off their perch.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Micky McKervey, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Danny Hughes, Liam McCollum, Alastair McAllister, Colin Murray, Paddy Byrne, Paul Johnstone, Fergal McCamphill, Jack Anderson 0-5 4fs, Mark Sidebottom 0-1, Seamus McKillop 1-1, Paul Doole 1-2, Eoghan Donnelly 1-0, Cathair Bonnar, Brian Connolly, David Brady, Joe Boyle, Colin O'Neill, Ultan Power, Johnny Johnston, Mark Galway, Michael Mullan.
Ballycran 2-09 Bredagh 0-12
Normally in hurling the best team wins but as Coach Ciaran Donnelly stated
after this match "on this occassion the best team lost" and there is
certainly merit in agreeing with him. Bredagh led this match all the way but
were caught by 2 late goals to give Ballycran an undeserved 3 point victory.
On the other hand the old adage of 'goals wins matches' also rings true and
last night Ballycran got the majors.
Bredagh started the match with a stiff breeze behind them and points from
Galway, Doole and Anderson saw them take a 3 point lead. Bredagh were on top
at this stage and another hat-trick of Galway frees followed by a well-taken
Anderson point stretched their lead further before Sidebottom got the score
of the game landing a lovely point from out wide on the right.
Bredagh led 9 to 3 at half-time but with a strengthening wind now favouring
Ballycran they had it all to do in the second-half and during the third
quarter they did just that matching what was essentially Ballycran's 2nd
string due to no division 1 match scheduled. Galway kept Bredagh in touch
with another string of frees to take his haul to 7 points and keeping
Bredagh in front however Ballycran's full-forward broke through in the 50th
minute to give McMullan no chance from close range another point saw them
take the lead and as the wind got even stronger it didn't look good for the
Bredagh boys but they showed great spirit to score two unanswered points to
get themselves back in front. In the final 5 minutes with the defence on top
Ballycran got lucky when a sliothar that Bredagh should have cleared broke
kindly to Ballycran's full-forward who again found the net. Bredagh laid
siege to the Ballycran's goal in the final minutes but the elusive goal to
square the match never came as the 'Cran men breathed a huge sigh of relief
on hearing the final whistle.
Although Bredagh were beat, it's worth putting this in context - for the
previous two seasons Bredagh have travelled to Fortress McKenna Park and got
tanked on both occassions and last night Ballycran had the pick of their
2nds whose league match was called off. Bredagh had no real weaknesses in
the side with Whyte putting in another consistent performance in the
fullback line as did Danny Hughes. Mark McGinley showed great determination
at lefthalf while McCollum allowed no space to Ballycran's dangerous no 11.
Galway again top scored with 7 points and his midfield colleague Eoghan
Donnelly battled hard throughout. Half-forwards Anderson and Bonnar put on a
good show and centrehalf Ali McAllister looks like a great addition to the
squad as he quietened his opposite number and was always playing intelligent
ball into the frontline where McCamphill and Sidebottom looked dangerous but
were probably diaappointed with only a point between them.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Whyte, Danny Hughes, Mark
Heron, Micky McKervey, Liam McCollum, Mark McGinley,Eoghan Donnelly, Ian
Galway 0-7, all fs, Cathair Bonnar, Ali McAllister, Jack Anderson 0-3, Mark
Sidebottom 0-1, Fergal McCamphill, Paul Doole 0-1, Ultan Power, David Brady,
Michael Mullan.
Senior Hurling notifications
Tonight 24th away to Ballycran. Cars leave C'vale 5.30 for 7pm throw-in
Thurs 26th away to Coleraine. Cars leave C'Vale 5.15pm for 7pm throw-in. This is yet tbc and will check with players tonight at Ballycran if there is no match there will be training at 6.30pm.
Sun 29th training @ noon
Tues 1st May home v Warrenpoint. Meet 6.15 for 7pm throw-in
Weds 2nd home v Davitts. Meet 6.15 for 7pm throw-in
Thurs 3rd training 6.30pm
Sun 6th training @ noon (if no match on Sat night
Tues 8th home v Clonduff 6.15 for 7pm
Weds 9th May home v Tir na nog - UHL re-fixed from 5th May
Let me know if NOT available for any of the above
Strabane 1-06 Bredagh 2-19
Ian Galway's unerring accuracy from the place ball was a major factor in Bredagh's hurlers convincing win over Strabane in this Ulster Division 3A match played at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena in Cookstown. It was just enough to earn him the man-of-the-match accolade over his more senior colleague and captain Liam McCollum whose domination of the halfback line was a major factor in restricting Strabane to their 1-06 total.
Bredagh were first out of the blocks when Bonnar found Galway and he fired over from 50 metres. The latter followed this up with a hat-trick of well-taken frees before Strabane opened their account from a free. Bredagh were performing well as a team with corner forwards Donnelly and Doole adding points a piece with their more senior colleagues McKillop and Anserson adding further points to keep Bredagh well in front. Meanwhile Galway kept firing over the frees from all distances and angles while his mother Marion on umpire duty kept pointing to the sky in some cases before son Ian had stooped for the sliothar! Defensively Bredagh were well on top with McCollum putting on an exhibition of reading and intercepting every Shamrock attack and when he didn't make it, he was well served by some great high-fielding and clearing from Mark McGinley. Anything that did get through to the final line got a no nonsense bat back up the field from Mullan, Whyte and Heron.
The second-half saw Strabane start the expected fightback, with a neat strike finding the corner of the net to make 7 points between the sides but Bredagh sensed the danger with McKillop and Anderson doubling their scoring rate while Galway again and again broke Strabane hearts as frees flew over the blackspot. Paul Doole put the game out of reach when he lobbed the keeper for a fine goal while big Ultan Power drove the nail into Strabane's coffin with a rasper from close range to finish out the game.
This was a decent Bredagh performance considering their opponents took All Ireland finalists Clooney Gaels to a replay in last year's Ulster Junior Championship final. Keeper McMullan hadn't too much to do but what he had he did so effectively with one goal conceded in 3 matches it's a record any keeper would be proud of. Again the backline was sound with McCollum outstanding at centrehalf and McGinley making a strong play to make the number 7 shirt his own. Galway's overall contribution was immense and he was well supported at midfield by a the hard-working dual star McCaughey. The half forward line was very effective in the hands of ball winners McKillop and Anderson who also shared 4 points but this was down to no little effort from the intelligent passing and running from Bonnar. The full forward line of Doole, Power and Donnelly landed 2-02 between them but probably felt they should have scored more with the quality ball being delivered inside.
Next match up is away to Ballycran on Tuesday night, probably Bredagh's toughest encounter across all 3 leagues so far and will be a fair test on how far Bredagh has progressed since last year.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Charlie Dillon, Liam McCollum, Mark McGinley, Rory McCaughey, Ian Galway 0-13, 11f, Cathair Bonnar, Seamus McKillop 0-2, Jack Anderson 0-2, Eoghan Donnelly 0-1, Ultan Power 1-0, Paul Doole 1-1, David Brady, Paddy McGrenaghan, Nicholas Nolan, Vincent McCool.
Ulster hurling league
Glen Rovers, Armoy 2-13 Bredagh 0-09
HT 2-08 0-07
Bredagh's first competitive outing of the season couldn't have been much tougher away to Antrim D2 side Armoy. However the team equipped themselves very well at this higher level especially the back seven who matched the Armoy forwards from start to finish.
The game started off in a whirlwind fashion with Armoy knocking over two minors before Doole replied for Bredagh all within the first minute. The game ebbed and flowed for the first 25 minutes with Murray in the thick off everything good about Bredagh's play. Galway scored 4 long range frees as well as McGinley and Donnelly chipping in with well-taken points to keep Bredagh in contention. Two lapses of concentration in the Bredagh rearguard in the final 5 minutes of the half saw Armoy post 2 majors to give them a 7 point lead at half-time which wasn't really a true reflection of the first 30 minutes.
The second-half saw both defences on top, however a lack of scoring power upfront was Bredagh's downfall as they only managed 2 pointed Galway frees in the second-half and while they had a number of half chances for majors they failed to materialise as Armoy ran out deserved winners on the night.
This was a good work out for Bredagh and despite missing seven players they equipped themselves well. McMullan was faultless in goals having no chance with the goals and making an excellent point blank save in the final minutes to deny the Armoy fullforward. The full back line of Whyte, Mullan and Heron all had excellent games with Whyte and Heron vying for man-of-match honours along with Murray who was dominant in the first half but less so in the second. Young Mullan, just out of u16s , put on a fine performance in the fullback line and looks a great prospect for the future.
McCollum was his usual imperious self at centrehalf-back and he was well supported by McCaughey who snuffed out Armoy's main scoring threat. Galway hit some excellent frees being wayward only once over the 60 minutes while Doole always looked threatening in the half-forward line. The full forward line never really got going on the night with McKillop and McLoughney being unusually quiet.
Next match up is the first encounter in the Down league away to Portaferry on Easter Tuesday. Team meets at 4.30 in Cherryvale to travel to Portaferry for a 6pm throw-in.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Whyte, Michael Mullan, Mark Heron, Rory McCaughey, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Mark McGinley 0-1, Ian Galway 0-6, Cathair Bonnar, Colin Murray, Eoghan Donnelly 0-1, Seamus McLoughney, Seamus McKillop, Paul Doole 0-1, Colin O'Neill, Ultan Power, Paddy McGrenaghan, Paddy Byrne, Mark McGinley, Johnny Johnston, Vincent McCool, Mark Galway.
Senior Hurling challenge
Bredagh 4-09 Shane O'Neill's, Glenarm 0-11
Bredagh stepped up a level when they took on Antrim Division 2 side Glenarm and surprised Glenarm (and themselves) with a comfortable 10 point victory at Cherryvale on Saturday. Glenarm had the advantage of a strong wind in the first half and had a brace of points on the board before Bredagh had a chance to settle but that they did with a Galway free and a well taken Anderson point. Glenarm replied with two long range efforts from Antrim's U21 captain Blain McDermott racing to a 0-7 to 0-3 lead with five minutes of the half remaining. The next 5 minutes was the telling period of the game as Bonnar's 30 yd effort from the wing somehow squirmed past the Glenarm keeper, the same player added a point before Bredagh's Paul Doole pounced on a break ball in the large square to fire into the bottom right-hand corner and give Bredagh a flattering two point advantage at half-time, 2-03 to 0-7.
Even though Bredagh now had the breeze at their back the game was far from over given the quality of the opposition. Glenarm fired over two points to reduce the gap to two. Galway landed a point for Bredagh but the telling score came in the 45th minute when Power found McLoughney who cut inside and roofed the sliothar to the net. Glenarm fought back but their inside forward line got no change from a miserable Bredagh defence although Glenarm's Donal McAuley fought hard at midfield and was rewarded with 3 well taken points.At the other end Donnelly, McMullan and a beautiful Doole point from midfield stretched Bredagh's lead before young Matthew McAfee fired another major to close the game out.This was a good result for Bredagh considering they were missing eight players who would normally expect to start though it would be wise not to read too much into it as Glenarm were missing a number of key players as well. McMullan managed to keep a clean sheet and got a point to boot when he switched up front late on. The defence was sound especially Michael Whyte who cleared his lines consistently, young Michael Mullan was another one who caught the eye. Captain Liam McCollum put on a man-of-the-match performance and was well supported by Brian Connolly who played another stormer at right half-back. Unfortunately an x-ray after the game identified a broken bone in Brian's right hand which he sustained in the first ten minutes (although you wouldn't have noticed based on his performance) which will put him out of commission for the next six weeks. 21st Birthday boy Galway and Doole looked sharp in midfield with both players getting through a mountain of work over the hour. In the half-forward line new boys Anderson and Bonnar proved effective throughout and are great additions to a strenghening squad while upfront Boyle, Power and McLoughney were a constant threat to the Glenarm defence.
Manager Eamon Mulvenna was pleased to get one over his old club while coach Rory Galway pointed out that it was easy to identify those boys not attending enough training sessions as their touch was poor compared to the likes of others who were regular attenders. Ciaran Donnelly warned against reading too much into the win as Glenarm were missing a number of players and would be a different kettle of fish on home soil.
Panel and scorers: Lorenzo McMullan 0-1, Michael Whyte, Fintan McDonnell, Rory McCaughey, Brian Connelly, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-3, Paddy Byrne, Cathair Bonnar 1-1, Jack Anderson 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 1-1, Paul Boyle, Paul Doole 1-1, Mark Heron, Paul Johnstone, Ultan Power, Nicholas Nolan, Ciaran Nixon, Matthew McAfee 1-0, Michael Mullan.
Down Final
Down JHC Final, Sunday October 1st - Bredagh 0-13 Ballyvarley 3-8 - Bredagh had a hold of both lugs of the championship trophy, 38 minutes played and seven points in front. It looked like Bredagh were going to add the Down championship to their Ulster League win but Ballyvarley had other ideas as they out-fought Bredagh and scored three goals in the final quarter to snatch the cup and send Bredagh back to the Ormeau Road with their tails between their legs.
FIRST-HALF - As is their wont Bredagh started in a whirlwind fashion with Moriarty, Galway and McLoughney sharing six points between them in the first quarter while Ballyvarley had to wait until the eighteenth minute to register their first point. If you had been basing the outcome on the evidence of the first quarter it was a case of how many Bredagh would win by and not if they would win. The whole team performed during this period though they were guilty of a number of missed chances which they would come to regret later on. Ballyvarley were gifted a couple of points which seemed to lift them and they finished the half stronger closing the gap to four points at half time.
SECOND-HALF - Bredagh were not playing at their best but were still comfortably in front and when they added a further three points just after half time through McLoughney, McKillop and Galway to stretch their lead to seven points it looked like they had done enough to win. The 46th minute was the turning point - a long Ballyvarley clearance into the Bredagh danger zone, Dillon was out in front and had it covered but was beaten by an odd bounce and Ballyvarley's Conor Grew was one on one against Sidebottom and duly goalled.
The momentum immediately swung towards Ballyvarley, a goal in it, their tails were up and the stranglehold that they had progessively exerted in the middle third got tighter with the Bredagh full back line under severe pressure. Another Ballyvarley point left two in it and Bredagh replied against the run of play when Murray drove a sweet ground stroke over the bar to put the margin back to three.
