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Ladies Intermediate Football
Ladies Intermediate Championship 2nd September 2007 at Castlewellan.
Bredagh lost narrowly to Bright last weekend in the first round of the Intermediate Championship but with some fine performances Bredagh had nothing to be unhappy with.
With a stiff wind at their backs Bright started the game quickly racing into a three-point lead after 10mins but Bredagh fought back with points from Eimear Franey, Maeliosa Hardy and Clare Bryne. With four regular Intermediate Players on holidays Bredagh had to a new pairing in midfield of Ciara and Polly Moane who throughout the game ran their hearts out and played some fine balls into the forward line. Indeed with Bright having a more physical presence in midfield the Bredagh girls matched them for stamina and attacked and defended throughout the game. The first half ended in a 4pts each in which it must be said that both defences where on top with Bredagh’s probably edging it.
In fact the Bredagh defensive unit of Rosin Dooher (in goals was outstanding) a solid full back line of Jamie Willigan, Ciara McArdle (A Rock) and Amy Cunningham. The two corner backs kept Bright’s dangerous corner forwards quiet all day and with Ciara in the middle sweeping up all lose ball Bredagh ruled the roost in that department.
The half back line also outstanding of Rosie McVeigh, Joanne Corrigan/Siobhan McCarney and Suzy Irvine worked hard and where the spring board for all Bredagh’s attacks. Joanne had to be replaced by Siobhan 25mins into the first half after going over on her ankle. Suzy in particular had another outstanding performance at half back as she has done consistently throughout the year.
Halftime score Bredagh 0-4 Bright 0-4
For the first ten minutes of the 2nd half Bredagh never seemed to have come out of the blocks and Bright move into a five point lead with some fine long range scores. However Bredagh switched Eimear to half forward and with her aggressive runs started to win more breaking ball and score a fine individual point. Bredagh’s chances were given a boost when a Bright player was sin binned for ten minutes but in that period Bredagh were unable to take advantage and only score 2pts to Bright's 1pt. Unfortunatley a Bredagh player 15mins into the 2nd half was also sin binned. Throughout the half forward line worked hard but it was not to be their day. Clare Bryne, Niamh Costigan worked hard and Cassie Moane showed time after time for the ball and is sure to make a bigger impact on the Intermediate/Senior scene next year. The full forward line just didn’t get enough quality ball and with Grainne O’Connell and Maeliosa Hardy in each corner battling hard, Eimear Franey at full forward pointed some fine scores.
The deficit was reduced to two points with five minutes to go but Bredagh could not find that winning touch. Indeed Bredagh had the opportunities to snatch a draw possibly a win but it was just not meant to be.
Final Score Bredagh 0-8 Bright 0-10.
Overall Bredagh played well as a team and with some fine displays by our defensive unit but in some individual battles Bredagh could not match Bright for Championship Intensity. Thanks to all the subs that throughout the game gave their support to the colleagues on the field and to those subs that came on, although disappointed they didn’t start gave their utmost when called upon.
It was disappointing that some Intermediate players could not make the game and with the unavailability/lack of underage players making themselves available this year is something for Bredagh to work on next year.
Stats: Bredagh kicked 10 wides, missed three 21 yard frees, won possession back from Bright on 20 occasions.
Team: Rosin Dooher, Jamie Willigan, Cera McArdle, Amy Cunningham, Rosie McVeigh, Joanne Corrigan, Suzy Irvine, Polly Moane, Ciara Moane (0-1), Clare Bryne (0-1), Niamh Costigan, Cassie Moane, Grainne O’Connell, Eimear Franey (0-4), Maeliosa Hardy (0-2)
Subs: Siobhan McCarney for Joanne Corrigan, Laura Willigan for Grainne O’Connell, Katie O’Rourke for Niamh Costigan and Lorraine McCaffery for Clare Bryne
Remaining subs: Enya McCafferty, Maeve McGourty Sarah McGourty
Special thanks from Paddy to Emma Mulhern who assisted with subs etc during the game it were much appreciated. Also support from Paul O’Reilly and Michael Moane.
Championship 1st Round
Bredagh Belles will take on Bright in the 1st Round of the Championship this Sunday @ C'Wellan GAC. Throw in is @ 3pm and after a tough and close ecounter in a league game in recent weeks it should prove to be an exciting match. All support would be greatly welcomed!
Match Saturday 30th June
Match away to Burren is going to go ahead after all so the girls that are available to play intermediate will be meeting at 5.30pm c'vale looking to get away no later than 5.45pm!
Also make sure to let paddy know if you are unavailable as numbers are going to be tight!
Bredagh vs Auglisnafin (6-17 to 1-5) away.
It was one week on from the Bredagh girl’s fantastic victory over their arch rivals Carryduff. With moral high in the camp every girl had high expectations for this game and were determined to build on their performances from last week. With the smell of the 2007 championship title present in the club, the Bredagh girls were determined to put in yet another great performance.
Although it was a slow start, it was the experienced heads of Bredagh that were first to register on the scoreboard. With Nicole in nets there were never going to be any problems. The “Willies” coupled with Cera were their normal class selves, bringing security and assurance to the rest of the team. Our strong and speedy half back line were in top form, with Suzie, Joanne and Rosie helping to clear the ball out of the danger zones. The confidence of young (well some people would say young) Rosie, saw her come forward to score a cracking goal from 30metres dilberatly placing the ball in the bottom left hand corner. Clearly pleased with herself she jogged back with a smile on her face to take her position at wing half back, where she kept her player well out of the play.
The Bredagh girls kept in front comfortably throughout the game with some classy scores from all of the forwards - Ciara G with her first outing in years at forward produced a fine display of movement and passing, also scoring a great point and Grainne as always score her usual goal with a well taken point to boot. Maeliosa’s glorying brought her a tally of 2-1 with one of the goals showing her versatility and the reason why Paddy keeps our soccer skills up to speed on a Saturday morning. Niamh was very steady at centre half forward putting in her best performance yet. She was supported by the Moane troops (all 3 that is) who scored a tally of 2-6 between them.
Our midfielders were in fine form yet again – wee Aisling winning balls left right and centre, and with Ginger Spice to help her the forwards were bound to get plenty of ball their way. Unfotunately two of Bredagh’s stars picked up injuries during the game, although with the quality of the sub bench, Paddy had no fears in bringing on their replacements – Siobhan and Polly. The forementioned Siobhan “Chipper” McCarney was such a great threat that the Finn proceeded to double mark her with two 10 years olds at least 5ft in height combined. Siobhan asked the bench what to do, Paddy’s relpy was whatever you do don’t go near them as they look a handful.
Bredagh showed fine spirit in the second half playing with even more hunger than the first. These girls were out to prove a point to all the teams in their league. Claire Byrne came on in the second half and proved that the “give and go” formula was the one that was working for the team. Eimear produced a fine display when she was introduced to the team scoring four points from play two of which were oustanding long range efforts.
Overall it was a great performance from every member of this winning side. The Bredagh girls are determined to keep their winning spree going and play the class football that all the players, management and supporters know they can. There’s just over a month now to prepare for the championship and with their eyes on the cup, hopefully there will be many more nights like tonight.
Team: Nicole O’Connor, Laura Willigan, Cera McArdle, Jamie Willigan, Suzy Irvine, Joanne Corrigan, Rosie McVeigh 1-0, Amy Cunningham (Ginger Spice), Aisling McCloskey, Niamh Costagan 0-3, Cassie Moane 0-1, Ciara Moane 1-4, Ciara Gallagher 0-1, Maeliosa Hardy 2-1, Grainne O’Connell 1-1, Subs: Siobhan McCarney for Joanne Corrigon, Eimear Stewart 0-4 for Aisling McCloskey, Polly Moane 1-1 for Amy Cunningham, Clare Bryne (0-1) for Cassie Moane.
Match Report by: Ciara Moane, reviewed by Paddy but speak to Ciara on the some of the country lingo.
Ladies Refereeing Course
A ladies referees course for all is being held on Wedensday 20th June in Castlewellen Gaelic Club @ 8pm sharp if anyone is interested.
Bredagh 4-13 Carryduff 1-5
When Bredagh meets Carryduff championship intensity never fails to materialize. With this encounter it was the strong Bredagh side who emerged triumphant. The forwards took on the challenge and were in top form with scores being spread equally along them all. The corner forwards of Róisín and Grainne showed intelligence and alertness in their clever positioning which resulted in Grainne powering into the net a fantastic goal much down to the quick moving on of the ball. This efficient movement of the ball is what failed us in previous matches but the swift and accurate passing between all the forwards made them impossible to stop once momentum got going. Cassie Moane at half forward did not fail to impress yet again with her confidence shining through. Her maturity and ability to read is far beyond her age and as the youngest on the team she has an exciting future for Bredagh. As usual her catching in the air and carrying of the ball was immense and resulted in a goal and a point as well as being an essential playmaker. Maeliosa started in full forward but her pace and stamina allowed her to come away from the goal as she proved again and again she could cope with any position. Her tackling was one of the key factors in keeping the ball in Carryduff’s half and her quick movement and intelligent passing was the basis of many points. Clare Byrne was on top form and racked up the points taking some tremendous frees. Her carrying of the ball was great but it was her hand passing and the iniative to run on for the return that proved to be the combination to succeed.
The middle of the park was again a pillar of strength for the Bredagh side. Grainne got all the breaking ball and she made every ball her own. With Aisling at her side it was a pair that any midfield would have bother with. Again and again they fought with the marker for the ball and won.