HANGING-ON - As the game moved into the final five minutes it was a case of Bredagh hanging on. Ballyvarley had a pointed free and then struck their second major from a goalmouth scramble to edge them a point in front. Bredagh were trailing for the first time in the match and while they pushed forward they simply couldn't breach a tough Ballyvarley defence. As the game moved into injury time a long range Ballyvarley effort crept under Sidebottom's bar, his only error on what was a sound performance throughout. Shortly after, the final whistle put paid to Bredagh's hopes.
SUMMARY - In hindsight Bredagh could have and probably should have won this match even though they played well below par. That said, Ballyvarley deserved their victory. They were the stronger, fitter side when it counted in the last quarter and played championship hurling while Bredagh's effort was more akin to league standard which was simply not good enough - one point in the last 23 minutes of play wasn't going to win a championship final. Perhaps if missing stalwarts such as Hughes and McCamphill were there it may have made a difference, only a handful of Bredagh players could feel satisfied with their performance, team captain Liam McCollum played his heart out as did 'cmore' Murray in midfield. McCaughey gave his all in support of McCollum in the half-back line while up front, McLoughney and McKillop along with Moriarty in the first half battled hard but were well marshalled by the Ballyvarley defence.
TOUGH TO TAKE - For many of the young squad players this was their first taste of a championship final and that inexperience clearly showed on the day with many leaving their 'A' game in the changing room. However as full-back Charlie Dillon said afterwards 'you might need to lose one to understand what it takes to win one'. This was an experience that will hold them in good stead for 2007.
QUOTES - Manager Eamon Mulvenna was bitterly disappointed: 'I thought we had it and it just slipped away in the last five minutes. On reflection Ballyvarley deserved the victory, they wanted it more than us, they waited 31 years since their last championship win. We will just have to be patient and wait another year. We have a developing panel, we had fifteen subs stripped out and that's fourteen more than last year, I'm only sorry everyone of them didn't get a chance today but their time will come, we are going in the right direction, we'll be back in 2007!'
NEXT YEAR - Eamon went on to pay tribute to the squad for their committment and dedication throughout the year: 'there is a great camaraderie in the squad and it's important we build on that, a lot of that's down to the sterling work of coach Rory Galway who put a massive effort over the last year, as did coach Ciaran Donnelly and all the backroom team including our medic Cait Hannitty. It was a great team effort to achieve what we did this year winning an Ulster trophy in our second year at senior level but we are just going to have to double our efforts if we are to win Down's League and Championship next year. At least the club is still in the running for a Junior Championship this year with the footballers in the final against Teconnaught and hopefully they can bring the bacon home come the 15th October'.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Brian Connolly, Rory McCaughey, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Colin Murray 0-1, Paul Doole, Paul Moriarty 0-4, Michael Burke, Ian Galway 0-4 (2 frees), Eoghan Donnelly, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 0-3, Rory Galway, Fintan McDonnell, Paddy Byrne, Michael McKervey, Colin O'Neill, Paul Boyle, Lorenzo McMullan, Ultan Power, Paddy McGrenaghan, Donncha Hanrahan, Rowen Smart, Michael Mullan, Mark Heron, Matthew McAfee, Paul Johnston, Ciaran Nixon.
The Parador
Report from Clones
Ulster League Division Three Final, Saturday September 16th in Clones - Bredagh 4-11 Mullahoran (Cavan) 3-4.
'Ulster Champions' was the chant of the large Bredagh following as captain Liam McCollum climbed the steps of St Tiernach's Park, Clones to lift the Ulster Hurling Division Three League trophy.
Bredagh were the only Down representative to lift silverware out of the 55 teams who entered the competition. The Bredagh heroes had fought their hearts out to earn that honour and they fully deserved it as they were the better side and had too much hurling class for the battling Mullahoran men.
First-half: Bredagh were unusually slow to start and it was the Cavan boys who registered the first point from a long distance free. The dose was repeated two minutes later before Bredagh started to settle with McLoughney firing over a brace to level matters. Mullahoran pointed again before Galway's long range effort split the posts to equalise. Bredagh pushed down on the peddle in the final ten of the half with McCamphill, Moriarty and Galway firing over points, with Galway's the pick of the three from far out on the right. A crucial score came when Donnelly won the ball on the left wing his pass inside was pulled on by McKillop and the ball broke to McLoughney and he gave the Mullahoran keeper no chance as the net shook to loud cheers from the crowd. Mullahoran were getting their fair share of ball but they met a brick wall in the shape of Hughes and McCollum where the Cavan boys simply could not breach the half back line with Hughes, in particular, fielding every ball that came near him, bursting out in his usual style and driving the sliothar long to set up another Bredagh attack. Anytime the ball got past Bredagh's half backline, Dillon and Connolly were there to clear with Sidebottom making a fine save from Mullahoran's Reilly. A long Sidebottom puck out found its way inside to McKillop who was up-ended in the square to earn a penalty which he took himself. The Mullahoran keeper made a fine save and they finished the half with a point from another free to leave six points in it at half time.
Second-half: Mullahoran took to the field all fired up with the intensity of the exchanges increased by a notch or two. However it was Bredagh who drew first blood with Murray finding McKillop who outjumped the full back, spun and crashed the sliothar into the bottom left hand corner. This goal was cancelled out as Mullahoran scored a goal of their own. Moriarty and McCamphill rattled over two nice points for Bredagh only to see Mullahoran strike another major from a goalmouth scramble that Bredagh should have cleared. The tempo of the game lifted again with Mullahoran thinking of a comeback but Bredagh dampened their spirits when McKillop won McGettrick's long strike. He found McLoughney inside and the net shook for his second goal. Bredagh were then reduced to fourteen men when Fergal McCamphill was harshly treated with a straight red. Shortly afterwards Mullahoran were awarded a 20-metre free and the weak shot managed to get past Sidebottom to close the gap to five and give renewed hope to the Cavan boys with ten minutes remaining.
Closing Stages - Bredagh closed ranks and McKillop took over, winning possession on the edge of the square and flicking the ball to the net to restore Bredagh's margin to eight. The same player won the ball again on the right, out on the sideline and under pressure he managed to land the sliothar over the bar for what was easily the best point of the game. Galway had the last say when he fired over a 40 metre free to leave a comfortable ten points between the sides as the referee sounded the final whistle to the roars of the Bredagh faithful.
Coaches Comments -Bredagh have played better, they didn't fire on all cylinders, maybe a touch of nerves among the more inexperienced players, but that said this was a tough, bruising battle, especially in the second half. No quarter was asked for or given and Bredagh gave as good as they got. The old guards showed no nerves, Hughes put on a Man of the Match performance and McKillop wasn't far behind him with a virtuoso display in the second half, while McCamphill and McCollum showed their hurling pedigree and led their lines by example. Defensively Bredagh were their usual miserable self with Mullahoran recording only one point from play. The three goals were disappointing as they all carried an element of luck but overall Whyte, Dillon and Connolly gave little away. The half-back line were simply superb with young McGettrick sweeping up anything McCollum or Hughes left behind, which wasn't much. Colin Murray and Paul Doole covered every blade of grass, showing a high workrate and giving their all. The half forward line contributed seven points, a brace apiece from Moriarty and McCamphill along with a hat-trick from young Ian Galway. His point from play was a joy to watch. The inside forwards were their usual deadly selves with 4-4 between them, Donnelly didn't make the score sheet but his pace and trickery caused plenty of headaches for his opponents and he had a hand in a number of scores. The McKillop/McLoughney double act was as potent as ever, it's a combination that will strike fear into any defence.
Celebration Time on the Ormeau Road - the chanting carried on into the wee small hours 'Ulster Champions, Ulster Champions..' - a first ever senior hurling trophy for the Ormeau Road outfit, it was worth shouting about.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Brian Connolly, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettrick, Colin Murray, Paul Doole, Paul Moriarty 0-2, Fergal McCamphill 0-2, Ian Galway 0-3, Seamus McLoughney 2-3, Seamus McKillop 2-1, Eoghan Donnelly, Rory Galway, Paddy Byrne, Colin O'Neill, Fintan McDonnell, Paul Boyle, Lorenzo McMullan, Ultan Power, Michael McKervey, Paddy McGrenaghan, Rowen Smart, Donncha Hanrahan, Paul Johnston, Ciaran Nixon, Rory McCaughey, Michael Mullan, Matthew McAfee, Mark Heron, Mick Burke.
Pictures from Clones
Quotes from Clones
Bredagh Chairman Paul Blaney: "This was an historic day for Bredagh. The work that these men have put into hurling in South Belfast over the past few years has borne fruit much quicker than we expected, the team and management deserve every plaudit. It has been a magnificient achievement'.
Coach Eamon Mulvenna - 'In my wildest dreams I didn't expect to win an Ulster title in only our second year in senior hurling. All 32 players on the panel put in a great effort and they deserve all the plaudits. There was no hurling in South Belfast before last year, but now you can be sure that this success is going to make sure that it's there for good'.
Captain Liam McCollum - 'We trained from January for that and I can tell you that it means a helluva lot for this club to get some silverware. Hopefully it'll give us momentum as we head to the Down Junior Final. There's a lot of effort from Under-8 up in Bredagh and in years to come we're gonna see them come through. That's what it's all about, those young lads supporting us today and some in the panel. They gelled brilliantly with the old boys!'
New Jerseys
The Seniors were presented wtih a new kit from NIAVAC.
Justin McCarthy
Waterford manager Justin McCarthy coached Bredagh juvenile and senior hurlers in back-to-back training sessions in Cherryvale. The Corkman took the U-14s and U-16s, followed by the Seniors and Minors.
Down JHC Semi
Co Down Junior Championship Semi-final, Saturday September 9th in Darragh Cross - Bredagh 6-13 Clonduff 0-5. Bredagh reached the Junior Championship Final with an emphatic victory over South Down side Clonduff. The fact that the Hilltown men only registered one point from play and didn't score in the second half sums up Bredagh's total dominance of this game. While Clonduff didn't perform to their potential, Bredagh maximised theirs with scoring machine Seamus McLoughney obliterating the opposition with a hat-trick of goals in the second-half.Bredagh were dealt a blow before the match started when dual star Rory McCaughey pulled his hamstring in the football curtain-raiser. Minor captain Paul Doole was drafted in and didn't disappoint with a sterling display at midfield.
FIRST-HALF - Clonduff started the livelier of the two sides and were first on the scoreboard from a John Murphy free. The same player added a further two frees but these were matched with two from Ian Galway to keep Bredagh in touch. McCamphill drove over a minor to bring the sides level but Clonduff replied with a free and a point from play before Galway broke down the right and drove over from an acute angle. As the game moved into the second quarter, Bredagh were starting to dominate even though playing against a stiff breeze, young Eoghan Donnelly was always looking dangerous and looked certain to score when he fielded the ball on the edge of the square but the Clonduff keeper pulled off a point-blank save to deny him. With all the Bredagh pressure a score was inevitable and it was McLoughney who latched on to a Donnelly pass to lash the sliothar to the net recording the first of his four goals. It was this score that separated the sides at half time.
SECOND-HALF - Bredagh came out with all guns blazing, Moriarty cut through the Clonduff defence and had a goal-bound drive saved with McCamphill knocking the rebound over the bar. McKillop found McLoughney with a neat hand pass and the net shook again. Two minutes later Donnelly picked out McLoughney and the roar from the crowd confirmed his hat-trick. Clonduff had no answer to the constant Bredagh pressure. Galway landed a 65 and Moriarty raced in for two points in-a-row before striking a major to pile on the misery for Clonduff. Bredagh's defence were lording it, McCollum found Moriarty with a beautiful cross field pass, he stick passed to Galway running in support and the ball was over the bar for Galway's sixth point. This score was equalled by a superb field by Stevie McGettrick, he side stepped two tackles and drove it over the bar from all of sixty yards for one of the scores of the game. McLoughney fired in another goal to the cheers of the large Bredagh support before McKillop finally got on the scoring sheet with a neat ground stroke to the bottom corner. Clonduff just couldn't get going on the day despite four excellent points from John Murphy it was never going to be enough to overcome a rampant Bredagh.
SUMMARY - the second-half display was probably one of Bredagh's best ever. There was no obvious weaknesses and the battling and tackling, hooking and blocking was Kilkenny-like and totally frustrated the Hilltown men. There were too many first class performances to pick out a man of the match but young guns, Paul Doole, Stevie McGettrick and Ian Galway were outstanding while old hand McCamphill showed he has plenty left in the tank yet. Defensively, Bredagh were not bothered, any danger was snuffed out quickly, goalkeeper Mark Sidebottom made a couple of fine saves when called upon, the full backline of Whyte, Dillon and Connolly were rock solid keeping their opponents scoreless. Hughes and McCollum dominated their respective positions at half back while Murray put in another top drawer performance at midfield. A combined score of 1-11 for Bredagh's half-forward line tells it's own story while the full forward line is in the sort of form that will worry any team.
QUOTES - the bench also played it's part with Byrne, McKervey and O'Neill all contributing to the victory but as Coach Ciaran Donnelly stated in the changing rooms: "We've won nothing yet, it's only a semi-final, the real test to what this team is worth will be seen over the next two weekends but if they play like that they should fear no-one". Coach Rory Galway said it was important the team kept their feet on the ground as the opposition in the Ulster final will be much stiffer, as will the winners of Portaferry and Ballyvarley who play next week to see who meets Bredagh in the Down final. Manager Eamon Mulvenna was pleased with the performance: "That's the club in three finals over the next four weeks, two hurling and one football. It's a great feat but it will be worthless unless we can get over the final hurdle and bring some silverware back to the Ormeau Road".
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Brian Connolly, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettrick 0-1, Colin Murray, Paul Doole, Paul Moriarty 1-2, Seamus McKillop 1-0, Ian Galway 0-6, Eoghan Donnelly, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Seamus McLoughney 4-1, Rory Galway, Rory McCaughey, Paddy Byrne, Michael McKervey, Lorenzo McMullan, Fintan McDonnell, Ultan Power, Paddy McGrenaghan, Colin O'Neill, Donncha Hanrahan, Paul Johnston, Ciaran Nixon, Rowen Smart, Michael Mullan, Matthew McAfee.
Justin McCarthy Visit
Finals Time
The Down Junior Championship Semi-final against Clonduff is on Sunday 10th September at 5.00pm in Downpatrick; the Ulster Junior Hurling Final against Mullahoran is on Saturday 16th September at 4.00pm at Casement Park, though the venue is to be confirmed.