The backs again were strong and reliable. The halfbacks of Suzy, Amy and Rosie were immense and fought hard especially when Carryduff made their attacks. Although her preference is in half back Jamie was fantastic in corner back. Her speed to the ball and physical presence coupled with her ability to kick on her left foot saved Bredagh time and time again. Cera showed her experience in full back and her tight marking and tackling has to be commended. As Cera was forced out field by a roving marker it was Laura who fell into her old role as full back. Nicole O’Connor in nets was amazing. Her young age cannot be believed with her relaxed and mature handling of the ball. She has been our saviour in nets in previous games and was once again. Powerful shots were easily handled and her kick outs were again precise.
Every sub made in this match played with the same passion as any starting player. Emer in only her second match for Bredagh showed intelligence and superb skill and knocked up a goal and two points. It is only with confidence and experience that a player can make so much of their first touch in a way that Lorraine did as she managed to score two points from those almost impossible angles that only Lorraine manages to find herself in. Ciara Moane kept the scoring momentum going with her three points. Ciara’s carrying and movement of the ball was perfect as she is one of those players whose confidence shines through and makes her play seem so easy. Siobhan and Polly when they came on performed how we know they can. Their handling of the ball is safe and their ability to pick out passes is second to none.
Bredagh had a fantastic game and it was the going of the team and the ability to play for the badge that saw Bredagh sail through. However it is this team spirit of never giving up and playing with such intensity throughout that always will emerge with Carryduff that Bredagh need to be able to find in other matches in order to step up their game in time for championship. Final score; Bredagh 4:13 Carryduff 1:05
Team: Nicole O’ Connor, Laura Willighan. Cera McArdle, Jamie Willighan, Suzy Irvine, Amy Cunningham, Rosie McVeigh, Grainne Hughes (0-1), Asling McCloskey, Niambh Costigan, Clare Byrne (0-5), Cassie Moane (1-1), Grainne O’Connell (1-0), Maeliosa Hardy (1-1), Roisin Dooher (0-1). Subs, Emer Frainey (1-1), Siobhan McCarney, Polly Moane, Lorraine McCaffrey (0-2), Ciara Moane (0-2), Joanne Corrigan
Manager: Paddy Finnegan
Bredagh 3-12 Tullylish 0-5
Bredagh Ladies recorded a third league victory away to Tullylish on Saturday past. This match was going to be a tough encounter given the results of the league & championship fixtures last year. In the 2006 league Bredagh Intermediates campaign beat Tullylish quite convincingly but Tullylish got their revenge by winning the first round of the championship!
The team was re-shuffled in order for Bredagh to get back to winning ways, which meant intermediate debuts for Una McKay at number 11, scoring 0-2 and Emmer Franey at full forward scoring 2-2.
Claire Byrne started the scoring with a well-taken point the first of 5 to come throughout the evening along with a well-placed goal. During the game Bredagh had 90% possession particularly in the first half on which Bredagh should have been well out of sight. Once again the shooting let the side down with 20 wides over the 60 minutes, more shooting practice will be needed if we are to continue on are winning ways.
The keeper & full back line didn’t have a big lot to do on this occasion, but when called upon they all played well as a unit, Cera & Nicole making outstanding saves on the goal line on a couple of occasions. And with the ever capable Laura and Jamie Willigan in the corners proved to be a real solid defensive line. The half back line worked hard too with again fine performance’s from Suzy & Polly stopping the ball at every opportunity and moving it forward to the safety zone. Centre half back Siobhán also had a steady game but kept picking out 3 great passes to HERSELF a kick pass, a hand pass and even a basket ball bounce…. talk about hogging the ball Siobhán!
Midfield duo Ashleigh & Grainne were outstanding to say the least they were paired with two tall, strong Tullylish ladies they battled for every ball and won the majority.
The forward unit worked well together, half forward Ciara scored 0-2, Una scored 0-2 and as mentioned Claire got 1-5. This line proved to be the start of most good forward play resulting in some fine scores. As Bredagh always do the ball in the forward unit was moved at speed most of the time with great fast hand passing which did result in numerous goal chances created, of which three were converted.
The full forward line of Maeliosa (0:2) & Emmer (2:2) complimented each other finding space, great passes and good scores assisted by the ever capable Cassie Moane. Changes were made in the second half with subs coming on and producing good displays, which will make the manager’s job even harder for our next game against the Duff this Saturday.
Some of the team play on the field was outstanding, first time football that’s what it’s all about! The team played with passion for the BREDAGH badge something that was missing from the last few matches! Lets keep it going girls carryduff at home ladies…do I need to say anymore!
Thanks to Lorraine McCaffery for assisting Paddy on the night.
Team
Nicole O’Connor, Jamie Willigan (replaced by Ciara Gallagher), Cera McArdle, Laura Willigan, Polly Moane, Siobhán McCarney, Suzy Irvine (replaced by Rosie McVeigh), Grainne Hughes, Ashleigh McCluskey, Claire Byrne (replaced by Amy Cunningham), Una McKay (replaced by Niamh Costigan), Ciara Moane, Cassie Moane (replaced by Roisin Dooher), Maeliosa Hardy, Emmer Franey, Grainne O’Connell.
Bredagh 0-3 Bright 3-3
Playing away at Bight’s new pitch Bredagh had a stern task ahead of them, as the Bright outfit doing well this year thanks to new management, but in the first half Bredagh played with commitment and passion which they had showed a week earlier at home to the league leaders Burren.
With Grainne O’Connell hitting two fine frees following fouls on her and Cassie Moane again on the score sheet with a fine long-range point Bredagh kept in touch with Bright. Joanne Corrigan again brilliant at centre half kept the Bright forwards under pressure throughout the game. Indeed the defence working as a compact unit kept Bright very quiet and only for a lucky goal 20mins into the first half Bredagh would have went in at the break on level pegging. Paddy Finnegan keeping in touch with Cillian Short via phone until he arrive 20mins into the first half, was delighted with the way Bredagh had performed. Special mention must be given to our under 16’s who turned up on short notice Cathy Short, Maeve Hollywood and Enya McCafferty and equipped themselves superbly.
Halftime score Bredagh 0-3 Bright 1-3
The 2nd half Bredagh never seemed to come out of the blocks and with some strange referring which saw a lot of decisions going the home team’s way Bredagh never regain the performance levels of the first half. Unfortunately one decision resulted in a Bredagh Belle getting a yellow card and 10mins in the sin bin. Bredagh however fought all the way but for some poor finishing could have been much closer to Bright. Praise must be given to two players who went through the pain barrier to continue through this half. Firstly Joanne Corrigan as following badly staving her fingers was brilliant at centre half, also Nicole O’Connor are goalie as she collided with the post following a fine save, she went off for 5mins and then came back in.
Overall Bredagh played well as a team in the first half but did not have the same intensity in the 2nd and based on this performance it must make Bright clear favourites to win the Championship tie in July.
Team: Nicole O’Connor, Jamie Willigan, Laura Willigan, Cera McArdle, Cathy Short, Joanne Corrigan, Suzy Irvine, Amy Cunningham, Ashling McCloskey, Enya McCafferty, Rosie Watson, Niamh Costigan Maeve Hollywood, Cassie Moane (0-1), Grainne O’Connell (0-2), Rosin Dooher.
Subs: Amy Cunningham for Maeve Hollywood.
Special thanks to Cillian Short and Paul O’Reilly for stepping into the management role for the first half due to Paddy’s commitment to the Senior Men’s Reserve match at Cherryvale.
Match Announcement
Intermediate ladies play away to Bright this Saturday 19th May.
Meeting at C'vale 5.30pm.
Bredagh 1-10 Newry Shamrocks 3-7
Playing away from home the pressure was on to get a result against Shamrocks.
Following a walk through the building site that is Park Esler we arrived at a narrow and hard pitch behind the main stand, a pitch that suited the home side.
The first half started with Shamrocks taking the lead with a quick goal and fast play. As the Bredagh girls began to wake up the game began to flow, with good interplay between the midfield and the forward lines. With quick hand passing and good communication the Bredagh forwards began putting scores n the board with Clare Byrne scoring 5 points and Cassie Moane getting herself on the scoreboard again with a point. Not only did Cassie get on the score board a she also get her name in the ref’s book for an elbow which Maeliosa Hardy did!!! Not only did the Bredagh girls have pressure on the pitch they were also getting verbals from the Newry bench.
Once again Polly Moane played a blinder whilst being ruthless targeted throughout the game with some under hand tactics, scoring 1-1. Defence had to work hard as the Shamrocks kept coming. With great work rate from all the defenders Bredagh were able to keep them at bay. With great interceptions from the Willigan sisters and Maeliosa Hardy even when carrying an injury.
The second half Bredagh began to fall asleep. With the intensity of the game increasing and the Shamrocks playing rough the Bredagh girls kept calm and kept playing the football. With great team work the Bredagh girls put more scored on the board through free kicks and good play from the defence. With tempers running high and not long to go the Bredagh girls never give up, changes were made and let’s just say the more experienced girls came on!! At one point Siobhan McCarney could be seen holding hands with her marker, asked about this after the game Siobhan commented that her marker told her that is how “we tackle in Newry” just before McCarney shrugged her off.
Grainne O’Connell must be mentioned as the veteran forward scored the point of the game after rounding her marker she popped the ball over the bar from a narrow angle.
The final whistle went and the girls had been defeated by 3 points. The ref tried his best but with the abuse from Shamrocks manager made his job very difficult.
Overall Bredagh played well as a team and did not sink to the level of their opponents. All we can say is bring home the return tie in Cherryvale!!
Paddy the Manager did say that in order for us to progress we must become more aggressive in our tackling and all round play.
Team: Nicole O’Connor, Amy Cunningham, Laura Willigan, Cera McArdle, Jamie Willigan, Rosie McVeigh, Maeliosa Hardy, Suzy Irvine, Polly Moane (1-1), Ashling McCloskey, Ciara Moane (0-1), Clare Byrne (0-5), Cassie Moane (0-2), Grainne O’Connell (0-1), Katie Campbell.
Subs: Joanne Corrigan for Ciara Moane, Lorraine McCaffery for Grainne O’Connell and Siobhan McCarney for Laura Willigan.
Thanks to everyone who participated and supported us on the night.
Bredagh 6-04 Aughlisnafinn 0-4
Bredagh playing at Cherryvale got their second win of the season with a comprehensive win over Aughlisnafinn last Saturday. The game turned into a real goal fest for the home side.
Experience was at the fore front of this win with Grainne O’Connell and Roisin Dooher leading the way with fine scoring. It was started with a great move which began following the midfield pairing of Grainne Hughes and Ashling McCloskey winning the opposition kick out then off loading to Captain Clare Byrne who played a great high ball to Dooher who palmed it down to the on rushing O’Connell who calmly passed the ball low into the back of the net. Then Roisin had to responsd to her full forward colleague as she palmed the ball to the net following a long ball played in by Suzy Irvine after 15mins. Suzy ran well and showed all night as an outlet from defence, she had a number of shots for points but all just going narrowly wide.
Unfortunately Ashling suffering from a hip injury was taken off 10mins into the game and her replacement Polly Moane was superb from then on with great battling and fine running with the ball putting fear into the Finn’s back line. This strong running ended in two occasions with two well taken goals one from 10m in the first half. Talking about running and strong play Clare Byrne was brilliant all night and as Captain for the season led by example throughout providing lots of good ball to the full forward line and always an outlet to other Bredagh players under pressure. Cassie Moane again had a fine game scoring two points and off loading ball under pressure all the time and at this early stage must be a contender for young player of the year. The Finn with their blanket defence had no answers to Bredagh’s off the ball running and quick passing which resulted in more goals (six) scored than points on the night.
The second half the Finn came more into the game scoring three of their four points but Bredagh again proved too strong and following a well worked moved starting with the evergreen Cera McArdle at half back passed to on running Rosie “Tackler” McVeigh then to Suzy Irvine the final pass to Katie Campbell and Katie from the 14 yard line drove a low diagonal ball along the ground into the bottom left corner of the net. Then Lorraine McCaffery not to be out done and only 5mins on the field received a 40yard cross-field ball from Katie to finish to the net with a fine looping shot. The full back line also got into attack as Jamie and Laura Willigan again outstanding snuffed out nearly all the Finn’s attacks and with the experience of Ciara Gallagher who at one stage was playing midfield lead the way all night. Although Paddy Finnegan manager of the team did had a word with Ciara on her attacking prowess and Ciara response “I was always a forward”.
Amy Cunningham at left halfback had a great game marking the Finn’s most dangerous player. But all the team will be asking what colour Amy’s hair will be next week, I’m betting blonde, bets now being taken.
Maeliosa Hardy came on in the second half and had a steady came at centre half back and with Ciara Moane coming off the bench to beef up the attack the manager this year will have his work cut out picking a first 15 for next game.
Credit to Siobhan “Chipper” McCarney as she came on in the second half at her ideal position half forward and promptly missed a point from 20 yards but to her credit redeemed herself with a fine point from 30 yards to celebrate her 21st birthday???
Nicole O’Connor was steady once again in nets and with the U-16’s doing well this year it should not be to long before more of them join her on the Intermediate team.
Thanks to my statistician for the night Emma Mulhern and supporters.
Final score Bredagh 6-04 Augnalishnafinn 0-04
Team:
Nicole O’Connor, Jamie Willigan, Laura Willigan, Ciara Gallagher, Rosie McVeigh, Cera McArdle, Amy Cunningham, Grainne Hughes, Ashling McCloskey, Suzy Irvine, Katie Campbell, Clare Byrne (0-1), Grainne O’Connell (1-0), Roisin Dooher (1-0), Cassie Moane (0-2)
Subs: Polly Moane (2-0) for Ashling McCloskey, Maeliosa Hardy for Cera McArdle, Lorraine McCaffery (1-0) for Grainne O’Connell, Siobhan McCarney (0-1) for Roisin Dooher, Ciara Moane for Cassie Moane, Sinead Cassidy.
Intermediate Ladies 2007
Intermediate challenge game
Bredagh 2-7 Ballymartin 2-5 : Intermediate Ladies Tuesday 10th April 2007
Bredagh played a friendly away to Ballymartin under the new manager Paddy Finnegan and produced a fine display with a very young team. With Cassie Moane and Nicole O’Connor the youngest players on the field produced fine play with good intelligent runs by Cassie and Nicole producing some fine saves and kick outs in nets. In the first half the new midfield partnership of Grainne Hughes and Ashling McCloskey where superb as they ran their hearts out both in attack and defence. Team captain this year Clare Byrne had a great game scoring 1-2 with a fine taken goal in the first half started away back in defence by Laura Willigan. Laura joined with sister Jamie and the ever-young Ciara Gallagher worked well as a unit and most of Bredagh’s scores started at the back line.
The half back line of Amy Cunningham, Hannah “Hit woman” Murray and Maeliosa “The Enforcer” Hardy were solid against a very good Ballymartin half forward line. Then we come to the forwards with an average age of 19 were lead from the centre half by Polly Moane who made fine runs all game, providing scoring opportunities for her fellow team mates one being her younger sister Cassie who had an outstanding game at corner forward.
Suzy Irvine and Ciara Moane our flying wing half forwards tackled hard all day and provide some sublime passes to our full forward line. At full forward was the blonde bombshell Roisin Dooher who scored 1-1 on the day.The subs also played their part with Lorraine McCaffrey solid at corner forward and waying in with her usual point. Siobhan McCarney playing full forward instead of full back made good runs one in particular scared the day livings out of supporters along the line as Siobhan sprinting to get the ball nearly cleaned her team mate Lorraine. Lisa Kelly and Joanne Corrigan added attack into our half back line and Katy Campbell playing midfield at which she looked at home with.Thanks to my statistician for the night Emma Mulhern and supporters and advisers Paul O’Reilly, Niamh and Ceatha.
Final score Ballymartin 2-5 Bredagh 2-7
Team:
Nicole O’Connor, Jamie Willigan, Laura Willigan, Ciara Gallagher, Hannah Murray, Maeliosa Hardy, Amy Cunningham, Grainne Hughes, Ashling McCloskey, Suzy Irvine, Polly Moane (0-1), Ciara Moane (0-2), Cassie Moane, Roisin Dooher (1-1), Clare Byrne (1-2)
Subs: Katy Campbell for Grainne Hughes, Lisa Kelly for Hannah Murray, Joanne Corrigan for Amy Cunningham, Siobhan McCarney for Rosin Dooher, Lorraine McCaffrey (0-1) for Cassie Moane
Match notice
All Intermediate Ladies - Football friendly against Ballymartin next Tuesday 10th April away meeting in Cherryvale 5:45 leaving at 6pm, throw in 6:45pm. Ring Paddy if you are not available.
Saval 5-5 Bredagh 0-8
League, Wednesday August 23rd - 'And then the sky fell in…' - fifteen minutes into this game, we were in for a titanic struggle. Bredagh, opening with no respect for the reputation of the opposition, were giving as good as they were getting, trailing by just a point. The possibility of a huge upset was on. And then….
Four sloppy goals in about five minutes. Everyone at the back seemed to leave the covering to someone else as the Saval forwards waltzed through for goal after goal. At half time it was 4-4 to 0-4 and the game was effectively over.
In the second half Saval scores 1-1 and Bredagh scored 0-4. What a pity that the equality of these second half exchanges had been ruined by those few minutes of mad generosity earlier.
But there’s another side to this match. In those first fifteen minutes and right through the second half we saw something of the pride and the passion that characterised this team last year, that they displayed at Bright earlier in the season, that they had temporarily left behind them on the pitch in Tullylish. And no one epitomised this pride more than Hannah Murray. Four years ago Hannah, as a child, came out to practise with the senior team. One evening in backs and forwards she found herself marking Ulster player Denise Maguire. Hannah tore into her as if she were a juvenile and gave her a really tough time. This evening a more mature Hannah showed the same disregared for reputation, for her own safety, for the size or strength of her opponent, in a display that was sending a very clear message to the senior management. Maeliosa Hardy wasn’t far behind, a tower of strength at centre half, matching her doughty opponent in an epic encounter. Laura Willighan proved something to herself that she may not have known: that she can cope really well with a roving full forward. Time and again she was drawn out near the middle of the field, but was never lost out there, and was constantly on top of her opponent as she turned, refusing to give space. Lisa Kelly and Jenny Agnew alternated as sweepers and both did so effectively, even if this ploy requires a lot more fine tuning in the relationships between the backs before it can become a regular part of the defence system. Jamie Willighan was disappointed with her own performance afterwards. Nobody else was; she was up against a very talented player and gave her all. In the championship she was our best back; there will be other days when she will emulate that feat. And disappointment with oneself is an absolutely necessary step in the learning ladder. Roisin Dooher was the victim of an avalanche, but blocked some shots really well and landed the great majority of her kick-outs to Bredagh’s advantage, while Aisling McCloskey played with her customary heart and her kicking has been improving dramatically over the season. Ciara Gallagher read the game well to anticipate the dangers, but that’s nothing new for Cass.