Ballygalget 5-10 Bredagh 2-7
League, Saturday August 19th - Bredagh started this game with a lot of promise, looking as if they were going to overrun a young Ballygalget outfit, however it was a case of flattering to deceive as the Galget men came back in the second quarter and went on in the second period to slam four goals past a pourous Bredagh defence to win comfortably and deservedly so. Bredagh started off well as usual with Paul Moriarty skinning his man time and again and setting up good scoring opportunities that weren't taken. Paul opened Bredagh's account while McLoughney went clean through only to see his shot come off the crossbar, Doole 's follow up hit the upright and Ballygalget managed to scramble the sliothar away. The Bredagh pressure soon told when McLoughney diverted a speculative lob into the net with his hand, Galway added a free to give Bredagh a five point lead and total control. The defence were on top of their men conceding a single point in the first fifteen minutes. But as everyone knows matches last for sixty minutes and Bredagh's performance in the last three quarters got progressively worse with the Ards men taking a one point advantage into the changing rooms at half-time. Bredagh didn't get going in the second half with Ballgalget getting on top in all areas of the pitch, their dominance soon told when their full forward burst through giving keeper Rory Galway no chance from close in. This dose was repeated soon after to leave seven points between the sides. McCamphill tried to stem the tide with two well taken points and Bredagh's best move saw Moriarty and Doole combining to release McLoughney who made no mistake in recording his second major of the night from the edge of the square. This was just a temporary reprieve as Ballygalget blasted two more goals to coast to an easy victory.
SUMMARY - There wasn't too much Bredagh could take from this performance, nobody shone through and there was a lack of leadership on the field. The defence weren't tight enough while the forwards, apart from the first quarter, failed to sparkle allowing the Galget to clear without pressure. On the night they were simply outfought and outhurled by a strong Ballygalget side. A performance like this in the Ulster final or Down championship will ensure the trophy cabinet is bare come the end of the season. Training continues as usual on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.00 in preparation for the Ulster Final. Waterford Manager, Justin McCarthy, is scheduled to take a session with the seniors and minors at 5.30pm on Thursday, August 31st.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Brian Connolly, Charlie Dillon, Paddy McGrenaghan , Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Colin Murray, Rory McCaughey, Paul Moriarty 0-1, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Ian Galway
0-3 (3 frees), Paul Doole, Seamus McLoughney 2-0, Eoghan Donnelly, Paddy Byrne, Colin O'Neill, Donncha Hanrahan, Kevin Muldoon, Michael Mullan.
Bredagh 0-11 Newry 2-8
League, Tuesday August 8th - the old saying that goals win matches rang true when League Champions Newry were the first team this season to take two points from Bredagh at Fortress Cherryvale. If the truth be told the match was a rather staid affair with neither team giving their all. Newry have already been crowned champions while Bredagh saw it as a good opportunity to prepare for their up and coming Ulster Final scheduled for 9th September in Casement Park. With eight Bredagh players missing, it also afforded the opportunity for squad players to stake a claim for a starting position come the 9th.
FIRST-HALF - the opening exchanges were fairly even with Galway opening the scoring for Bredagh to cancel out Sheehan's earlier free for Newry. Paul Doole put Bredagh in front with a well taken point and Moriarty broke through to knock a minor over. At this stage Heron picked up a shoulder injury and was replaced with Paddy McGrenaghan. Newry replied with three points to lead by two and this became a gap of five when Bredagh gave away a soft goal from a speculative lob. Moriarty narrowed the gap with another well taken point before McGettrick, revelling in his new midfield role, side stepped two defenders and stroked one of the points of the game from fifty metres. Another two unanswered points from Galway and Boyle left the minimum in it at half-time. Bredagh had had the lion's share of chances in the first thirty minutes but were guilty of landing the ball short on numerous occassions with the result that Newry led by one at the break.
SECOND-HALF - the third quarter saw little between the teams with Galway and Sheehan exchanging two frees a piece in the opening ten minutes. Newry got their second goal in the 46th minute when the Shamrock's left half forward found himself free on the edge of the square and he gave Sidebottom no chance with the resultant shot. Bredagh exerted further pressure on the Newry defence but couldn't seem to convert the possession into scores with Newry clearing their lines time and again. Equally so Bredagh's defence were tying up the Newry forwards with Danny Hughes putting on a majestic display at centre half back giving County star Ciaran Courtney a lesson on the finer artistry of the ancient game, this was all the more impressive when you consider that Hughes is twice the age of Courtney! Galway scored his second from play and followed that up with a long range free to leave a goal in it going into the last five minutes. Bredagh pushed forward looking for that elusive goal, but it wasn't to be despite the valiant efforts of Paul Boyle at full forward with the final whistle marking Bredagh's first home defeat of the season.
SUMMARY - Bredagh management weren't too despondent after the game as it afforded an opportunity to experiment with players in different positions. In that regard young Stevie McGettrick looked very comfortable as a midfielder while Hughes's display against Courtney would make you wonder why he isn't still playing for Down, his display merited the man-of-the-match award. Connolly was impressive at corner back with Dillon not doing much wrong at full back. Captain Liam McCollum had an unusually quiet game while McGettrick was a relevation at midfield demonstrating his versatility and received good support from fellow midfielder O'Neill. Up front Moriarty staked a claim for a starting position next time out with his incisive runs through the Newry defence especially in the first half. Galway was the only second half scorer for Bredagh getting four of his six points on the night while McCamphill, Byrne, Doole and Boyle all tried hard none of them could manage to raise a green or white flag in the second period.
Next match - away to Ballycran on Tuesday 15th August at 7.30pm. Cars leave Cherryvale at 6.00. Training continues on Thursdays at 7.00pm.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Brian Connolly, Charlie Dillon, Michael Whyte, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Mark Heron, Stevie McGettrick 0-1, Colin O'Neill, Paul Moriarty 0-2, Fergal McCamphill, Ian Galway 0-6 (4 frees), Paul Doole 0-1, Paul Boyle 0-1, Paddy Byrne, Paddy McGrenaghan, Mark Sidebottom, Ciaran Nixon, Rowen Smart.
Bredagh 5-6 Rasharkin 1-10
Bredagh's senior hurlers created history at the weekend by reaching the Ulster Division 3 Final when they hit Rasharkin with a five goal blitz in the final quarter to seal an emphatic win at the Ballycastle venue.
Conditions on the evening were not ideal for hurling with a gale force wind which Bredagh decided to play against in the first half. Bredagh started off well and Eoghan Donnelly got the first score of the match from an acute angle on the right. Rasharkin replied with two of their own and were exerting severe pressure on the Bredagh defence who kept the Rasharkin forwards under pressure resulting in a number of wides for the St Mary's outfit. Things were looking good for Bredagh trailing by a point as the game moved into the second quarter and it looked even better when McLoughney was through one-on-one with the keeper only to see his shot scrape over the bar for a minor when a goal looked more likely. At this stage Rasharkin started to find their scoring boots rifling over three points without reply, Galway drove over a free to bring the margin back to two before Rasharkin added to further points to take a four point lead into the changing rooms.
With a gale wind in their backs for the second half Bredagh were quietly confident in getting enough scores to win the match. However it was Rasharkin from a free that put the first point of the half on the scoreboard to extend their lead to five. There was very little scoring in the 3rd quarter with Bredagh, like Rasharkin in the first half, being guilty of a number of bad wides. Bredagh introduced McKillop for McMullan (broken wrist) at half time and it was McKillop who got things going when he broke the ball for McLoughney to solo in on goal, his first shot was saved but he made sure of the rebound finding the bottom right hand corner of the net. This was the turning point of the game, Bredagh were dominating the middle third and good low ball was being fed into the full forward line, McLoughney added another point before McKillop goalled to put Bredagh two in front. Rasharkin hit back with a point of their own before Bredagh set up another attack with Connolly clearing to the industrious Murray at midfield who found Donnelly in the right corner, he rounded his man and crossed for McLoughney who drilled a lot shot for his second major and an impressive personal haul of 2-2. Another attack down the right saw Galway's cut won by Mckillop who worked his way in from the end line and his tradesmark drop shot sent the sliothar into the left corner to give Bredagh what looked like an unassailable lead with five minutes to go. But Rasharkin hadn't given up the ghost and were searching all out for goals to get back into the game and that they got along with a point to bring the margin back to three. Further chances came their way but Galway made two excellent clearance and full back McDonnell made a timely interception to snuff out another goal chance. The game was set up for an exciting finish, a long Dillon clearance was won in the corner by McLoughney who cut in from the wing and crossed what looked like a ball that was too high for Donnelly but he controlled it expertly with his caman and spun round the advancing keeper before roofing the net. This strike was accompanied with the loudest cheer of the night from the large travelling Bredagh support. Galway pointed from a 45 metre free and McCamphill knocked over an insurance point just before the final whistle signalled Bredagh's advance to the final.
This match wasn't one for the purist as the conditions didn't allow for stylish hurling but both teams showed great determination and committment battling all the way to the end. Normally it's Bredagh's middle third who stand out but this time it was the last line of Galway, Connolly, McDonnell and Dillon who shone with dour resistance in the first half and winning and hitting quality ball into the forwards in the second half. Equally so the full forward line in the final quarter did the real damage with McLoughney, McKillop and Donnelly scoring five goals between them in a ten minute purple patch. That said Mark Heron at left half back probably edged the man-of-the-match award with a great display of ball winning and effective clearances while his fellow wing half Whyte closed down Rasharkin's main forward threat when introduced early in the second half. In midfield, Murray ran Heron close for the man-of-the-match accolade and Burke worked hard in support especially in the second half. Up front the three full forwards excelled in the last quarter with Donnelly being a different class giving his marker a torrid time and showing his Ballycastle cousins his full reportoire of skills. The front line were well supported by Captain McCollum, McCamphill and Galway with young Doole unlucky not to make the scoresheet near the end. Young Michael Mullan also came off the bench to good effect in the closing stages.
Ulster,Down and Ballycran veteran Danny Hughes couldn't contain his delight at the final whistle stating that he will be just as proud wearing the maroon of Bredagh on finals day as he was when wearing the black and amber of his birth club. Coach Rory Galway felt the team should have scored more points when having the wind advantage but felt they done enough in the first half to curtail their opponents to a four point advantage. That said he felt Bredagh would have to up their performance considerably for the final and that starts with a full turn out at training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Bredagh are County Down's only representaives left in Ulster and are due to meet Mullahoran, Co Cavan in the final, the Cavan boys overcame Tyrone's Naomh Colum Cille by two points in their semi-final. The venue and date are to be confirmed. Bredagh's next match is at home to Shamrocks on Tuesday 8th August with a 7.30 throw-in.
Panel and Scorers: Rory Galway, Brian Connolly, Fintan McDonnell, Charlie Dillon, Michael McKervey, Danny Hughes, Mark Heron, Colin Murray, Mike Burke, Liam McCollum (Capt), Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Ian Galway 0-2, Seamus McLoughney 2-2, Lorenzo McMullan, Eoghan Donnelly 1-1, Seamus McKillop 2-0, Michael Whyte, Paul Doole, Paul Boyle, Ultan Power, Michael Mullan, Mark Sidebottom, Paddy Mcgrenaghan, Colin O'Neill, Donncha Hanrahan, Paddy Byrne, Rowen Smart, Rory McCaughey.
Bredagh 3-12 Shamrocks 1-14
League, Tuesday July 4th - Bredagh hurlers put in another excellent performance within three days of their Ulster Quarter-Final victory to turn over Down Division League leaders Newry Shamrocks in a highly entertaining and fiercely competitive match at Cherryvale. Bredagh started the brighter with Galway opening the scoring with a sweetly struck point over his right shoulder from 45 metres out. He followed this with a long range free before Doole struck the first of his two points on the night. It wasn't all one way with Newry firing over three nice points of their own to stay in touch. McGettrick burst through from half back to score his first point of the season and give Bredagh the lead before Newry struck for goal to push them ahead by one. Another Bredagh attack saw McKillop bulge the onion bag from close range, McLoughney added a point to edge Bredagh back in front. Newry's Sheehan traded frees with Galway to keep the minimum between them before McCamphill won the ball on the edge of the square and buried the sliothar into the bottom right hand corner to give Bredagh a four point lead at the half time whistle.
Second-half - the third quarter was nip and tuck with Sheehan doing the damage for Newry with frees and Galway keeping Bredagh's nose in front with well struck frees of his own. Newry were starting to get on top in the middle third and only for McCaughey in midfield they would probably have won it. McCaughey was doing the work of three men as well as snuffing out Newry's main midfield threat. Newry equalised with five minutes remaining and it looked like another Bredagh hard luck story but the team showed true resilience and simply out fought their opponents in the final five minutes. The defence thwarted a number of Newry attacks with McGettrick, McCollum and Dillon all putting in blocks to save what looked like winning scores for Newry. McCamphill moved out to the forty and won a free which Galway duly pointed for his eighth of the evening to put Bredagh one in front with two minutes on the clock. There was no quarter asked for or given at this stage of the match and the clash of the ash was reverberating around Cherryvale with emotions running high. McCaughey won yet another puck out and drove it into the inside forward line where Donnelly managed to scramble it over the goal line to make sure of a tremendous Bredagh victory on the night.
Summary - this was a well rounded Bredagh performance with one to nineteen making an important contribution to the team's victory. Galway senior in goals had another faultless display including an excellent clearance of the line, McDonnell at full-back was superb yet again. Dillon and Connolly were always there to sweep up any danger while the half back line of Heron, McCollum and McGettrick put on a fine performance as did young Michael Whyte when coming on as a sub. Midfielder Rory McCaughey easily took the Man of the Match accolade with a performance that no doubt caught the eye of Down Junior manager Paddy Branniff. His midfield partner McLoughney worked hard throughout while McKillop led the attack with his usual determination and ball winning capability. Galway with another eight point haul is proving indispensable while Doole and Donnelly while not as effective as Saturday night returned a respectable 1-2 between them. The experience of McCamphill was important especially in the crucial last five minutes as both he and McKillop held their composure to edge out a Shamrocks side who have only been beaten once this season. The Shamrocks will probably go on and win the league and deservedly so for their overall consistency during the season but they also know now that on their day Bredagh can be the best team in the League and with a bit more consistency they will be challenging for top position next season.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Brian Connolly, Fintan McDonnell, Charlie Dillon, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Rory McCaughey, Eoghan Donnelly 1-0, Seamus McKillop 1-0, Ian Galway 0-8 (7 frees), Paul Doole 0-2, Fergal McCamphill 1-0, Paul Moriarty, Ultan Power, Colin O'Neill, Michael Whyte, Matthew McAfee.
Bredagh 1-15 Aodh Ruadh 1-7
Ulster League Quarter-final, Saturday July 1st - Bredagh won through to the semi-finals with a convincing win over Ballyshannon's Aodh Ruadh at Banagher. With perfect conditions for hurling, including a pitch surface to match Croke Park, Bredagh started with all guns blazing with Paul Moriarty lashing over two points before the Donegal men got a chance to settle. Galway added two long range frees before Aodh Ruadh registered their first point. Bredagh were all over their opponents and looked like coasting home to
victory with birthday boy Power going close before Donnelly flicked the ball
to the net in the fifteenth minute to leave five points between the sides. However the Donegal side had other ideas and took control in the second quarter adding three points without reply before a well worked goal edged them ahead, Galway freed from close range to draw the sides level. In the final minute of the half Ruadh were awarded a penalty but only managed an over to leave a point between the sides at half-time.
Second-half: Bredagh had looked the part in the first half but
found themselves trailing at half time and it was a question of whether they had the resolve to go out and impose their will in the second-half. This
question was answered in the first ten minutes of the second half where Bredagh started with a high tempo that they managed to maintain to the final whistle. This was probably Bredagh's best half hour of the season dominating in every section of the pitch. The right side with Connolly, McCollum,
Donnelly and Doole tore their opponents apart with intelligent, fast and direct hurling that was a joy to watch. Young Donnelly in particular created havoc in the Ruadh defence scoring two overs. Galway was also having a field day adding a further five points to give him a magnifient haul of 0-8 for the
night. One of these was well worth seeing - driven over his right shoulder from all of seventy yards. The old guard did their bit with McKillop getting on the scoresheet before Boyle got a deserved point near the end to round off
an excellent second half display of scoring. The defence deserve a lot of
credit too restricting the Donegal forwards to a single point from a 65 in
the second half.
Summary - after two poor league defeats this victory proved
Bredagh had the spirit and will to win when it comes to the crunch of knock out competition. Aside from a poor second quarter Bredagh were on top. Corner
backs Connolly and Dillon put on a virtuoso display while McDonnell at full back held his man scoreless. The new half back line of McCollum, Hughes
and McGettrick were unbeatable in the second half. It was in midfield
where the foundation of Bredagh's victory was laid. Colin 'Seemore' Murray was
unquestionably the Man of the Match with a superb display from start to
finish, Donegal simply had no answer to his fielding along with his runs
where he cut through the Ruadh defence with devastating effect. Murray was well supported by McCaughey who snuffed out Ruadh's danger man. The
forwards were quiet in the first half with the exception of Moriarty, however the second half was a totally different kettle of fish with Galway, Doole,
Byrne and especially young Donnelly running rampant. Big Paul Boyle made
the perfect target man allowing the nippier minors to punish the Donegal
defence. In short this was a convincing win to take Bredagh into the last four. Their confidence will be high going into the semi-final at the end of July where a similar performance should see them through to the Club's first ever Ulster Final.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Brian Connolly, Fintan McDonnell, Charlie
Dillon, Liam McCollum, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettick, Colin Murray, Rory
McCaughey, Eoghan Donnelly 1-2, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Ian Galway 0-8, Paul
Doole, Ultan Power, Paul Moriarty 0-3, Michael Whyte, Colin O'Neill, Paddy
Byrne, Matthew McAfee, Michael Mullan, Paul Boyle 0-1.
Clonduff 1-11 Bredagh 1-6
League, Tuesday June 20th - there was a couple of firsts for Bredagh in this poor showing in Clonduff. It was the first time this season that Bredagh hurlers have been beaten two weeks running and it was the first time they looked like being beaten from early on in the second-half. Bredagh travelled to Clonduff with a depleted squad having to delve into the Under-16 squad to make up the numbers. They came away well beaten, not down to the efforts of the young guns but more to do with the team's general inability to battle and win ball in the middle third which was as much to do with Clonduff's fitness and fighting qualities as it was with Bredagh's lack of both on the night. Clonduff got off to a good start registering three points before McKillop (2) replied for Bredagh. Doole added another Bredagh point before Clonduff rattled a goal and a point in quick succession. Young Paddy Byrne registered a well executed point just before the whistle to leave a goal between the sides at half-time. Clonduff took a strangle-hold in the middle third after half-time scoring four points without reply. Points from McLoughney and McCamphill stemmed the tide somewhat but Clonduff held the upper hand stretching their lead before a consolation goal from an Ian Galway long range free put a respectable look on the final scoreline from a Bredagh perspective. Bredagh were disappointed on the night, not enough players performed and it was hard to put your finger on exactly what was wrong except that Bredagh fielded a relatively inexperienced squad. That said young Paddy Byrne was the pick of the bunch showing leadership and a battling spirit that belied his years. Fintan McDonnell put on a fine display at full-back as did Brian Connolly in the half-back line. Young Michael Mullan, recently called up to the Down U-16 squad, showed his class when coming on at corner-back while Rory McCaughey made his first start since returning from University and while he was rusty in stick work terms he more than made up for it in his never-say-die workrate. Colin Murray was winning more than his fair share of ball at half-forward before picking up an ankle injury and retiring before half-time. Overall Bredagh's performance was well below par and will certainly need a vast improvement if they hope to do damage in the up and coming Ulster league quarter final against Aodh Ruagh (Donegal) on Saturday 1st July 6.30 at Banagher, Co. Derry.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Michael Whyte, Fintan McDonnell, Brian Connolly, Eoghan Donnelly, Danny Hughes, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 1-0, Rory McCaughey, Colin Murray, Seamus McKillop 0-2, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Paddy Byrne 0-1, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Paul Doole 0-1, Michael Mullan, Matthew McAfee.
Quarter-Final Draw
Bredagh have drawn Aodh Ruadh from Ballyshannon in Donegal in the Quarter-finals of the Ulster League. The game will be played on Saturday, July 1st (time and venue to be confirmed).
Division 1
Ballycastle v Glenariffe
Cushendall v Ballycran
Loughgiel v St John's (Antrim)/Portaferry
Ballygalget v Dungannon/Rossa (Antrim)
Division 2
Carey (Antrim) v Lisnaskea
Newry Shamrocks v Eoghan Rua (Derry)
Castleblaney v Cuchulainn (Armagh)
Setanta (Donegal) v Armoy (Antrim)
Division 3
Mullahoran (Cavan) v MacCumhails (Donegal)
Aodh Ruadh (Donegal) v Bredagh
Rasharkin v Na Magha (Derry)
Naomh Colum Cille (Tyrone) v St Peters (Down)
Ballyvarley 0-12 Bredagh 1-7
League, Tuesday, June 13 - Bredagh manager Eamon Mulvenna took great pride in announcing to his squad before the start of this game that on paper this was the best hurling team Bredagh had ever fielded, but he quickly reminded his charges that matches are never won on paper but on the field of play. The post-game analysis was that Eamon's words were not heeded, as Bredagh, through a combination of complacency, poor shooting and indiscipline, were outfought by a Ballyvarley side who deserved their 'surprise' victory. All predictions prior to the ball being throw in was for a stroll in the park for Bredagh after they easily disposed of Warrenpoint a week earlier. The 'Point had beaten Ballyvarley previous to that, but the Banbridge boys hadn't read the script.
First-half - Ballyvarley stated their intent early on with two well-taken points from play. Bredagh were making chances but missing them and it took to the 13th minute for Bredagh to register their first score from an Ian Galway free. The first half was fiercely competitive with Ballyvarley having the upper hand before Donnelly profited from a poor puck out to round the corner back and lash the sliothar to the top corner. This gave Bredagh an undeserved one point lead which they managed to hold onto until half-time, helped by Galway knocking over two fine 65s and McMullan notching Bredagh's only point from play in the half.
Second-half - it looked like a case of waiting until Bredagh started but it just never really happened. Both teams exchanged three points apiece, Ballyvarley's coming from a series of dubious frees while McCamphill was the only Bredagh forward with his eye in, recording three points. In fact he was the only Bredagh scorer in the second-half. More frees saw Ballyvarley move two points ahead but there was always a sense that Bredagh would get going and do enough to win. The Belfast side found themselves in possession and in range on numerous occasions in the final ten minutes but they just couldn't convert the possession into scores. The final whistle saw a jubilant Ballyvarley team delighted with recording their first win over Bredagh in four encounters. Bredagh were clearly disappointed and frustrated at not only losing on the night but by leaving themselves an impossible task to catch League leaders Newry Shamrocks.
Summary - the best Bredagh can do after this match is erase it quickly from memory but at the same time remember that you need to be prepared to battle if you are going to win anything. It would be fair to say that on the night the 'spine' didn't play to their usual high standard. Mark Heron was the only defender worthy of mention while up front McCamphill was the only forward of note. Bredagh had a strong bench with all five subs being used but still it was to no avail, although Rory McCaughey showed enough to merit a start next time out. With an Ulster Quarter-final coming up as well as the Championship season kicking in, hopefully this defeat will act as a wake-up call to the Bredagh hurlers.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Michael Whyte, Danny Hughes, Charlie Dillon, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Mark Heron, Michael Burke, Colin Murray, Paul Doole, Seamus McKillop, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Eoghan Donnelly 1-0, Lorenzo McMullan 0-1, Ian Galway 0-3, Paddy Byrne, Rory McCaughey, Brian Connolly, Seamus McLoughney, Ultan Power, Fintan McDonnell, Stevie McGettrick.
Warrenpoint 1-3 Bredagh 3-8
League, Tuesday June 6th - Bredagh dominated this match start to finish putting on a competent display to see out Warrenpoint who suffered from a lack of scoring power. That and the tightness of Bredagh's defence to concede scores was the deciding factor borne out by Warrenpoint not scoring from play until the last five minutes of the match. It took Bredagh a while to get started and it was full forward McMullan who recorded a minor after nine minutes, a penalty moments later was rattled to the net by McKillop and Galway pointed two long range free before Warrenpoint got their only point of the half from a free out on the right. McMullan landed two further excellent points before minor captain Paul Doole landed a point from what looked like an impossible angle. Galway finished of a fine first half display with another pointed free from close in to leave eight points between the sides.
Second-half - Bredagh repeated the dose with half back Donnelly bursting through to open the scoring with a well-taken point, Galway landed another 65 and the game was over as a contest when young Paddy Byrne swept the ball to the net from close range. McDonnell rubbed salt into the Point's wounds with another major shortly after to complete the rout.
Summary - this was a comprehensive victory with Bredagh not really having to move out of third gear if the truth be told. Sidebottom was his usual majestic self in goals but picked up a knee injury late on that may see him out of commission for a couple of weeks. That said, his replacement Rory Galway was equally impressive. Danny Hughes, back from injury, lorded the full back berth as usual with Whyte tidying up anything he left behind. The half back line was impressive with Heron having one of his best games of the season, McCollum was peerless as usual, and young Eoghan Donnelly proved his versatility no matter what position he plays as well as contributing one of the best points on the night. Murray also back from injury put in a load of work around the middle, winning a lot of loose ball and setting up attacks while Galway junior put on a fine display with his free taking very accurate on the night. For the second match running the Bredagh forwards played second fiddle to the Bredagh defenders though McMullan was in fine form scoring three excellent points while McDonnell and Byrne added goals and worked hard throughout. Connolly put on a good show in the last ten when moved to midfield while Moriarty proved a tricky customer to the Point defence and was unlucky not to make the scoresheet. Paul Johnston put on a good shift when coming on as sub as did Donncha Hanrahan in his new found position of corner back.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Michael Whyte, Danny Hughes, Charlie Dillon,Eoghan Donnelly 0-1, Liam McCollum, Mark Heron, Ian Galway 0-4, Colin Murray, Paul Doole 0-1, Seamus McKillop 1-0, Paul Moriarty, Brian Connolly 1-0, Lorenzo McMullan 0-3, Fintan McDonnell 1-0, Paddy Byrne 0-1, Donncha Hanrahan, Paul Johnston, Rory Galway.
Naomh Colmcille 1-8 Bredagh 2-7
Ulster League, Saturday June 3rd - Bredagh completed their group matches with another win in Tyrone to put them comfortably through to
a quarter final spot. Played in perfect hurling conditions, Bredagh started
in whirlwind fashion with McMullan hitting an over within the first minute.
Another Bredagh attack saw Connolly rattle the net from close range before
McCamphill added a point and in the next attack, from a goalmouth scramble,
McMullan kicked the ball over the line to leave Bredagh with an eight point
lead after ten minutes. The Tyrone boys settled after this and started to
get on top at half-forward and midfield, scoring three points without reply.
Young Paul Doole landed a nice point on the right, the Cilles replied with a
similar score before Galway's pointed free saw Bredagh go in at half-time
with a comfortable six point lead mainly due to their superior stick work as
the Tyrone outfit more than matched them in the effort and fitness stakes.
Second-half - Bredagh were slow to start with the Tyrone boys notching
the first point of the half within sixty seconds. This seemed to push the
Cilles on and they applied constant pressure on the Bredagh rearguard.
Bredagh's defence were outstanding during this period with Galway senior
making two point blank saves, Charlie Dillon, at full-hack and a Tyrone
native to boot, foiled his fellow County men with a string of blocks and
clearances to protect Bredagh's lead which suffered a severe dent when the
Cilles finally breached the defences with a goal to leave only two in it.
McCamphill offered Bredagh some respite when he notched over a point on one
of the very few Bredagh attacks in the second-half. Their opponents replied
with two well taken points to leave the minimum between the teams. With
their tails up, the Tyrone men threw everything into attack and again the
Bredagh defence held strong with Heron clearing his lines in a number of
times and young Michael Mullan somehow getting a block on what looked like a
certain goal. However with Tyrone on top at midfield and half-back the
sliothar kept coming back into the danger zone where McCollum made a number
of telling interceptions. Boyle, Hanrahan and young Paddy Byrne were all
sprung from the bench to help the cause with the latter winning a free
seventy yards out on the left which Ian Galway steered expertly over the bar
to widen the gap to two points. There was an audible sigh of relief from the
Bredagh contingent on hearing the final whistle.
Summary - overall this was a rather sluggish performance by Bredagh but a win is a win and the Bredagh boys did just enough to take them through as section leaders to the quarter-finals scheduled for 1st July. Much of the credit must go to the final line of defence, Rory Galway's performance will give new father Mark Sidebottom plenty to worry about in retaining his position between the posts, while the full back line led by Dillon and winged by Heron and Mullan broke the Tyrone hearts with their never say die attitude.