In midfield, this was the first time that Grainne and Polly didn’t dominate. The two Saval midfielders are going to give many a senior partnership a tough time. It was about evens overall, but we’re not accustomed to evens from our pair!
Up front Suzy Irwin tried very hard but found the unorthodox patterns a bit off-putting. Lorraine McCaffrey likewise played her heart out but it was the return to her best form of Emma Mulhern that was most encouraging in the forwards. Her rightly-growing reputation seemed to hang over her lately, even to run ahead of her, but tonight we saw the Emma we thanked heaven for last year, daring, courageous, skilful. Tonight she caught up again with her reputation. Great to see. Cera McArdle was pivotal to the exciting forward movement in the first half and in the second, though badly hampered by a groin strain never gave up and showed what “ultimate defending” is about when she came from nowhere to block a shot that was about to rocket into the net. Amy Cunningham also moved with heart and precision, and Claire Byrne showed glimpses of what she can be and hopefully will be. Sinead Cassidy, Erin Kelly and Rosie McVeigh didn’t really have time to show their abilities; there will be other chances before the season is out.
Tonight, for the third match in succession, the Bredagh girls have had to listen to the post-match celebration of the opposition. But tonight was different. Nobody had given our girls a chance, but they played with the pride that Paul and Grainne had demanded of them as they took the pitch. Saval won the league by beating their great rivals. The best of luck to them. They will now go into senior ranks and are showing signs of becoming he new Castlewellan. But tonight Bredagh went home with their heads held high. Last year they won the league in this ground; tonight they found something which was just as valuable. They rediscovered the togetherness, the collective effort, the never say die spirit that won them that prize last year.
Winners all round.
Tullylish 1-9 Bredagh 1–8
Championship, Saturday, August 5th - DUMPED!
There’s a salutary lesson and a dire warning here for the Senior Ladies: League football and Championship football are two different games.
Ten days ago, Bredagh beat Tullylish by twelve points: this evening Tullylish beat the Bredagh girls by a point – and if they had brought their shooting boots the margin could have been much greater. Commitment, passion, fitness, strength and honesty were the characteristics that Tullylish contributed to the contest; Bredagh brought superior ball skills but found themselves muscled out of the contest, engaged in a tough battle where will was more important than skill, and ultimately dumped out of the Championship. The irony is that they might have snatched a draw in the final minutes, when they had some very good chances. But the blunt fact is that it would have been undeserved if it had happened.
FIRST THE GOOD NEWS - to remember the good things: Jamie Willighan played a stormer, with judgement, pace, coolness and above all courage to take on everything that came her way. In midfield, Jenny Agnew, in her first game, took on her task with great skill and heart, continually driving forward in an effort to rouse the forwards even until the final seconds. Lorraine McCaffrey, although she was up against a very strong full back, still notched a goal and three points from play. Joanne Corrigan at centre half and Laura Willighan at full back did everything in their power to stem the tidal wave of Tullylish pressure. Cera McArdle kept probing with her kick outs even when very few seemed interested in making the runs to make themselves available for them.
LOSING BATTLE - beyond that it was a struggle. Louise Fitzpatrick, Aine Hannity and Lisa Kelly found themselves up against strong forceful opponents and found it hard to contain them. But all three deserve credit for fighting all the way, denying Tullylish goal chances, chasing and harrying all the way. In fact the defence as a whole, in spite of a lot of artillery raining down on them kept the score down to a very manageable level if all had been well further afield. Further afield it was ultimately a losing battle. Amy Cunningham tried very hard but the struggle she had with her taller marker meant that she had few opportunities to give the sort of ball to the forwards that might have unlocked the Tullylish defence. Claire Byrne and Suzy Irwin had to fight for every ball against physical opponents. Suzy scored two points, one of them a beauty from an impossible angle, Claire scored a very nice point in the second half, but their opponents hardly ever gave them a free moment. Emma Mulhern never stopped trying, but she is now a marked woman and was never given the space to work her magic. Roisin Dooher also worked hard until she was injured and Kathryn Quinn strove manfully when she came on as a replacement. Katie Campbell found herself up against a powerhouse centre half, but she never gave up and her football brain never stopped probing for openings. Collectively, though, the forwards never moved with the fluency that has characterised their best games.
COMPLACENCY - there is no doubt that, at some level, complacency was at the heart of this defeat. Having beaten Tullylish twice this season by an aggregate of twenty eight points, it seemed that such a differential could not be made up. It shows the power of passion and commitment. Tullylish were at full strength, all hands on deck; we were short-handed and were like landlubbers by comparison with seasoned sailors. The management team cannot escape responsibility either: the attitude of the team going out on the field is their responsibility too; probably deep down they didn’t expect such an onslaught either. Let’s hope everyone has learned a lesson. Let’s hope that the team will treat the rest of the League as an opportunity of redemption and put their hearts and souls into it. Let’s hope that those who are eligible for the Minor Championship will take the lessons of this evening on board. Let’s hope above all that the Seniors will have learned a lesson by proxy and that they will approach their upcoming Championship outing with a full squad and total commitment. Tonight we learned that nothing else will do.
Fixtures & Results
League
Wednesday, May 3 – Bredagh P Burren P
Wednesday, May 10 – Bredagh 4-13 Burren 3-4
Saturday, May 13 – Bredagh 3-9 Ballymartin 1-10
Sunday, May 21 – Tullylish 2-2 Bredagh 4-12
Wednesday, May 24 – Bredagh 1-16 Bright 0-1
Saturday, June 3 – Bredagh 0-0 Saval 7-12
Saturday, June 10 – Bredagh 3-6 Annaclone 0-13
Saturday, June 17 – Aughlisnafin 0-6 Bredagh 1-7
Saturday, June 24 – Burren 7-10 Bredagh 4-6
Saturday, July 1 – Ballymartin w/o Bredagh DNF
Wednesday, July 26 – Bredagh 3-7 Tullylish 0-4
Saturday, July 29 – Bright 1-9 Bredagh 2-8
Saturday, August 5 – Saval P Bredagh P
Saturday, August 19 – Annaclone v Bredagh
Saturday, September 2 – Bredagh v Aughlisnafin
Championship
Saturday August 5 - Tullylish 1-9 Bredagh 1-8
Bright 1-9 Bredagh 2-8
League, Saturday July 29th - BRAVE BREDAGH BLIGHT BRIGHT - in ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ there’s a scene where plague-ridden bodies are being carted away to the graveyard. But one old geyser refuses to go, repeatedly shouting ‘I’m not dead!’ This was the sort of never-say-die spirit shown by the Bredagh girls this evening.
THRILLER - this was a thriller. Bright, smarting from defeat at Cherryvale, came champing for revenge at home. And early in the second half it seemed as if they would succeed. In the first half, playing with a strong wind, the Bredagh scores were slow to come. Niamh Breslin tapped over a nice point, Amy Cunningham lofted one over brilliantly from long range, Lorraine McCaffrey put another over and Niamh added another.
SIN BIN - but the margin seemed meagre with such a breeze until a series of significant events took place. Firstly, Hannah Murray, who had run a no-entry turnstile along the wing up till then, got an accidental injury and had to be replaced at right half back. Then left-half back Aisling McCloskey was sin-binned and Bredagh were reduced to fourteen players. The loss of the two wing halves who had so taken care of Bright’s flying wingers, couild have been crippling, but instead it seemed to galvanise the others into a greater level of action.
DOOHER DOES IT - Roisin Dooher decided to leave her imprint on the game. She sent over a point from close in, then another from further out, and then crashed the ball to the net. Meanwhile the defence, stretched but defiant, held Bright scoreless, so at half time, with Bredagh ahead 1–6 to no score, everything was nicely set up for a good second half.
BRIGHT STORM BACK - but what happened in the first few minutes after half time was too high for comfort on the Richter scale. Three Bright points in quick succession. Six points in it. A brilliant point from Katie Campbell in which Lorraine McCaffrey was greatly involved. Another beautiful left-footed point from play for Bright, and then an unstoppable goal The lead was reduced to three points with twenty minutes still to go and the wind was rising. Defeat looked inevitable at that stage. But it was then that all the qualities that made this Bredagh team such a force in junior ranks last year came to the fore. They simply refused to lie down and accept defeat, and defied the best efforts of a very physical and talented Bright team to overhaul them. A goal from a penalty by Niamh Breslin – her second in two games – gave a bit of breathing space, but Bright came back relentlessly, kept chipping away at the lead and in the end had whittled it down to two points. But ultimately they were denied the second goal that would have brought them victory.
SUPERB KATIE - it was an extraordinarily brave backs-to-the-wall effort for the last twenty minutes. No one epitomised the fighting qualities in the team more than Katie Campbell. Katie has not had the best of luck with injuries for some time, but tonight at full fitness and at full tilt she gave a doughty gutsy display, grabbing the ball, shaking off opponents with deft changes of direction and with her arms if necessary, distributing the ball to her team-mates and tackling back relentlessly to deny Bright any easy build-up from the back.