To a lesser extent the half-backs worked hard through out while up front
apart from the first ten minutes, the Tyrone boys always had the upper hand, evidenced by Bredagh only recording two points from play in the other
fifty minutes. Bredagh simply didn't have enough ball winners in the
midfield/half-forward area and were lucky to escape with a win. By the same token they fought hard to maintain their one hundred per cent record. On a more positive note, the return of minor Paddy Byrne (Paddy scored a goal for Down the following day against Donegal) looks like a promising addition to the Bredagh panel which was fairly depleted on the night.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Michael Mullan, Charlie Dillon, Mark Heron, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 0-3, Seamus McLoughney, Conor McKendry, Fergal McCamphill 0-2, Paul Doole 0-1, Brian Connolly 1-0 Ultan Power, Lorenzo McMullan 1-1, Paul Boyle, Donncha Hanrahan, Paddy Byrne.
Fixtures & Results
Challenge Games
Sunday, January 22 - Bredagh 2-10 St Teresa's 1-3
Sunday, January 30 - Bredagh 2-13 St Enda's 3-6
Sunday, February 12 - Bredagh 1-4 Clonduff 3-6
Sunday, March 5 - St Galls 0-15 Bredagh 1-4
Betsy Gray Cup
Sunday, February 19 - Bredagh 6-11 Newry 1-4
Sunday, February 26 - Bredagh 1-9 Kilclief 3-8
Co Down League Division Two
Sunday, March 26 - Bredagh 4-6 Ballygalget 2-8
Saturday, April 1 - Clonduff P Bredagh P
Tuesday, April 4 - Ballycran 4-12 Bredagh 0-6
Saturday, April 8 - Bredagh P Newry P
Tuesday, April 11 - Portaferry 1-14 Bredagh 1-1
Tuesday, April 18 - Bredagh 1-9 Warrenpoint 1-2
Tuesday, April 25 - Bredagh 2-12 Ballyvarley 2-4
Tuesday, May 2 - Ballygalget 3-4 Bredagh 2-5
Tuesday, May 9 - Bredagh 3-7 Clonduff 2-9
Sunday, May 14 - Bredagh P Shamrocks P
Tuesday, May 16 - Bredagh 6-7 Ballycran 2-11
Tuesday, May 23 - Shamrocks 2-11 Bredagh 3-6
Tuesday, May 30 - Bredagh w/o Portaferry
Tuesday, June 6 - Warrenpoint 1-3 Bredagh 3-8
Tuesday, June 13 - Ballyvarley 0-12 Bredagh 1-7
Saturday, June 20 - Clonduff 1-11 Bredagh 1-6
Tuesday, June 27 - Bredagh v Warrenpoint
Tuesday, July 4 - Bredagh v Ballyvarley
Tuesday, July 25 - Clonduff v Bredagh
Tuesday, August 8 - Portaferry v Bredagh
Tuesday, August 15 - Ballycran v Bredagh
Tuesday, August 22 - Bredagh v Ballygalget
Ulster Senior League
Saturday, April 15 - Killeavy 0-8 Bredagh 8-9
Saturday, April 22 - Bredagh P Truagh P
Saturday, April 29 - Monaghan Harps 2-10 Bredagh 1-17
Saturday, May 6 - Bredagh 2-13 Four Masters 2-5
Sunday, May 21st - Bredagh 3-22 Truagh 1-2
Saturday, June 3 - Naomh Colmcille 1-7 Bredagh 2-8
Saturday, July 1 at 6.30pm - Quarter-final - Aodh Ruadh v Bredagh
Saturday, July 29 at 6.30pm - Semi-finals
Junior Championship
Round One
Bredagh v Warrenpoint or Clonduff
Championship Dates
Wednesday, August 2 - Quarter-final
Saturday, September 9 - Semi-final
Sunday, September 24 – Final
Shamrocks 2-11 Bredagh 3-6
League, Tuesday May 23rd - If 'if and ands made pots and pans' Bredagh hurlers would be sitting at the top of the League today. If Danny Hughes hadn't got injured after 25 minutes and if Bredagh had converted a few more of their opportunities in the second-half then the final result would have favoured the Belfast boys. Instead, it ended in a disappointing defeat but also in a belief within the squad that will see them there or thereabouts at the end of the season in both league and championship honours.
First-half - Bredagh faced a stiff breeze in the first half with Shamrocks dominating the early exchanges to lead by four points (3 frees) with ten minutes gone. Bredagh were competing well and McKillop sent a rasping shot towards goal only to see the keeper save, though Power followed up and lashed the sliothar to the net. This was the lift Bredagh needed and with Galway adding two pointed frees, Bredagh were in front. Newry were seeing their fair share of the ball but were running into a brick wall in the shape of Danny Hughes who was in total control of his area. Another attack by Bredagh saw the ball break to McKillop and his first-time effort found the back of the net. Shortly afterwards Power got his second and Bredagh's third when he flicked on a through ball from Galway. Newry were rattled and Bredagh totally on top when Hughes pulled up with an injury with five minutes of the first-half remaining. This was a lift for county star McGuinness who hadn't got a touch up to then as Hughes snuffed out any danger he had posed. However, with Hughes off Newry managed to break loose and goal in the final minute of the half to leave Bredagh leading by five.
Second-half - Bredagh reshuffled with Burke falling into full-back and McKervey coming on to the wing back position. Again Newry started well with two pointed frees to close the gap to three. McMullan replied for Bredagh before Newry managed to scramble a goal over the line to leave Bredagh leading by one. With ten minutes remaining and temperatures rising it was anybody's game. Another Newry free saw them equalise before McMullan kept Bredagh's noses in front with a well-taken point on the right. Two more Newry frees saw them go one ahead before McCamphill equalised for Bredagh. The Shamrocks pointed again and with time running out Bredagh threw everything into attack. McKillop was playing superbly, showing true grit and leadership, driving Bredagh forward. McMullan won the ball on the edge of the square and his goal bound strike from a tight angle hit the keeper's leg to stay out while in the final seconds McKillop gained possession on the twenty metre line, it looked like the winning goal was on it's way to the bottom left hand corner of the net only for the Newry keeper to somehow dive full stretch and turn the ball round the post.
Summary - this was a very disappointing result. Bredagh battled superbly and as the stats show Newry only scored 2-3 from play and this was down to the superb defence, starting with Sidebottom in goals, well-supported by Whyte and Dillon on the wings. Mick Burke had an excellent game on McGuinness while McKervey put on one of his best displays when coming on as a substitute just before half-time. McCollum battled bravely throughout while midfielders Galway and McLoughney won their fair share of ball against a very strong Newry midfield where Down centre-half Courtney put on a fine display of high-fielding. Up front, Power captured the headlines with 2-1 but McMullan was a constant thorn in the Newry defence as was McCamphill at wing-forward. The heavy conditions underfoot didn't really suit minors Doole and Donnelly and both were unlucky not to make the scoresheet.
Man of the Match - the award was shared by veterans Hughes and McKillop with the former dominating the defence in the first-half before coming off injured. After the match the Newry management put their win down to Hughes' forced retirement, but it was the McKillop show in the second-half where he belied his age to cover every blade of grass in his vain attempt to carve out a Bredagh victory.
Next - Bredagh fall back into second place in the League, four points behind Newry. The next Down League match will be home to Portaferry on Tuesday 30th May, with the final Ulster league match away to Naomh Colum Cille on Saturday 3rd June.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Charlie Dillon, Danny Hughes, Michael Whyte, Mick Burke, Liam McCollum, Mark Heron, Ian Galway 0-2, Seamus McLoughney, Eoghan Donnelly, Seamus McKillop 1-0, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Paul Doole, Ultan Power 2-1, Lorenzo McMullan 0-2, Michael McKervey, Rory Galway.
Bredagh 3-22 Truagh 1-2
Ulster League, Sunday May 21st - Bredagh maintained their one hundred per cent record in the Ulster League with a comfortable win over Monaghan side Truagh in a wet and windy Cherryvale. The home side was slow to start but they looked stronger from early on and eventually posted scores from Doole, Connolly, Donnelly and McKillop to move into the lead. Truagh hit them on the break and had the sides level with a pointed free and a close-in goal after a defensive error. Bredagh responded quickly with a well-taken Doole goal and another from a McKillop flick soon after. McLoughney and Galway were lording it in midfield, feeding intelligent ball into the forwards with McLoughney finishing off the first-half with a well-taken point from the left wing.
Second-half hat-tricks - with wind advantage Bredagh piled on the pressure and the forwards put on a shooting demonstration with Moriarty and McCamphill firing over hat-tricks while McKillop wasn't to be outdone getting his own hat-trick of points to add to his first-half goal. Young Galway then got in on the act firing over his third point to cap off a fine display. Power finished Truagh off with a well-taken goal from the edge of the square and Eoghan Donnelly went one better than the hat-trickers with his fourth point in the final minute, soloing 30 yards before kicking the ball over the bar. He certainly showed no signs of over-celebrating his 18th Birthday the night before.
Summary -
Bredagh were very strong on the night. With management being able to select from 23 players, there is fierce competition for places which augurs well for the future. The defence were not overly troubled with McDonnell and McKervey putting in fine performances alongside the usual suspects of McCollum and Hughes. MoM McLoughney and Galway controlled midfield while up front ten scorers speaks for itself, as does 25 scores in conditions that did not lend itself to a high-scoring game. Minors Doole and Donnelly along with Moriarty were the pick of the bunch up front while McKillop was peerless in some of his general play and his long range point-taking was a joy to watch.
Next matches:
Bredagh's final match in the Ulster League is away to Naomh Colum Cille from Clonoe in Tyrone on Saturday 3rd June. The winners of this match will qualify for a semi-final spot against the winners of 3C and that looks like being Rasharkin. Bredaghs' next Down D2 match will be a tough encounter away to Newry Shamrocks on Tuesday 23rd May. The Shamrocks have only been beaten once in five matches.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Charlie Dillon, Danny Hughes, Michael Whyte, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Mark Heron, Ian Galway 0-3, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly 0-4, Seamus McKillop 1-3, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Brian Connolly 0-2, Lorenzo McMullan 0-1, Paul Doole 1-2, Paul Moriarty 0-3, Paddy McGrenaghan, Paul Johnson, Ultan Power 1-0, Fintan McDonnell, Donncha Hanrahan, Ciaran Nixon, Paul Boyle.
Team Picture
Before the Ulster League game with Truagh.
Bredagh 6-7 Ballycran 2-11
Co Down League, Tuesday May 16th - Bredagh senior hurlers came of age as they put on one of their best displays ever to beat the current Division 2 champions Ballycran by eight points. To put this victory into context, Bredagh had played Ballycran four times in the past two years and hadn't come within ten points of them, but the shoe was on the other foot on this occasion. Thirteen scores each tells a story of a tight match, but the differences that marked Bredagh's victory were down to resolute defending to protect the goal area, clinical finishing by the forwards and the never-say-die fighting spirit of second-half sub Seamus McKillop. As a result, Bredagh stay top of the League at the end of the first series of matches.
THE CONNOLLY SHOW - Bredagh started well and dominated the first ten minutes but were guilty of a number of wides and it was Ballycran who led at the end of the first quarter by 0-6 to 0-2. Connolly and Galway scored Bredagh's only points. The second quarter saw the start of 'The Connolly Show' as he bagged two opportunist goals to put Bredagh into the lead. Ballycran responded with a goal of their own to regain the lead by one. As the half drew to a close, Connolly completed his hat-trick and McMullan added a solo goal to give Bredagh a two-point lead at the break. On the balance of play, while Bredagh had played well in the opening period, they could count themselves lucky to be in front.
COMETH THE HOUR, COMETH THE MAN - Ballycran came out all guns blazing in the third quarter and fired over three unanswered points to regain the lead. They then struck for goal to lead by four and it looked like the match was slipping away from Bredagh. But, cometh the hour, cometh the man in the shape of substitute Seamus McKillop. His presence gave Bredagh the lift they needed - Galway pointed from a free and in the next attack Bredagh won a penalty. McKillop made no mistake from the 20 metre line. Teams level. Game on. The next 15 minutes of play was the best Bredagh have ever played. Every man lifted his game and shouldered the responsibility to out-hurl their more illustrious opponents. McKillop and McCamphill pointed before Connolly burst through the defence to net his fourth goal. Bredagh were on a high, Ballycran's heads were down. The final push - an excellent sideline cut from Galway rebounded off the post into the waiting hands of McMullan. No better man. The game was over even before the net shook as McMullan let fly. McLoughney added an insurance point and Bredagh's first ever win over Ballycran was complete.
BEST EVER - the whole team were outstanding. Sidebottom made a number of great saves, Hughes was solid in defence, well-supported by Whyte and Dillon, the latter lifting his game in the final quarter. The half-back line of Donnelly, McCollum and McKervey battled throughout, while Murray put on a starring performance in midfield along with Galway who had a good second-half. McCamphill, just back from injury, was a big plus at centre half-forward although his shooting in the first half was a bit rusty. The main threats up front were Moriarty on the wing, McMullan who put on a superb display at full-forward for the third match running (averaging six points a match). Connolly was the man who did the scoring damage with 4-1 and was Man of the Match all hands down until McKillop entered the fray. McKillop's fighting spirit was the difference in these two teams, his ball-winning qualities were second to none and his scores were important though it was his leadership qualities that won him the MoM tag.
NEXT - we play Truagh at 7.00pm on Sunday 21st in the Ulster Hurling league. The next Down D2 match will be a tough encounter away to Newry Shamrocks on Tuesday 23rd. They have only been beaten once in five matches.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Charlie Dillon, Danny Hughes, Michael Whyte, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Eoghan Donnelly, Ian Galway 0-2, Colin Murray, Paul Doole, Fergal McCamphill 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Brian Connolly 4-1, Lorenzo McMullan 1-1, Paul Moriarty, Seamus McKillop 1-1, Paddy McGrenaghan, Colin O'Neill, Ultan Power, Michael Mullan, Mark Heron, Fintan McDonnell Ryan McGaughey, Rory Galway.