OTHER HEROINES - in front of her, Lorraine McCaffrey played deep into Katie’s area and likewise fed the wings and corners. Niamh Breslin and Roisin Dooher showed the importance of defending from the forwards back, as did Sinead Cassidy and Bernie Deighan when they were introduced, while Suzy Irwin and Kathryn Quinn showed the importance of attack as a form of defence, always posing a threat to the opposition’s goal and making sure that no defender could move forward with an easy conscience.
OUTSTANDING DEFENDERS - at the back they were all outstanding. Jamie Willighan was everywhere and one piece of defending in the left corner late in the second half – a combination of blocking, intercepting and tackling - was amazing. Her left footed kicking has improved enormously and time and time again gave her an outlet when a less accomplished defender would have been blocked. Aisling McCloskey, returning to her original place after half time had another great game, disregarding the reputation of her immediate opponent and putting herself on the line time and time again. Lisa Kelly, switched from the forwards to take up Hannah Murray’s responsibilities, did so brilliantly. Her patience and confidence on the ball always seems to allow her time to wait until she is ready to off-load without panic. Aine Hannity repeated her performance of Wednesday evening, which is praise indeed. And in the heart of the defence Maeliosa Hardy and Laura Willighan, both of them marking players who didn’t seem to want to take prisoners, were defiant and ultimately dominant in a battle of championship intensity. In goal Anna McAlinney was excellent. Her kick-outs were very good, but it was her reliability under the dropping ball that prevented goals on a number of occasions in the second half. Her constant experience of goalkeeping in under-age football gives her a maturity and a feel for positioning on the line far beyond her years.
DEADLY DUO IN MIDFIELD - which leaves midfield. Grainne Hughes and Amy Cunningham were both outstanding. Amy’s two points were taken with such an expectation of scoring, even from long range that the value of Saturday shooting practice was evident, and her tackling has become much more sophisticated and effective. Grainne time and again used her quick body-shift to wrong-foot opponents and her bravery and speed carried her into spaces to set up attack after attack.
LADIES FOOTBALL IS A PLEASURE? - It would be unfair not to give credit to Bright. They made this more of a thriller than we would have liked. They are, due to their constant development of under-age talent, now a fully-fledged intermediate team who, no doubt, next year will be very much in the shake-up for titles. It’s matches like tonight’s that make ladies’ football such a pleasure at times. If nail-biting tension and heart-stopping worry and climactic drama could be called pleasure!
Squad: Roisin Dooher, Louise Fitzpatrick, Aine Hannity, Laura Willighan, Jamie Willighan, Ciara Gallagher, Lisa Kelly, Sinead Cassidy, Joanne Corrigan, Jenny Agnew, Amy Cunningham, Cera McArdle, Suzy Irwin, Katie Campbell, Kathryn Quinn, Niamh Breslin, Bernie Deighan, Lorraine McCaffrey, Emma Mulhern.
Bredagh 3-7 Tullylish 0-4
League, Wednesday, July 26th - A TOUCH OF CLASS - ‘You’ve done enough damage’ said Brendan O’Connell to Niamh Breslin as he was substituting her with ten minutes to go in this match. Niamh had contributed 2-3 of Bredagh’s score and she had produced a second half display of class and precision.
RUSTY FIRST-HALF - The whole team had looked rusty in the first half and were lucky to turn around ahead, a goal from a penalty shortly before half time from Niamh being the difference between the sides. In that first half the forwards found themselves tightly marked and their movement was severely curtailed, but in the second half everything changed, the ball was moved with much more purpose and as the game opened up Niamh and her cohorts began to show their class. Lisa Kelly began to tease the defence, drawing defenders on to her and leaving space for quick transfers when she released the ball to her colleagues.
MIDFIELD DOMINANCE - Polly Moane and Grainne Hughes cemented their dominance of midfield. Polly has a great knack of appearing to be about to crash into an opponent in pursuit of the ball, and at the last second tipping the ball delicately into a space to collect it. Grainne got several balls that she had no right to get at all. So the supply to the forwards was good and they made good use of it with patient build up alternating with quick transfer of the ball to great effect. Niamh’s goal from play was a great example. Lorraine McCaffrey caught a ball coming out from the Tullylish goal and dinked a lovely characteristic little pass behind the defence for Niamh to run on to. No better woman to take it. The ball hit the stanchion low down – a perfect finish.
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS - there were other players who made really significant contributions: Amy Cunningham led the forward line well, making herself available to both wingers all the time, scoring a lovely point, and when she went back into goal she was so effective that there was talk of her stitching herself permanently into the goalkeeper’s jersey. Suzy Irwin, as usual, had a hand in almost every move, and Katie Campbell showed the value of high-level basic skills like catching and passing and also the value of vision in seeing the pass that will open a way through the defence. Roisin Dooher and Sinead Cassidy worked hard. Roisin started in goal and brought off a brilliant save when the Tullylish forwards opened up the Bredagh defence completely, leaving the full forward one on one with Roisin, who came out to smother the shot courageously. When she moved out to corner forward she caused all sorts of problems, blocking clearances, making herself available for Lisa Kelly’s probings, off-laying accurately and cutting inside repeatedly to cause havoc. Her point from play was a beauty and once she rose up among a triple sandwich of defenders and nearly snatched a goal. Kathryn Quinn opened brightly, scored the first point from play to settle the nerves, but seemed to enjoy herself even more when she was moved to the wing, where she worked her socks off and was rewarded when she made her own opening and landed the ball in the net over the goalkeeper’s hands. Polly and Grainne’s midfield dominance made sure that the defensive duties were not too onerous. Yet in the first half there were jittery moments, when the player with the ball was allowed too much space to run at the defence.
STARS IN DEFENCE - it was good that Aine Hannity was as sharp as she was. Her interceptions were timed to perfection and her decisions as to when to go and when to stay were constantly right. Aisling McCloskey likewise stuck to the motto ‘don’t give pace space’ and closed down not only her own forward but others as well. Her ability to come out of ground-rucks with the ball is phenomenal. Maeliosa Hardy and Joanne Corrigan were proficient right through and both benefited by being switched with one another in the second half. Laura Willighan was left too much without support early on and had to work out her own strategies which she did very well, while Jamie Willighan at left full back was quiet competence personified.
TALENTED BENCH - the bench was bristling with talent this evening, but the senior players were not used. Sometimes players learn more by having to work out their own problems than by having their problems solved for them by the introduction of impact substitutes. Tonight was one of these nights. The second half showed the value of simply increasing workrate and going about the task more wholeheartedly. But it was great to see the senior players ready and willing and waiting, and heartening too to see senior players who are not eligible coming along to support the team, and perhaps to keep an eye out for the players that may be joining them from this team soon.
LEAGUE TABLE - fourteen points out of a possible eighteen. Even the most pessimistic among us can now safely put relegation fears behind us. Who knows, we might even come second and cause all sorts of problems to all sorts of people. Now that would be nice!
Burren 7-10 Bredagh 4-6
League, Saturday June 24th - 'A team of two halves'. Let’s be blunt: last week the attacking play had the coaches eating their nails; tonight the defence had them pulling out their hair and spitting out their dummies. To score 4-6 and lose to a seven-goal salvo must raise questions about how the defence worked, and the answer was that for quite a while in the first half, it didn’t.
First-half - things looked rosy when the forwards, with three successive brilliant goals from Erin Kelly, Katie Campbell and Rosie McVeigh, led 3-1 to 1-5 after twenty minutes, even if it was somewhat against the run of play. But then the defence, which, in fairness, has been the sheet-anchor of the side all season, decided collectively to go absent and conceded four goals in quick succession. All the goals were different – a wind–assisted ball in behind the defence, a good passing movement, an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net, and that sort of psychologically destructive goal that happens so often when the crossbar is high – the ball dropping onto the floor of the net behind the ‘keeper from long distance. The lead was tornadoed and the half-time score was 5-6 to 3-1 for Burren. It could be said that the half time talk consisted mainly of a polite request to the defence to defend.
Second-half - the defence did defend in the second half. The Burren forward line, full of individual ability, continued to pose a colossal threat, but the defence fought gallantly. Katie Campbell, after the glory of her goal at one end, brought off a couple of brilliant saves to keep the score down, Laura Willighan gradually came to terms with a very good full forward, and Aisling McCloskey, shell-shocked in the first half by meeting an opponent who was as speedy as herself, gradually learned in the second period that the answer is not to give pace space. Louise Fitzpatrick was excellent and Aine Hannity covered an amount of ground. Jamie Willighan had to mark a brilliant forward, pacy, skilful and strong, but she never gave up and once in the second half charged right across the pitch when she spotted a dangerous move evolving to save what looked a certain goal. Laura McClory belied her age in her spell at corner back, also preventing a goal with a clever interception and covering well.
Woman of the Match - there was one player who could be exonerated from all blame even for the first half lapses: Maeliosa Hardy was immense all through at centre half back. She gave a Woman of the Match performance full of competitive spirit, excellent ball skills and an exemplary never-say die attitude. She must have been exhausted at the end of the game, so much so that once, when she fell in a tackle, it seemed for a moment that she might be too tired to get up. Amy Cunningham and Grainne Hughes were out on their feet at the end too, having taken on two very mobile and hard-running opponents. Both worked till they were ready to drop.
Forwards -there were a lot of positives up front; work done in the morning on free-taking and shooting paid dividends and the rewards were there in the tally. Claire Byrne had a new hair style but happily it was the same Claire underneath. In the first half she foraged hard all over the left wing, and in the second half took on an orthodox centre half forward role with ease. In the second half, when Niamh Breslin joined Suzy Irwin on the right flank of the attack, we saw between Claire and the pair the sort of the interplay that made them such a force together in last year’s victory march. Erin Kelly gave a very important high-ball option to the attack and had no hesitation in sticking the ball in the net when the opportunity arose. Likewise Rosie McVeigh, who exemplified the ‘chase and harry, don’t give up’ mantra of the team. Lorraine McCaffrey only scored one point, but the speed and accuracy of her passing opened many doors for others. Kathryn Quinn continued her improving curve: she is becoming much more aggressive and combative with every appearance and is quite difficult for a defender to deal with. And Bernie Deighan worked extremely hard and took her goal as if she did it for a living.
Lessons Learned?
What do you learn from defeat? Tonight the whole team learned that effort in football is not just trying hard: real effort also entails a level of concentration and determination that makes sure the basics are done properly. They learned that if you go half-heartedly for that ball on the ground, someone who is going wholeheartedly for it will beat you to it. This was the lesson of the first half. The lesson of the second half was that if you can up the concentration, go down properly for the ball and grab it, that you will enjoy more success. And the team also learned the need to spot danger earlier and cut it off. We also learned that Burren are a good team. They have a number of under-age and minor players in various Down squads, and they are likely to be in the shake-up for promotion to the senior ranks at the end of the season. To turn around a twelve-point defeat at Bredagh a few months ago and win by thirteen points is a success story in anyone’s book. Wouldn’t it have been nice if we had scored one more point tonight or conceded one point less, and we could have said that we were equal on aggregate?
Aughlisnafin 0-6 Bredagh 1-7
League, Saturday, June 17 – League, Saturday, June 17 – if a defence only concedes six points, it should be enough to win any match. But, if the forwards only score a goal and seven points, then what should be an easy victory becomes a very tense encounter indeed. Which is why Bredagh's coaches ate their nails to the quick all night!
Brilliant Defence - Bredagh's backline was brilliant, from the confidence-inspiring Anna McAlinney to Aisling McCloskey at left half back. Jamie Willighan for once overshadowed her sibling, rushing out time and time again to intercept dangerous moves and there was a huge improvement in her passing to colleagues when she did get possession. Laura refused to be intimidated by a bustling full forward and by the end had her all tied up. Maeliosa Henry took about five minutes of nervous exploration to get the measure of a potentially dangerous corner forward, and thereafter held complete sway, using her judgement of the ball in the air to cut out danger, refusing to be turned by an elusive ball-player. Hannah Murray at centre half back was tremendous again; up against an opponent much bigger than herself, she caught and broke the ball and must surely have broken the heart of her adversary. One particular moment exemplified her quality, when her opponent, a player with very good close control, ran back and forth on a solo run across the field and back, imagining she could shake off Hannah, and failing in the end. She's an indomitable player who refuses to recognise when the odds are stacked against her. On either side of her, Lisa Kelly and Aisling McCloskey gave their customary assured performances; Aisling looked so much more comfortable as a half-back than she did when she was drafted into midfield in other games; at left half she approaches her work with knowledge and almost with joy, and in shows. The measure of the defence as a unit was that Aughlisnafin scored only one point from play.
Midfield Dominance - Polly Moane again showed all her talents, catching high, dummying, running at opponents, scoring two points, while alongside her Grainne Hughes was the co-creator of an almost total dominance of midfield. So the supply from midfield to the forwards was generous. But....
'A few problems in the final third' - first of all let's give credit to the Aughlisnafin defence. They exhibited the same virtues that our defence did, gave us no room to make mistakes, gathered every ball not played with precision. They gave our forwards a really hard time and it was easy to see why they had won the Junior Championship two years ago. But it has to be said: Our forwards were at times like a wheel without a hub. Individually they were really good: Suzy Irwin was brilliant on the right wing, turning her opponent time and time again, shoving the ball into the corner. Amy Cunningham ran and hassled and carried the ball at opposition. Claire Byrne took on the role of roving corner-forward with a flourish and one tackle on her big marker left one wondering had she, like Asterix, been drinking strength potion in the past week. Lorraine McCaffrey squeezed in the goal opportunistically and added two points for good measure, to contribute half of the total score, while Roisin Dooher, Rosie McVeigh and later Joanne Corrigan and Katie Campbell worked tirelessly to prevent the Aughlisnafin attack from creating any momentum going forward. But collectively there was nothing like the cohesion that these girls have shown in other games. Maybe it's because there have been so many changes between one game and another due to involvement of players with the seniors, so that at times they were like a group of musicians, who have never met before, trying to improvise together. Perhaps it might help to get back to doing some set plays, a few templates to follow when all else fails. It's certainly time to do more shooting practice and to decide who should take the frees from various distances. And all that has to be done before we meet Burren next Saturday! Get out there quick, girls, and start practising!
Bredagh 3-6 Annaclone 0-13
League, Saturday June 10th – Bredagh responded in the best possible way to the heavy loss to Saval by defeating a tough Annaclone team. Despite playing into the breeze, Annaclone started strongly with some composed shooting from the forward line yielding two good points. Bredagh replied well with half-forward Amy Cunningham finishing some good moves with two points of her own. This exchange established the pattern for a see-saw match with a maximum of three points separating the two teams at any one time. The Annaclone forwards caused problems for the Bredagh defence and scored another two points. Bredagh struggled to find their usual rhythm up front but Suzy Irwin and Clare Byrne battled hard to gain possession and link the play. Emma Mulhern burst through the Annaclone defence to score a point, Annaclone fired back with another point, wee Emma got one back and they scored another two points to put them three ahead. Bredagh showed their composure at this stage and underwent a mini-revival with a point from Clare Byrne and a goal from Emma Mulhern following a good move in the forward line. Annaclone showed their experience and finished the half the stronger with two points giving them a single point lead at half-time: Bredagh 1-5 Annaclone 0-9.
Second-half - Annaclone started stronger after the break to take a two-point lead. The game was in the balance at this stage but Grainne Hughes and Polly Moane started to gain more possession in midfield which translated into more ball going into the full-forward line of Erin and Rosie McVeigh. Rosie battled hard to win a penalty which was expertly converted by Emma in a high-pressure situation. Annaclone put together some good football but had to work very hard to get two points with Hannah Murray, Ashling McCloskey and Maura McArdle making the forwards work hard to put Annaclone in front again.
Bredagh brought on Aine Hannity and Katie Campbell to provide some fresh impetus, Louise Fitzpatrick having been injured in the pre-match warm-up. A managerial switch of Maura McArdle and Grainne Hughes yielded good results with both girls starting to dominate their respective opponents, and with Polly Moane showing well to win kick-outs from veteran goalkeeper Cera McArdle, Bredagh started to gain some real forward momentum. The Annaclone captain was booked and sin-binned and this freed up Lisa Kelly as the extra player to cut out any dangerous Annaclone attacks and keep Bredagh moving forward. Bredagh were still two points behind but full-forward Erin was the fastest to react to a scramble in the Annaclone box to score a goal to put Bredagh ahead. This was consolidated by a good point from Rosie McVeigh.
Annaclone threw everything at Bredagh but the defence showed a tough mental attitude with some great teamwork and excellent interceptions from Jamie Willighan and Laura Willighan frustrating the Annaclone forward line. Annaclone scored another point but it was not enough as Bredagh held out for a two-point win.
Bredagh no score Saval big score
League, Saturday June 3rd - Beaten but Unbowed. It’s simple mathematics. Take two teams, equal in almost all respects, one Junior Cup Champions, one Junior League Champions. Add six senior players from a defunct club to one team. Take six of the best players off the other team to do miracles with their Senior team. End of equality. That was the story of Bredagh versus Saval, or at least it was half the story. The other half was a gutsy display of defiance in the face of overwhelming odds by the Bredagh girls, especially in the second half, that left them out on their feet at the end.
Captain Courageous - no-one epitomised this courage more than the captain Laura Willighan. Laura was a star in the meeting of these teams in last year’s Junior Championship; this time she surpassed that performance, catching, covering, blocking, harrying, inspiring. Woman of the Match again! On her right, Sinead Cassidy showed tremendous courage too, showing great ball-handling and position. She had to go off in the end, with a bump the size of an egg on her head from an effort to stop an opponent going through on goal. The injury typified the woman. On the left of the full-back line Aine Hannity marked the star Saval forward of last year very well, restricting her to only a few scores, while further out Louise Fitzpatrick, out of her usual position did her level best to stem the Saval tide. Suzy Irwin was out of position too at right half back, but worked very hard, and when she switched with the equally adept Rosie McVeigh to her own posting at right half forward, we saw some of her characteristic runs late in the game.
The two new girls, Erin Kelly and Maeliosa Hardy proved very valuable additions to the team. Both are strong and brave, and their work rate is first class. Maeliosa took on a real star centre forward who was capable of kicking points from anywhere, and she competed with her right through. She also took off one fantastic block late on to stop a certain goal. Erin, when moved to midfield saw more of the ball than she had at full forward and she set up a few late movements that were reminiscent of Bredagh at their best. Amy Cunningham and Aisling McCloskey took the brunt of Saval’s superiority at midfield, taking on good big footballers and both gave their all.