Bredagh 3-7 Clonduff 2-9
League, May 9th - Bredagh hurlers moved to the top of the Down Division two hurling league with this nail-biting win. In a game where no quarter was asked or given, Bredagh's ability to score goals at crucial times was the deciding factor at the final whistle. Bredagh were slow to start in this game, perhaps a bit jaded from their tough encounter with Donegal side Four Masters three days earlier, and found themselves trailing by three points before McLoughney registered their first score after ten minutes. Further points from Galway and Connolly levelled the game but almost immediately Clonduff found the net to increase their lead to three. Further points were exchanged with Donnelly and McKillop getting the Bredagh scores but the gap still stood at four points at half time. Bredagh hadn't played that well and not that badly either but they were guilty of making some fundamental mistakes that were punished by Clonduff as well a number of misses that had they found the net would have left them with a comfortable lead. Bredagh started the second half determined to get back into the game and Eoghan Donnelly struck a sweet goal within two minutes to leave the minimum between the sides. Then came the McMullan show where he repeated his scoring tally against Four Masters with a majestic 2-1 that sealed the victory for Bredagh. The first was a poachers goal following some good work from McGaughey but the second was the score of the day where he fought and won the ball on the wing and found the net from what seemed like an impossible angle. With a five point cushion and ten minutes remaining things looked good, but the stronger fitter Clonduff side started to win control around midfield and threw everything into attack. Bredagh's defence held firm with Sidebottom back to his usual self making four important saves within the space of two minutes, two of which seemed to be going over the bar before he drew them down and cleared to the wings. Hughes and McCollum were batting down the hatches while Whyte was playing a stormer at cornerback. Bredagh looked like holding out when the referee awarded Clonduff a penalty in injury time. The penalty was duly converted to leave Bredagh leading by a point but the referee's whistle sounded on the puck out and Bredagh had their win.
Summary - this was an exciting and tough encounter with the result in the balance to the final whistle. Bredagh showed they have the mettle to come from behind and etch out a hard fought victory. Best for Bredagh were Sidebottom in goals, Dillon, Whyte and Hughes at the back along with McCollum and Murray in midfield. Up front Connolly put in one of his best displays of the season and McKillop battled hard but should have converted more of the chances that he created. The picks of the team were young and 'old' with young Eoghan Donnelly scoring 1-1 at corner forward and then when moved back in the second half defended stoutly while old hand McMullan showed all his guile and experience to take the scores that won the match for Bredagh and deservedly merited the man-of-the-match award.This leaves Bredagh top of the league at the end of the first series of matches. Their next match will provide a true benchmark of Bredagh's potential to pick up silverware this year when they host Ballycran in Cherryvale next Tuesday.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Charlie Dillon, Danny Hughes, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Mark Heron, Ian Galway 0-2, Colin Murray, Paul Doole, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Brian Connolly 0-1, Fintan McDonnell, Eoghan Donnelly 1-1, Lorenzo McMullan 2-1, Michael Whyte, Colin O'Neill, Ultan Power, Michael Mullan, Donncha Hanrahan, Ryan McGaughey, Rory Galway.
Bredagh 2-15 Four Masters 2-5
Ulster League, Saturday May 6th - Bredagh recorded their first home victory in the League to remain top of their section with two matches remaining. This was a much tighter match than the scoreline would suggest and it was only a burst of scores in the last ten minutes that saw Bredagh through comfortably in the end. The early exchanges were very competitive with Bredagh playing at their best to open a four point margin through Connolly, Doole, McMullan and McKillop. The Donegal forwards were seeing plenty of the ball in the first half but a combination of poor shooting and Bredagh pressure only saw them record a pointed free for their efforts. On the other hand Bredagh were very accurate in front of goals with McMullan rattling the net from close range and McLoughney knocking over his first of five points. Bredagh although having played very well in the first period could consider themselves lucky to have an eight point lead at half time as Four Masters had as much of the ball but failed to turn it into scores. This was not the case at the start of the second half when sustained Masters pressure got 1-1, their tails were up and there was a sense that they were going to go on and win the game. Bredagh had let other opponents back into games and this looked like happening again, but not so, Bredagh through Hughes, McCollum and McKillop stemmed the tide, lifted their game and top scorer McMullan lashed another goal to the net to increase Bredagh's lead. As the game moved into the final quarter, the Bredagh defence clamped down on their opponents while the forwards went into free scoring mode with two Galway pointed frees, a brace from McLoughney and a first time pull over the bar by Power leaving nine points between them. A very soft Four Masters goal five minutes from the end was never going to be enough to deny Bredagh victory with McKillop and McLoughney knocking over two insurance points before the final whistle. This was an exciting, competitive and entertaining game to watch. Unlike some previous matches Bredagh played to the end and were worthy winners. Four Masters were probably the best side encountered in the competition so far and but for some wayward shooting in the first half would have made it much closer in the end. The spine of the team - Hughes, McCollum, McKillop and McMullan - were strong throughout. Sidebottom in goals was self assured of old, apart from a trindler getting past him late on, corner backs, Whyte and McGrenaghan, played their usual no nonsense hurling. Midfielders Galway and Murray worked hard over the hour and upfront the half forward line of Doole, McKillop and McLoughney shared ten points from play with McLoughney getting the lions share and putting on his best performance in a Bredagh shirt this season. Doole's point over his shoulder from a tight angle on the right was the score of the day while full forward McMullan had the greatest impact scoring 2-1.
Special thanks to Sean McAlinney and the Parador Hotel for providing post match food and refreshments for our Donegal visitors.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Michael Whyte, Danny Hughes, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Mark Heron, Ian Galway 0-2, Colin Murray, Paul Doole 0-1, Seamus McKillop 0-3, Seamus McLoughney 0-5, Brian Connolly 0-1, Lorenzo McMullan 2-1, Colin O'Neill, Ultan Power 0-1, Michael Mullan, Donncha Hanrahan, Rory Galway.
Ballygalget 3-4 Bredagh 2-5
League, Tuesday May 2nd - the report on this game was already written in Eamon's mind before time was up. It was going to go something like this: 'Bredagh put on a brilliant first half display against a very stiff breeze to lead by the minimum margin at half time and while their weekend exertions in the Ulster League started to take effect in the second half, they did enough to hold onto a late 'Galget challenge and record their first ever senior victory in the Ards'. Unfortunately, the events in injury time changed the report to yet another hard luck story....
As is normal Bredagh headed down the coast with thirteen of the panel of 28 absent. This didn't seem to effect them too much as they played well in the first half, with points from Galway (free) and Doole along with Power's overhead flick into the net seeing them into the changing room with a one point lead. Bredagh started well in the second half with Doole leading the way with another point before McKillop rattled the roof of the net from 30 yards to give Bredagh what looked like an unassailable lead of five points, given their general dominance and wind advantage. However matches don't last 50 minutes and in the final ten minutes Bredagh conceded two very soft goals that squared the match. McKillop wasn't to be beaten and rattled over a point to give Bredagh a one point lead with normal time up. Going into added time Ballygalget were awarded a dubious 40 yard free that looked like a certain point - it fell short, clipped off a Bredagh hurl and trindled into the net and Bredagh were beaten by two points.
Summary - the whole team had an excellent first half but in the second the final line of defence, usually Bredagh's best, were found wanting with the exception of Donnelly who snuffed his man out completely over the hour. Herron at half back had one of his best outings for Bredagh, who along with Hughes fed a lot of ball into the forwards. Midfield had a poor second period and up front, with the exception of Doole, (playing his third match in four days) and McKillop, not enough scores were taken, given the amount of ball available to the full forward line.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Michael Whyte, Liam McCollum, Eoghan Donnelly, Mark Heron, Danny Hughes, Charlie Dillon, Ian Galway 0-1, Colin O,Neill, Paul Doole 0-3, Seamus McKillop 1-1, Seamus McLoughney, Brian Connolly, Ultan Power, Paul Moriarty. Paul Johnstone, Michael Mullan, Paddy McGrenaghan.
Monaghan Harps 2-10 Bredagh 1-17
Ulster League, Saturday April 29 - Bredagh edged themselves closer to a semi-final spot after remaining unbeaten after three outings. The latest was a battling display at Monaghan Harps when a severely depleted squad held on to record a four-point win. Bredagh started brightly with points from McKillop, McMullan, Doole and Galway (2) seeing them into a four point lead, a lead they kept to the end. The Harps found their scoring range with 0-2 and a scrambled goal to close the gap to a point. The middle part of the first half was dominated by the Harps and they may have scored more but for great defensive work from McKervey and McCollum who recorded the score of the game - winning possession in his own half backline before weaving his way past four players and tapping the ball over from 30 yards. Bredagh's purple patches were at the start and in the final ten minutes with further points from Galway, Boyle, Hanrahan, Doole, McMullan and the ever-influential McKillop, seeing them with a deserved six-point gap at the half-time whistle. Bredagh started the second half similar to the first with McKillop completing his hat-trick and a great strike by Boyle beat the keeper who was no doubt distracted with young Mullan's pressure in the small square. Ten points in front and coasting, or so it seemed, but the Harps hadn't read the script and laid siege on Bredagh's goal. They scored 1-2 without reply to leave the game wide open going into the final 10 minutes. This was where Bredagh's fighting spirit could be clearly seen with Galway tipping a rasping drive onto the bar before McGrenaghan cleared, McDonnell cleared his lines on a number of occassions and centre forward McKillop popped up on his own goal line to tip a certain goal over the bar. The final whistle was welcome relief for the Bredagh boys and certainly shortened the long bus journey home. Thanks to Monaghan Harps for a very fair and competitive game as well as their hospitality and along with their excellent facilities it made for a great night out.
Best for Bredagh on the night were Galway in goals, the full-back line (although guilty at times of not clearing their lines quickly enough) earned their plaudits when under severe pressure in the second half. Whyte and O'Neill did their bit around the middle while McMullan, Mullan, Boyle and newcomer Hanrahan hurled their hearts out up front. The pick of the team had to be the half-back duo of McCollum and McKervey along with Galway who put on another great display of hurling for the third week running top scoring with 0-7 but it was man-of-the-match 'Legs' McKillop who picked up the top accolade for his overall contribution in attack, midfield and defence. Apparently he got the 'legs' nickname, not for his unceasing running but how they are viewed by the opposite sex!
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Paddy McGrenaghan, Fintan McDonnell, Peader Heffron, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum 0-1, Michael Whyte, Ian Galway 0-7, Colin O'Neill, Paul Doole 0-2, Seamus McKillop 0-3, Paul Boyle 1-1, Brian Connolly, Lorenzo McMullan 0-2, Donncha Hanrahan 0-1, Michael Mullan, Ciaran Donnelly.
Bredagh 2-12 Ballyvarley 2-4
League, Tuesday April 25 - Bredagh notched up their third victory in the league campaign with this win. An eight point win looks like a stroll in the park but this was far from the case with only a point between the sides with ten minutes to go. Bredagh started the game with win advantage and McMullan raised the white flag within a minute. Galway added a 65 before Connolly found the corner of the net from an acute angle to stretch Bredagh's lead to four. Ballyvarley were playing well and were rewarded when the found the net after Bredagh failed to clear their lines, two further pointed frees from Ballyvarley brought the sides level. In the final five minutes Bredagh's McKillop, Connolly and another Galway 65 saw Bredagh lead by three at half-time. Bredagh had not played well in the first half and turning to face the wind needed to up their performance if they were to keep their 100% home record intact. That they did, Hughes switching from full forward to full back, steadied the defence and Galway, McMullan and a beautiful long range effort from Murray pushed them six points ahead. Ballyvarley fought back with two well taken points followed by another goal to leave a point in it with ten minutes remaining. Bredagh sensed the danger with Connolly, McLoughney and McKillop all landing points while under pressure before McDonnell sealed it with a drilled shot to the bottom corner.
Overall this was not Bredagh's best performance of the season but they did enough to win out easily in the end. Both corner backs, McGrenaghan and
Whyte, put in sound performances after a shaky start, the halfback line was
not as dominant as in previous matches but the midfield made up for it with
strong performances from Murray and Galway who between them scored 0-4.
Galway put in sterling work up and down the field and probably edged out top
scorer Brian Connolly for the man-of-the-match accolade. Up front Connolly
did the most damage and was well supported by McMullan and McKillop.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Paddy McGrenaghan, Fintan McDonnell, Michael Whyte, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Ian Galway 0-3, Colin Murray 0-1, Colin O'Neill, Seamus McKillop 0-2, Seamus McLoughney 0-1, Brian Connolly 1-3, Danny Hughes, Lorenzo McMullan 0-2, Ultan Power, Charlie
Dillon, Peader heffron, Michael Mullan.
Bredagh 1-9 Warrenpoint 1-2
League, Tuesday April 18th - the score doesn't reflect the tightness of this game where both teams served up a very competitive and entertaining match with no quarter given or asked for. The Point showed their intent early on with their full forward firing over the opening point under pressure. Bredagh replied through an Ian Galway pointed free, before McMullan edged Bredagh ahead with a well-taken point from the left wing. The teams were very evenly-matched and a combination of poor Warrenpoint shooting and excellent Bredagh defending kept the home team's noses in front. Any attacks mounted by Bredagh were yielding scores with young paul Doole firing over two long range points to stretch the lead, however the main impetus in Bredagh's attack was coming from centre half forward, Seamus McKillop, top scoring 1-3 from play. His goal was an absolute peach, winning the ball on the half forward line and soloing through to drive the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net for the score of the game. Galway added a pointed free to leave a seven-point cushion at the turnaround. The second half was much like the first with Bredagh taking their chances and the Point missing, although this was mostly due to the pressure applied by the Bredagh defence, none moreso than centre half and captain, Liam McCollum, who led his team from the front consistently snuffing out the Warrenpoint threat and at the same time setting up attacks with intelligent ball into the inside forwards. Warrenpoint's pressure finally paid off when they snatched a goal with ten minutes remaining but the comeback didn't materialise as McKillop was getting onto the end of most of McCollum's work adding a hat-trick of points before Galway closed out the game with a close-in free.
Summary - this was another great display by the Bredagh boys following on from their Ulster hurling league victory at the weekend. The pace and competitiveness was noticably higher in this game and Bredagh were able to meet and overcome the pressure being exerted by their opponents. Sidebottom in goals was faultless throughout while McGrenaghan and McDonnell's no nonsense hurling in the full back line was a joy to watch. McCollum winged by McKervey and McGettrick were clearly the strongest line in the team. Midfileders Galway and McCaughey battled hard throughout, while McKillop and Doole were the main scoring threats and were well supported by McLoughney when coming off the bench.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Paddy McGrenaghan, Fintan McDonnell, Eoghan Donnelly, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Rory McCaughey, Ian Galway 0-3, Paul Doole 0-2, Seamus McKillop 1-3, Colin O'Neill, Brian Connolly, Ultan Power, Lorenzo McMullan 0-1, Seamus McLoughney, Peader Heffron.