Never Gave Up - the forwards didn’t get much joy. Claire Byrne and Rosie McVeigh on the wings never gave up, were still chasing back for all they were worth at the end. Kathryn Quinn was, apart from Laura Willighan, the player who most consistently beat her opponent to the ball, but her lay-offs couldn’t be picked up as they would if the machine were running normally. Young Laura McClory showed how good a footballer she is becoming; she appears to be taking the step up from under age football in her stride, and she passed a very big test. Roisin Dooher and Jacqueline O’Neill worked tirelessly too, though Jacqui had the benefit of a longer than usual half-time break! And at the rear of it all, Anna McAlinney dealt really well with a barrage of shots and crosses.
Good Sports? - a brave display, a big defeat, but, very significantly, the gap between the teams was not as big as the margin. Let’s put something simply. There is a three day rule in this league. That means that any fixture can be refixed with the mutual consent of both teams provided it is played within three days of the original fixture. Bredagh, when they meet Saval again, must ask for a date when all our players are available. Saval are a sporting team and will no doubt accede to this request. This will mean that last year’s Saval +6 would meet last year’s Bredagh +2 (Erin and Maeliosa). Not exactly mathematically equal even at that, but let’s see how the game would go!
Bredagh 1-16 Bright 0-1
League, Wednesday May 24th - Four gone, still unbeaten. With about three minutes to go in this game, after some soul-crushing defence from Jamie Willighan, Polly Moane grabbed a ball in midfield. Without hesitation her opponent caught her jersey and togs and dragged her to the ground. It was like a white flag of surrender being unfurled: Bright had battled bravely, but the Bredagh girls, inspired by Polly, who took some brilliant catches high in the air, had driven forward relentlessly and ultimately only open fouling could stop them.
Brilliant Defence - Polly came off exhausted after a woman of the match performance, but she wasn’t alone: Hannah Murray and Lisa Kelly in turn shackled Bright’s most dangerous forward, Maura McArdle brooked no opposition in her domain, and her replacement Cera McArdle slammed the door on any hopes of a Bright come-back. The Willighan sisters were once again impeccable, Anna McAlinney never failed to find a Bredagh player with her kick-outs, and Louise Fitzpatrick was always ready to take up any slack. Aisling McCloskey did some brilliant defending: her ability to catch a high ball when bigger girls are competing with her is amazing and she is so speedy that even if she starts out of position, she can recover the ground on the double.
Talented Grainne - at midfield Grainne Hughes was up against one of Bright’s best runners, but Grainne never gave her an inch. She tracked back all the time and the way she gives the ball to the forwards is constantly precise, based as it is on a very accurate kick which she exbibits in every training session. A very talented footballer.
Forwards - the forwards apparently decided to change their customary fashion this time out: normally they falter at the start and gradually improve, but tonight they started brilliantly, Siobhan McCarney put two points on the board after great movements, and Emma Mulhern netted after great work from Siobhan. Suzy Irwin weighed in with a lovely point and Grainne Hughes fed Lorraine McCaffrey for a typical score. Emma Mulhern again finished off a brilliant move with a point. But then the tempo slowed, the forwards were still playing some excellent football but the decision-making that would have made scores come didn’t happen as it should. A penalty was missed, and though Suzy Irwin tacked on another point, Bright were still in the game at half time when Bredagh should have been out of sight.
Work To Do - there’s still some work to be done here. The assurance that was so apparent in defence has a lot to do with the back-line becoming a very settled unit. In backing each other up they are beginning to develop their own version of duvet defence where they gently but persistently smother the opposing runners. The forwards for all their occasional brilliance have yet to gel totally as a unit, to find the patterns that assuredly lead to scores. Some day it’s all going to come together and heaven help whoever is on the receiving end. On the positive side there were some great things up front: Suzy Irwin was out in front practically every time to get Polly Moane’s passes, and Siobhan McCarney really looked like a natural centre forward. One of her points, which began with Maura McArdle, to Siobhan, to Roisin Dooher, back to Siobhan, over the bar, was a real gem. Her lay-offs were excellent too. Roisin Dooher scored a point from the wing that her illustrious male cousin would have been proud of. Emma enthusiastically celebrated a point from her left foot, Rosie McVeigh worked her socks off all over the field and Lorraine McCaffrey scored her usual three points and got into Bright’s pockets to pick the ball and lay it off. Kathryn Quinn made some lovely runs and Sinead Cassidy showed quick hands and an unexpected aggression when she was introduced, as did Jacqueline O’Neill. These girls are learning so quickly!
A Hard Day's Night - eight points out of eight. A good night’s work. It’s going to be a Hard Day’s Night next time out. Saval! Three epic contests with them last year; we took the leagues and they took the championship. Even Steven, both promoted. Since then they have been joined by a number of senior players from Bosco. They seem certain to go up to Senior next year. Unfortunately for us, our seniors are playing on the same night, so we will be seriously under-strength. Saval will be very big favourites. But that’s what we signed up for: having two teams out simultaneously is something no other team in the Down League could aspire to, that’s actually more important to the Club than victory. If our first defeat comes, it comes. But hopefully we’ll have Claire Byrne back. And hopefully Hannah Murray’s injury will have cleared up. And hopefully we’ll get the duvet to work. And hopefully the never-say die spirit that carried the team through last year will come to the fore again. And hopefully we’ll make it as difficult as we can for them to beat us.
Bredagh 4-11 Tullylish 2-1
League, Sunday May 21st - BREDAGH WEATHER THE STORM - for five minutes in this mudbath, the Bredagh ship hit a mini-tempest. After a first half of almost total control and leading 2-10 to 0-1 at half-time, defensive uncertainty gifted Tullylish two goals in the space of two minutes early in the second half. Tullylish, playing with wind and rain at their backs, pushed forward confidently and were unlucky not to get the third goal that would really have lifted them and put the Bredagh ship in peril. A high ball fell invitingly to one of their forwards early in that spell; she was straight in on goal. Fortunately for Bredagh, she was not one of the best of Tullylish’s forwards, she hesitated and was dispossessed. The jitters continued for another few minutes, but then the real Bredagh team once more came to the fore. A goal from Lorraine McCaffrey settled things down and they fought their way to a deserved victory.
Crackling Rosie! - it was, overall, a very good display in appalling conditions. 'The pitch is unplayable, but let’s play it anyway' was the catchphrase of the day. Once the girls realised that it was suicide to hop the ball, they began to move it with more fluency than could be reasonably expected. It was not the sort of weather that suited the likes of Claire Byrne, Polly Moane and Suzy Irwin, whose forte is swift movement off the ball and quick interchange. The wonder was how well they coped in spite of that: there were some brilliant moves, one of which started with a typical interception from Jamie Willighan to Maura McArdle, ending up with a lovely point from Rosie McVeigh. Practically the same again a few minutes later, another point from Rosie after a great move. Rosie had an outstanding game. She’s a newcomer to the club and it was hard to judge her potential in training, but her bravery shone through against Ballymartin and this was supplemented this evening with a display of accuracy and opportunism that netted her two goals and three points in the first half. A definite asset to the club. Alongside her, Lorraine McCaffrey played the ball as if the conditions were normal, her goal was a gem and her lay-off to Siobhan McCarney for one of her points was visionary. Siobhan, in the unaccustomed position of centre half forward, took on the role with aplomb; one felt she secretly enjoyed the relief from the responsibility of her normal full-back slot.
All-Weather Women! - Grainne Hughes was again a tower of strength alongside Polly Moane, while the half back line was probably the most at ease line on the field. Maura McArdle, Hannah Murray and Jamie Willighan are all-weather women, and the Tullylish half forwards soon discovered that running at them was a very unproductive exercise, being dispossessed again and again by three genuine defenders. Their different defensive techniques are very interesting: Hannah harries and turns relentlessly with her opponent, Maura brushes them aside, while Jamie stalks, keeps her eye on the ball looking for the split second to intercept it. Ciara Gallagher and Laura Willighan were as sound as ever in the full-back line, but it was Lisa Kelly who showed her coolness under pressure most when Tullylish began to take the initiative and it was one foray forward in combination with Hannah Murray that signalled the end of the jitters in the defence. Roisin Dooher returned to goalkeeping duties after her travels outfield against Ballymartin and her kick–outs were impeccable. Kathryn Quinn, Kate Hollywood and Laura McClorey all gained valuable experience when they came on in the second half, while Cera McArdle added stability to the defence when she made her entrance and mopped up (pun intended) a lot of ball that was floating and slopping around midfield.
Not a night for heroics, but a night for heroes. And we had our share.
Looking Bright? - next up are Bright. They are a genuine Intermediate team, with aspirations to make it into the Senior League. They have good development structures, they have strong runners in midfield and attack and a brave defence. They will give us a good measure of our potential. Let’s hope they don’t give us the jitters.
Bredagh 3-8 Ballymartin 1-9
League, May 13th - this was a great evening for ladies’ football in Bredagh. Thirty five girls played for the Senior and Intermediate teams in Loughinisland and Cherryvale. The fact that Bredagh can now field two teams simultaneously is a tribute to a lot of work from a lot of people over the years; the fact that both teams won is a double layer of delicious icing on the cake.
‘HERE COME THE CAVALRY’
There was another very significant aspect to the proceedings in Cherryvale: just after half-time in this game, the players who were eligible to play Intermediate but who were on Senior duty, arrived to offer their services. All had played their full part in beating Loughinisland, but turned up here immediately afterwards, as did the senior manager Stephen Molloy and iconic players like Arlene McCluskey and Joanne Lavery. It was a great illustration of the cohesion of the girls in the club, their loyalty to each other and their willingness simply to play for the pleasure of playing and of serving their club. When these girls arrived there was a joke going around: ’Here comes the cavalry’. It was very apt, and Emma Mulhern and Lisa Kelly were inspirational in their contributions when they came on the field; but there’s no use in the cavalry arriving if there’s nothing left of the settlement except a few smoking embers. The girls who started had fought so bravely up to that point that the little Alamo was still standing, the game was still there for the taking. A strong Ballymartin team were only three points in front.
Coming of Age -
the fact that Bredagh were still in touch at that stage was, more than anything else, down to another outstanding display from Polly Moane in midfield. Ably supported by Aisling McCloskey, who was press-ganged into an unfamiliar position and worked tirelessly, Polly kept a constant stream of ball going in to the forwards. Behind this pair the half-back line was excellent. Amy Cunningham in the centre revelled in the responsibility of her role, her blocking was brilliant and she kept tabs on a very strong, fast and accurate opponent. On the wings Aine Hannity and Jamie Willighan played outstandingly; Aine’s speed and anticipation saw her clearing again and again, while Jamie in some sense came of age in this game; the little girl who was a child among women with senior training a few years ago is growing into a very accomplished footballer.
Debut Girl - part of Polly Moane’s dominance stemmed from the cleverly delivered kick-outs of Anna McAlinney, long and accurate and impeccably timed to pick up Polly’s runs. Anna also took a few really good catches, and must have wished for just an extra inch in height that would have enabled her to save the only shot that beat her. Laura Willighan in front of her was commanding; it’s such a relief to see a ball coming towards Laura, one can have such confidence in her handling and her ability to deal with dangerous situations decisively. The full forward tried to take her out of position at times, but she underestimated Laura’s ability to go step for step with her. Ciara Gallagher at left-full-back left one thinking ‘once a footballer, always a footballer’, her paranormal ability to see where the ball was going before anyone else thought about it got her into wonderful positions to stop dangerous moves from the opposition, while Louise Fitzpatrick in the other corner never gave her opponent an inch. Of the defence in general, suffice is to say that when Hannah Murray arrived from the senior game, there was no need for her to come on.
The Forwards - like last week, they took some time to get going. A lot of wides, some jumpy handling, balls pumped in to nobody. It’s going to take a few games for a settled pattern of play to emerge up front, even for a settled line-up to establish itself. But as the game went on things improved dramatically. Claire Byrne adopted the Emma Mulhern role really well, her skill and mobility helping her to run her office from all over the place. Her goal was a Claire Byrne Special, into the roof of the net over the head of a stranded goalkeeper, how many times has she broken goalkeepers’ hearts with that one? The other goal came from Roisin Dooher and kept Bredagh in the match at a vital stage just before half time. A high ball from the wing, bouncing high in the air between the goalkeeper and Roisin, and she got up to it first to half-fist, half-palm it to the net. It took skill and bravery; and Roisin has both. Her general play was also very good, and it was only when we saw the problems that the Ballymartin centre-half posed for Emma Mulhern that we appreciated how well Roisin had done in handling her. Rosie McVeigh was also a brave player, taking on board the maxim that the first line of defence is the forward line, harrying and chasing and creating her own spaces. She also opened Bredagh’s account with a fine point. Jacqueline O’Neill in the corner also worked very well, laying off repeatedly to the sharpshooters and making life difficult for the backs. Lorraine McCaffrey was at her liveliest, making well-judged runs away from the full-back and taking her out of position. It was one of these forays that left the open space for Roisin Dooher’s goal. When Kathryn Quinn was introduced alongside her, Bredagh had a second target woman and both alternated really well. Kathryn is a much-improved footballer from last year; tonight she took on a lot of responsibility and her part in working the ball out from the corners to viable scoring positions was really cultured. She certainly laid down a marker for herself on her way to securing a regular place. Suzy Irwin on the wing ran herself into the ground, chasing and harrying and never giving up and her speed in passing is a great asset to her colleagues. And Laura McClorey made her intermediate debut with some style, another one for the future.
The half-time team talk was important....
WHAT'S NEXT?
To come from four points down at one stage to win by five was a great achievement, and the match was so reminiscent of the spirit of last year’s Junior campaign that one is tempted to long for a full strength team in every match to see what is possible for this squad. But we must be realistic: our main purposes in this grade are to give games to as many players as want to play, to develop players for the Senior team and to avoid relegation at the end of the season. The spirit of both the pioneers and the cavalry this evening would encourage one to believe that all of this might be achievable.
Bredagh 4-13 Burren 3-4
League, May 10th - The tragedy of this game is that it could have been the start of something big. All the ingredients are there for our newly-promoted girls to make a big impact in the Intermediate League. But next Saturday our senior and intermediate teams will be playing at the same time, several of this team will be with the seniors, so these girls will be playing Ballymartin with one hand metaphorically tied behind their backs. It doesn’t happen in men’s football. Enough said. Let’s not complain.
Exciting Forwards - we saw flashes of what made last year’s Junior team such an exciting outfit, especially in the forwards. After a tentative start, no doubt brought about by the absence of Grainne McAllister and the need to adjust to new patterns without her, the machine gradually moved into gear. Cera McArdle was at the hub, whirling passes in all directions, scoring four points herself and setting up numerous chances for others. Emma Mulhern was Emma Mulhern, tireless, fearless, cutting through the Burren defence to score two brilliant goals and a point from play and hammering home a penalty on the rebound for good measure. Katie Campbell (0-2) played with her usual thoughtful swagger, and Claire Byrne (0-2) rivalled Emma in her running at the defence. Suzy Irwin had an excellent game at right half forward, revelling in the openness of the exchanges, and Lorraine McCaffrey did what Lorraine McCaffrey does best, laying off to others, taking her own points unerringly. So much so that when she did miss one chance, people at the other end were asking ‘Was that Lorraine?’ in disbelief.
Big Talent - in midfield Polly Moane was outstanding. Polly’s vision is rare in one so young, her ability to run into the best place to receive the ball, her ability to see the runs of others when she is in possession, are all signs of a big talent emerging. And beside her, Grainne Hughes ran herself into the ground linking defence and attack.
Facing a Storm - the defence was actually very jittery at the beginning, as if they expected an avalanche and found only a storm. But the Burren forwards did create quite a tempest at times, with great individual skill but without the cohesion of our front runners. Our half back line was under quite a bit of pressure all through, but quite early on it was obvious that Maura McArdle was gradually taking control of things and the pressure eased gradually. Hannah Murray and Amy Cunningham on the wings began to assert themselves bit by bit and the Burren storm began to abate.
Full-Backs - the full back line settled gradually too. In the first quarter they tended to do great work in getting the ball and then to give it away through slipshod passing, but as the game went on they began to play with the concentration they had shown all last season. Laura Willighan showed she’s still getting better in the air all the time and her reading of the danger gives her great economy of effort. Likewise Ciara Gallagher used all her experience to shepherd the opposing forwards into positions of minimum danger, while in the other corner Lisa Kelly never gave an inch, blocking, harrying, using her low centre of gravity to turn quickly, to get in on forwards’ boots to block. She’s a special asset in a match where the referee is strict and doesn’t allow much physical contact. The fact that she got a boot (accidental) in the nose was no big deal for Lisa: she had got the ball in the exchange and that was all that mattered to her.
Goalkeeper - Roisin Dooher in goal had to face two penalties, both very well-taken, giving her no chance. She had no chance with the other goal either, a three yarder to the roof of the net. Her other work was excellent, both in her decisions as to when to leave her line and in her wise clearances. Roisin will probably be outfield next time, and we won’t be in the position we were in tonight where (with only five subs allowed) two girls who performed heroics for us last season couldn’t get a game. The five girls who did come on – Aisling McCloskey, Jamie Willighan, Sinead Cassidy, Jackie O’Neill and Louise Fitzpatrick - all did well enough to remove any sense of despondency about doing without our senior players.
Summary - so let’s not complain. No need to mourn. On the evidence of this display we can honestly walk on, walk on, with hope in our hearts singing ‘We Will Survive’. Roll on Saturday!
2005 Review
Cera McArdle found time between running girls football in Bredagh to play for both the Seniors and the new Junior team..
Cera and other Seniors gelled brilliantly on the Junior team with exciting young stars such as Emma Mulhearn..
The team made a great start to the season..
.. and finished it in style by winning the League. Captain Jamie Willigan with the cup.
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Ladies Intermediate Championship 2nd September 2007 at Castlewellan.
Championship 1st Round
Match Saturday 30th June
Bredagh vs Auglisnafin (6-17 to 1-5) away.
Ladies Refereeing Course
Bredagh 4-13 Carryduff 1-5
Bredagh 3-12 Tullylish 0-5
Bredagh 0-3 Bright 3-3
Match Announcement
Bredagh 1-10 Newry Shamrocks 3-7
Bredagh 6-04 Aughlisnafinn 0-4
Intermediate Ladies 2007
Intermediate challenge game
Match notice
Saval 5-5 Bredagh 0-8
Tullylish 1-9 Bredagh 1–8
Fixtures & Results
Bright 1-9 Bredagh 2-8
Bredagh 3-7 Tullylish 0-4
Burren 7-10 Bredagh 4-6
Aughlisnafin 0-6 Bredagh 1-7
Bredagh 3-6 Annaclone 0-13
Bredagh no score Saval big score
Bredagh 1-16 Bright 0-1
Bredagh 4-11 Tullylish 2-1
Bredagh 3-8 Ballymartin 1-9
Bredagh 4-13 Burren 3-4
2005 Review
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