Killeavy 0-8 Bredagh 8-9
Ulster League, Saturday April 15 - Bredagh got off to a great start in their campaign with an emphatic win over Armagh's Killeavy. Bredagh played superb hurling throughout the sixty minutes, excellent team play with the defensive unit conceding only one point from play while all six forwards making the scoresheet and the new midfield pairing of McCaughey and Galway reigning supreme in that department. Bredagh started smartly with McKillop finding the net from 30 yards, Killeavy hit back with 3 points before McMullan stroked a lovely point from an acute angle on the sideline. The move of the day was Cork-like in it's execution, starting in Bredagh's defence with McCollum winning the ball, passing to McKervey who moved it out to McGettrick, his long ball was picked up by Connolly on the right corner who crossed for Power on the square who made no mistake fronm close range. This gave Bredagh the confidence to build on their early start with Power netting for a second time before McMullan picked up a Galway pass in the left corner, rounded his man and headed for goal right booting the ball into the far corner of the net to stretch Bredagh's lead to 4 goals at half time. Although leading by 4 goals the teams were fairly evenly matched and Killeavy were in no way out of the game. They knocked over 2 points without reply but Galway cancelled these out and Connolly, McMullan, Power and Galway scored a goal a piece to kill the game off going into the final 10 minutes. Further points from Doole and O'Neill saw Bredagh run out easy winners on the night.
Overall this was a first class performance and unrecognisable from the previous two outings in the Ards. The team were again short eight of their squad but the whole team rose to the occassion and showed that they had the strength in depth to outclass their opponents. While it is hard to mention names in what was a total team effort, Rory Galway returning to goals kept another clean sheet, the new centre back, Fintan McDonnell - a native of Killeavy - played magnificiently with excellent support either side from Whyte and McGrenaghan. Probably Bredagh's best line was at half back with
McCollum in the centre winged by McKervey, along with McGettrick who
returning from injury, put on a man-of-the-match performance to which there was quite a few contenders. None more so than Ian Galway at centrefield who put on his best display in a Bredagh jersey so far this season and notched 1-4 to boot. He was well-supported by his fellow dual star Rory McCaughey while upfront McKillop led the attack superbly, helped by O'Neill and Doole. The full forward line were truely on song scoring 6-3 between them led by the finesse of McMullan and using Power's muscle to full advantage together
with the speed of Connolly on the wing they gave their opposite numbers a torrid time thoughout the hour. Young McMullan got a run out in the final ten minutes putting on a fine display at corner back.
Special thanks to Killeavy for a very sporting and competitive game
along with their post match hospitality which was very much appreciated.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Michael Whyte, Fintan McDonnell, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael McKervey, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Ian Galway 1-4, Rory McCaughey, Colin O'Neill 0-1, Seamus McKillop 1-0, Paul Doole 0-1, Brian Connolly 1-1, Ultan Power 3-0, Lorenzo McMullan 2-2, Michael Mullan, Ciaran Donnelly.
ULSTER SENIOR HURLING LEAGUE - this new competition was launched by the Ulster Council on Tuesday, April 4th. All games are at 6.30pm on Saturday evenings and we are in Division 3B. The top teams qualify for knock-out stages. There are a total of 55 clubs from all nine Ulster counties taking part. There are more details here on the Ulster Council website: http://ulster.gaa.ie/ulsterClubHurlingLeague.htm
Portaferry 1-14 Bredagh 1-1
League, Tuesday April 11th - missing nine squad players, Bredagh weren't looking forward to playing an Ards team that were undefeated so far this season, yet the city side started in a whirlwind fashion. Against a gale and sleeting rain they went 1-1 ahead through a Galway free and a well-struck goal from Eoghan Donnelly. The team battled brilliantly against the elements but Portaferry squared the match after twenty minutes with four unanswered points. In the final ten minutes of the half, the constant pressure started to tell with Portaferry rattling over 1-6 without reply. However, this could have been much worse if it was not for a number of point-blank saves from goalkeeper Mark Sidebottom. Others to shine in the first-half were Hughes, McLoughney and McKillop. Nine points adrift at half-time was not an unsurmountable task and Bredagh were confident with the gale advantage in the second half. But the comeback never materialised, and with the wind easing, Portaferry stayed on top. Bredagh failed to rise to the occasion and the contest was over within ten minutes of the restart.
Summary - Bredagh's start to the season couldn't have been tougher, drawing the three Ards teams (two away from home). And, with so many players missing due to injuries and work commitments, management were called upon to plug the gaps in the shape of Ciaran Donnelly at full-back and Rory Galway in goals when Bredagh suffered a double injury to Heron and McGrenaghan early in the second-half. Both Ciaran and Rory put on sterling performances in comparison to to many of the squad who simply did not perform on the night.
Panel & Scorers: Mark Sidebottom, Michael Mullan, Ciaran Donnelly, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael McKervey, Danny Hughes, Rory McCaughey, Seamus McKillop, Colin O'Neill, Paul Doole, Fergal McCamphill, Seamus McLoughney, Ian Galway 0-1, Lorenzo McMullan, Eoghan Donnelly 1-0, Rory Galway, Michael Whyte, Fintan McDonnell.
Ballycran 4-12 Bredagh 0-6
League, Tuesday April 4 - Bredagh came up against a very strong Ballycran side in their second League encounter. With the Ballycran boys calling off their Division 1 match due to take place on the same night, it meant they had the benefit of strengthening their Division 2 squad with Division 1 players and as a result were just too strong for the Bredagh outfit. That said, Bredagh didn't do themselves justice on the night with very few players meriting a mention as regards their performance. Fergal McCamphill stood out in the forward line with three points and was well-supported by Seamus McKillop and new recruit Colin Murray. In defence, Danny Hughes played his heart out and was supported by another strong performance from Rory McCaughey, especially in the second half.
Panel & Scorers: Jim Sheridan, Michael Whyte, Danny Hughes, Charlie Dillon, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Rory McCaughey, Michael Burke, Ian Galway 0-3 (2 frees), Seamus McLoughney, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Colin Murray, Brian Connolly, Seamus McKillop, Eoghan Donnelly, Ciaran Nixon, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael Mullan, Mark Devlin.
Bredagh 4-6 Ballygalget 2-8
League, Sunday March 26th - the 2006 League started with a win. The old saying that 'goals win matches' rang true as Bredagh came out on top in their first League outing at a wet and windy Cherryvale. Bredagh went into the game quietly confident after having taken three out of four points from the Ards men last year and with a stronger panel this year. All the indications pointed to a Bredagh victory. However they got a shock as the Ballygalget boys hadn't read the script and in hindsight any Ards team is a bit of an unknown quantity until you see them on the field. With wind advantage, Ballygalget started at a whirlwind pace and their corner forwards ran havoc, notching 1-3 without reply in the first ten minutes. Eoghan Donnelly, in a rare Bredagh attack, scored a goal from an acute angle to stem the tide and along with a couple of positional switches the Bredagh players started to get to grips with the pace. The second quarter was a more even affair with Donnelly completing a hat-trick with two well taken overhead flicks. McCamphill at centre half forward was the other main scoring threat for Bredagh scoring two points to close out the half with a three-point advantage to Bredagh. With the wind on their backs, Bredagh dominated the early exchanges with McCamphill adding a third point before Donnelly got his fourth goal with another deft flick. Nine points up and cruising, Bredagh should have closed the match out but the 'Galget men had other ideas as they lifted themselves in the last ten minutes scoring an unanswered 1-3 to leave a puck of the ball in it. Bredagh, smelling the danger, pushed forward with McDonnell's first-time pull sailing over the bar, Burke got another from distance before Sidebottom showed his craft of old by striking a point from a tight angle on the right to extend the margin to five. Bredagh held on to record a hard-fought victory.
Summary - Bredagh can really put this victory down to the goal-scoring abilities of Eoghan Donnelly who tormented the opposition's defence throughout and may have found his most effective position at corner forward. To be fair, Ballygalget over the 60 minutes probably deserved something out of it, but for those goals. Lorenzo McMullan had another great game in nets. He had no chance with the first goal and after blocking the second his defence should have cleared their lines but let Ballygalget in to score. The pick of the defence, apart from the ever reliable Danny Hughes, was last year's most improved player Rory McCaughey, who wasn't able to participate in pre-season matches due to University duties, though to the neutral observer you wouldn't have known as he put on a sterling display to snuff out the main Ballygalget threat when moved onto him midway through the first half. Charlie Dillon, when moved to the half back line, put on a fine performance in the second half. Burke worked tirelessly in midfield while up front Donnelly and McCamphill were well-supported by Doole and McLoughney.
Panel & Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Peader Heffron, Liam McCollum, Charlie Dillon, Mark Heron, Danny Hughes, Rory McCaughey, Ian Galway, Michael Burke 0-1, Paul Doole, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Seamus McLoughney, Eoghan Donnelly 4-0, Fintan McDonnell 0-1, Brian Connolly, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael Whyte, Michael McKervie, Ciaran Nixon, Mark Sidebottom 0-1, Michael Mullan.
St Galls 0-15 Bredagh 1-4
Challenge, Sunday March 5th - with the League starting on March 28th, this fourth challenge game of the year was organised against stiffer opposition. The match started off with both sides trading points but as the game settled down the Milltown men took command and finished the half with a five-point lead. Bredagh were missing half a dozen of their more senior players and that told in the second-half as St Gall's continued with constant pressure on the Bredagh defence and knocked over some excellent points before a Seamus McKillop piledriver hit the net to reduce the deficit. Ian Galway was as reliable as ever with his free-taking, scoring all Bredagh's points. In summary, St Gall's were too strong and Bredagh too weak for this to be a meaningful encounter for either side, and it emphasised the need for Bredagh to build a bigger panel if they hope to put it up to the likes of St Gall's in the future. Liam McCollum at centre half and to a lesser extent Seamus McKillop fought valiantly throughout the hour with good support from Stevie McGettrick in his new midfield position. The Man of the Match award must go to goalkeeper Lorenzo McMullan, who danced round the small square, pulling off one point-blank save after another. His confidence was obviously sky high when, in the final minutes, he had the audacity to head a goal bound sliothar over the bar, providing some light relief to what was overall a poor Bredagh display.
Panel and Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan 0-1 (own point), Michael Whyte, Ultan Power, Paddy McGrenaghan, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Brian Connolly, Ian Galway, Stevie McGettrick, Eoghan Donnelly, Seamus McKillop, Paul Boyle, Conor McKendry, Fintan McDonnell, Michael Mullan, Mark Devlin, Paul Doole.
Bredagh 1-9 Kilclief 3-8
Betsy Gray Cup, Sunday February 26th - Bredagh gave Division 1 side and current Betsy Gray Cup holders Kilclief the fright of their lives in a closely-fought match. The home side opened strongly and more than held their own against more experienced opponents in the first-half. A Danny Hughes goal from a speculative lob from midfield and a long-range point from the same player, together with three pointed frees from the stick of Ian Galway and an excellent Feargal McCamphill point from wide on the left, all ensured that Bredagh carried a one-point lead into the break. But for two Kilclief goals in that first-half, Bredagh could have been much further ahead. In the second-half, Kilclief played with the wind and went into a six-point lead through a rather fortunate goal and a few well-taken frees. Bredagh fought back to reduce the gap to four with scores from Galway (a free) and McKillop. In the last quarter, the South Belfast lads laid siege to the Kilclief goal, where their 'keeper pulled off three tremendous saves in quick succession. Paul Doole scored Bredagh’s final point to close the gap to three, but Kilclief replied with two further points to win by five. Bredagh’s best on the day were the excellent Danny Hughes at centre-half- back, well aided by Liam McCollum, Charlie Dillon and Stevie McGettrick in defence and Lorenzo McMullan who was again faultless in goals. Ian Galway had a fine game at midfield, while the pick of the forwards were Feargal McCamphill, Fintan McDonald and Paul Doole, who played a blinder when introduced mid-way through the second half. On this evidence, Bredagh can look forward with anticipation to the upcoming Division 2 campaign. If this form is carried through, Bredagh could meet Kilclief again in Division 1 in the near future.
Bredagh 6-11 Newry Shamrocks 1-4
Betsy Gray Cup, Sunday February 19th - Bredagh progressed to the Second round of the Betsy Gray Cup for the first time in their history with an emphatic win over South Down kingpins Newry Shamrocks. Playing with the breeze Bredagh started well with ex-Rossa and Antrim veterans Jim Sheridan and Rory Galway sharing 4-4 between them in the first fifteen minutes. Danny Hughes, not to be outdone, added 1-2 from centre-half-back to leave Newry reeling. Michael Burke was untouchable at midfield, Charlie Dillon and Michael Whyte were solid in the full-back line, and the point of the day was a beautiful sideline cut from Rory Galway, showing his silkier skills of old. With a 17-point lead at half-time, Bredagh eased up but were still in control with Connolly scoring exhibition points along with McDonnell recording his first point for Bredagh from a tight angle on the left wing. Young Player of the Year Eoghan Donnelly rounded off the rout with a well-taken goal.
Summary -this performance was in stark contrast to last week's defeat to Clonduff and although missing a number of key players, you wouldn't have noticed. The main plaudits must go to the more senior players - Galway, Sheridan and Hughes who along with Burke and Ian Galway in midfield were outstanding throughout the hour. Goalkeeper Lorenzo McMullan made a number of fine saves, with one rasping shot looking like a goal all the way before McMullan dived to his right to turn it round the post. Half-backs McGettrick and McGrenaghan denied their opponents space, while subs Michael Mullan, Ultan Power and Liam Quinn showed well.
Panel & Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Whyte, Charlie Dillon, Paddy McGrenaghan, Danny Hughes 1-2, Stevie McGettrick, Michael Burke 0-1, Ian Galway 0-1, Brian Connolly 0-2, Fintan McDonnell 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly 1-0, Rory Galway 2-2, Jim Sheridan 2-2, Paul Doole, Michael Mullan, Ultan Power, Liam Quinn, Mark Heron.
Bredagh 1-4 Clonduff 3-6
Challenge, Sunday February 12th - Bredagh hurlers suffered their first defeat of the season to a fit and skilful Clonduff side who were deserving winners. Due to a combination of flu and injuries, Bredagh fielded a depleted squad that simply wasn't good enough against the boys from Hilltown. The 'Duff started the better and had registered two goals before Bredagh settled into the game. Bredagh's defence was under constant pressure in the first half and only for a valiant display by centre-half Danny Hughes and full-backs Dillon and Whyte, they could have been much further behind than the recorded six points at half-time. Bredagh's only score was an Ian Galway long range free. Bredagh held their own in the third quarter with Brian Connolly shooting two excellent points and a further 65 from Galway to close the gap to two points. However Clonduff's superior play saw them put daylight between the sides, scoring 1-3 in a five-minute spell midway through the half. Top scorer Brian Connolly registered a consolation goal before the final whistle but it was too little too late as Clonduff ran out easy winners.
Summary - this was a timely wake-up call for Bredagh ahead of their first competitive match of the season against Newry. Goalkeeper Lorenzo McMullan made a number of fine saves and was well-supported by Paddy McGrenaghan, Eoghan Donnelly and minor Rowen Smart who received a late call-up to the senior team and put on a sterling performance at left-half back. Seamus McKillop worked tirelessly in midfield while up front Michael Mullan, Fintan McDonnell, Rory Galway at full-forward and Brian Connolly were the pick of the forwards. The main lesson for management is the need to build a bigger squad as cover when the reality of injuries and absences rear their head. That said, the fifteen players who took to the field gave of their best and hopefully with a number of players returning next week they can progress in the Betsy Gray.
Panel & Scorers: Lorenzo McMullan, Paddy McGrenaghan, Charlie Dillon, Michael Whyte, Eoghan Donnelly, Danny Hughes, Rowen Smart, Seamus McLoughney, Seamus McKillop, Peter Mulligan, Fergal McCamphill, Brian Connolly 1-2, Michael Mullan, Rory Galway, Fintan McDonnell, Ian Galway 0-2, Jim Sheridan.
Bredagh 2-13 St Enda's 3-6
Challenge, Sunday January 29th - Bredagh moved up a gear when they took on Antrim Division 2 side St Enda's and recovered from a sluggish start to win the contest. St Enda's struck two goals in quick succession midway through the half to lead by nine points. Connolly, McLoughney and Galway (2) reduced the gap to six at the break. The midfield pairing of O'Neill and McLoughney took control in the second-half, with the latter notching up four points. Injuries to O'Neill, McMullan, Heron, McCaughey and Doole meant that all of the substitutes were used and one of them, Paddy McGrenaghan, put on a storming performance at corner-back. The injuries seemed to galvinise the whole team and they showed great grit and determination to level the game with ten minutes remaining. A 'poacher's' goal from McCamphill started the comeback followed by the best point of the game, struck from wide out on the left by young Paul Doole. The closing exchanges were fiercely competitive but it was Connolly who broke the deadlock by bursting through two tackles to bury the sliothar in the corner of the net. Man of the Match McLoughney added a point. GREAT COMEBACK - the most pleasing aspect of this victory was the never-say-die attitude displayed by Bredagh. It was their determination not to be beaten that saw them come from an eight-point deficit to record a four-point victory. Defensively Bredagh had a very shaky start but they curtailed an Enda's lively forward line to only two points in the second-half thanks to sterling work from Dillon and McGrenaghan in the full-back line while centre-half McCollum put on an excellent performance, ably assisted by wing-halfs Stevie McGettrick and Mark Heron. The midfield of O'Neill and McLoughney were the launch pad for Bredagh's comeback and up front McCamphill and McKillop demonstrated their leadership qualities when the chips were down and were well-supported by Ultan Power and young Michael Mullan when coming on as subs as well as the accurate free-taking of Ian Galway.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Michael Whyte, Danny Hughes, Charlie Dillon, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Seamus McLoughney 0-5, Colin O'Neill, Ian Galway 0-3, Seamus McKillop 0-3, Paul Doole 0-1, Brian Connolly 1-1, Fergal McCamphill 1-0, Eoghan Donnelly, Lorenzo McMullan, Ultan Power, Paddy McGrenaghan, Michael Mullan, Ultan Power, Rory McCaughey.
Bredagh 2-10 St Teresa's 1-3
Challenge, Sunday January 22nd - Bredagh started 2006 with a comfortable win against Antrim junior champions St Theresa's at Cherryvale. St Theresa's settled first and were two points up within the first five minutes but Bredagh soon got into their stride and points from McCamphill, Connolly and McKillop saw them edge in front. As the half wore on the West Belfast side were guilty of a number of easy misses which were punished by a well-worked goal by Ian Galway when put through by Eoghan Donnelly. A further pointed free by Galway saw Bredagh leading at half-time by 1-4 to 0-2. Second-half: St Theresa's started the stronger by scoring an early point before O'Neill goalled for Bredagh somewhat against the run of play. This score signalled a confidence in Bredagh's performance and they dominated the rest of the period with two points each from Galway and McCamphill and another one from Connolly. St Theresa's pulled a goal back late on before Bredagh's McAfee landed a great long range effort before the final whistle.
Summary: this was a good work-out for the Bredagh boys and demonstrated that the winter training had paid off against a 'rusty' St Theresa's outfit. Danny Hughes in his new role at full-back gave a rock-like performance, ably-assisted by Charlie Dillon. Some of the best hurling on show was provided by Queen's student Michael Whyte who gave a man of the Match performance at right-corner-back. New signings Mark Heron and Michael Burke look like useful additions to the panel with the old stalwarts of McKillop and McCamphill showing that there's plenty of hurling left in them yet. Minors Doole and Donnelly worked hard in their wing-forward positions linking up well with Ian Galway who scored heavily when moved from midfield to full-forward. An additional period of twenty minutes was played to allow the full panel of 22 to get a game.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Charlie Dillon, Danny Hughes, Michael Whyte, Mark Heron, Liam McCollum, Stevie McGettrick, Michael Burke, Ian Galway 1-3, Paul Doole, Seamus McKillop 0-1, Eoghan Donnelly, Brian Connolly 0-2, Fergal McCamphill 0-3, Colin O'Neill 1-0, Fintan McDonnell, Paddy McGrenaghan, Aiden O'Neill, Matthew McAfee 0-1, Michael Mullan, Mark Devlin, Ultan Power.
Last game of 2005
Challenge, Sunday December 18 - Queens 3-6 Bredagh 4-7. Bredagh senior hurlers rounded off 2005 with an excellent win against Queens University at the Dub.
This was Bredagh's seventh victory in-a-row, made all the more rewarding by the fact that Bredagh fielded with eight players under the age of 20. In fact, all of Bredagh's scores (bar one) was recorded by this youthful crop, which augurs well for the 2006 season.
The two Pauls, Doole and Kelly in midfield, matched a strong Queens pair with young Doole edging the Man of the Match award after recording a very respectable 1-2. Up front Ian Galway always looked dangerous on the ball with young Mullan proving a constant menace to the Queen's defence, ably supported by McAfee when coming on as a sub. The younger squad members saw plenty of the ball which was due in no small measure to the ball winning abilities of their more senior colleagues McMullan, McCamphill, Connolly and Power.
This victory sets the team up nicely for the incoming season where management feel that a league and championship double is not out of their reach.
Panel & Scorers: Rory Galway, Colin O'Neill, Michael Whyte, Stevie McGettrick, Seamus McKillop, Eoghan Donnelly, Paul Doole 1-2, Paul Kelly, Ian Galway 1-3, Fergal McCamphill, Lorenzo McMullan, Michael Mullan 1-1, Ultan Power, Brian Connolly 1-0, Mark Devlin, Matthew McAfee 0-1.
Registered Players
(Hurling & Football) - 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, 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, Brendan McAnespy, Henry Deazley, Emmett Mullally, Conor Owens, Peadar Heffron, Rory McCaughey, Paul McGlade, Kevin Bradley, John O'Connor, Colin O'Neill, Shane Matthews, Michael Harte, Kevin Harte, Henry McDonald, Jonny Cleary, Conal Toland, Ryan McGaughey, Brian McKenna, Donncha Hanrahan, Peter Moriarty, Peter Johnson, Mark Sidebottom.
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Ulster League: Bredagh 3-11 2-12 Carrickmore
Antrim HL Div 4A: St Enda's 4-06 1-20 Bredagh
IHC Semi Final: Bredagh 2-12 1-11 Ballela
ACHL Div 1: Newry Shamrocks 1-9 3-11 Bredagh
Antrim League: St Gall's 1-04 4-16 Bredagh
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 4-10 1-09 Warrenpoint
ACHL Div 1: Ballycran 4-09 2-06 Bredagh
ACHL Div 1: Ballygalget 4-12 1-11 Bredagh
Ulster League Div 5: Bredagh 1 -03 0-12 Craobh Rua, Camlough
Ulster League: Bredagh IIs 4-08 4-06 Castlewellan
Junior Hurling Friendly - Bredagh 2-09 1-10 Clonduff
Hurlers win Antrim League
Antrim HL Div 4: Bredagh 3-20 2-07 Sarsfields IIs
All Ireland 7s
Antrim Div 4: St Brigid's 0-05 2-19 Bredagh
Antrim HL Div 4: Bredagh 5-21 1-04 Larne
Antrim HL Div 4: Creggan 3-03 2-17 Bredagh
IHC Q/F: Bredagh 1-08 3-10 Portaferry
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 1-08 1-15 Portaferry
Antrim HL Div 4: Bredagh 1-11 0-06 Davitts
Antrim Div 4B: Sarsfield's IIs 1-03 3-26 Bredagh
ACHL Div 1: Liatroim 4-13 1-05 Bredagh
ACHL Div 1 - Bredagh 4-13 2-02 Ballela
UHL Div 3 Q/F: Cuchullian's, Armagh 2-16 0-07Bredagh
UHL: Shane O'Neill's 0-15 6-05 Bredagh
Bredagh hurlers march on with wins in Antrim and Down
Antrim HL Div 4: Larne 3-07 6-20 Bredagh
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 1-08 4-09 Ballygalget
UHL Div 3: Bredagh 2-14 2-09 Castleblaney
Antrim HL Div 4: McDermott's 1-05 2-08 Bredagh
ACHL Div 1: Bredagh 1-12 3-17 Ballycran
Antrim ACHL Div 4B: Bredagh 1-17 0-08 Creggan
ACHL Div 1: Ballela 4-12 2-14 Bredagh
Ulster League Div 3: St Enda's 2-05 0-11 Bredagh
Ballygalget match photographs
Challenge match: Bredagh 3-20 0-06 Ballygalget
Challenge match: Bredagh 3-06 2-02 St Agnes's
Betsy Gray Sheild: Bredagh 4-12 1-05 Kilclief
Betsy Gray quater-final
Ultan makes Inter-County debut!
Action from the Ulster JHC semi final v Setanta
Ulster JHC S/F Replay: Setanta 0-12 1-05 Bredagh
Ulster JHC Semi Final: Setanta (Donegal) 2-06 0-12 Bredagh
Ulster JHC Q/F: Mullahoran (Cavan) 0-07 2-10 Bredagh (Down)
Antrim League Div 3: St Teresa's 6-12 4-14 Bredagh
Ulster Championship
More photos from the JHC Final
Photographs from the final.
Bredagh hurlers crowned Down champions for the first time!
Antrim Div 3: Bredagh 8-16 3-07 Larne
JHC semi-final: Bredagh 2-10 0-07 Ballela
ACHL Div 2: Bredagh 4-10 Ballygalget 3-10
JHC Q/F: Bredagh 4-18 0-03 Castlewellan
ACHL Div 2: Ballygalget 1-06 Bredagh 1-13
ACHL Div 2: Clonduff 0-03 7-13 Bredagh
ACHL Div 2: Warrenpoint 0-08 3-09 Bredagh
ACHL Div 2: Warrenpoint 0-08 3-09 Bredagh
ACHL Div 2: Bredagh 6-10 Ballycran 4-06
Bredagh 2.12 O'Mitchell Og 1.5
Down Div 2: Ballyvarley 1-11 2-14 Bredagh
UHL Div 3: Eoghan Roes 6-17 Bredagh 2-07
Down Div 2: Bredagh 2-13 0-04 Portaferry
UHL Div 3: Bredagh 0-10 2-19 Setanta
Down Div 2: Bredagh 4-17 Castlewellan 0-2
Antrim Div 3: St Enda's 6-16 Bredagh 1-07
UHL Div 3: Bredagh 2-04 1-13 Tir Na Nog
Down Div 2: Bredagh 4-10 1-00 Clonduff
Portaferry 1-08 Bredagh 2-12
Bredagh 3-09 Warrenpoint 0-05
Ballycran 2-09 Bredagh 0-12
Senior Hurling notifications
Strabane 1-06 Bredagh 2-19
Ulster hurling league
Senior Hurling challenge
Down Final
The Parador
Report from Clones
Pictures from Clones
Quotes from Clones
New Jerseys
Justin McCarthy
Down JHC Semi
Justin McCarthy Visit
Finals Time
Ballygalget 5-10 Bredagh 2-7
Bredagh 0-11 Newry 2-8
Bredagh 5-6 Rasharkin 1-10
Bredagh 3-12 Shamrocks 1-14
Bredagh 1-15 Aodh Ruadh 1-7
Clonduff 1-11 Bredagh 1-6
Quarter-Final Draw
Ballyvarley 0-12 Bredagh 1-7
Warrenpoint 1-3 Bredagh 3-8
Naomh Colmcille 1-8 Bredagh 2-7
Fixtures & Results
Shamrocks 2-11 Bredagh 3-6
Bredagh 3-22 Truagh 1-2
Team Picture
Bredagh 6-7 Ballycran 2-11
Bredagh 3-7 Clonduff 2-9
Bredagh 2-15 Four Masters 2-5
Ballygalget 3-4 Bredagh 2-5
Monaghan Harps 2-10 Bredagh 1-17
Bredagh 2-12 Ballyvarley 2-4
Bredagh 1-9 Warrenpoint 1-2
Killeavy 0-8 Bredagh 8-9
Portaferry 1-14 Bredagh 1-1
Ballycran 4-12 Bredagh 0-6
Bredagh 4-6 Ballygalget 2-8
St Galls 0-15 Bredagh 1-4
Bredagh 1-9 Kilclief 3-8
Bredagh 6-11 Newry Shamrocks 1-4
Bredagh 1-4 Clonduff 3-6
Bredagh 2-13 St Enda's 3-6
Bredagh 2-10 St Teresa's 1-3
Last game of 2005
Registered Players
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