Cead Mile Failte go dti Bredagh CLG 2007 Down Division 2 Hurling League Champions, East Down Reserve League Champions, Down Junior Hurling Champions, U16 Football League Winners	Home News History Links Information
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Teams Senior matches Reserve matches Seniors 2003 Seniors 2004	Senior Team Report 2001 Having a panel of over 30 players for the Junior Championship the year before, together with a few useful additions, the stage seemed right for Bredagh to embark on a successful season, unfortunately this was not the case. Liam Mc Kenna started the year as team manager, and apart from a stint at full forward, remained there until halfway through the year. Liam had been coerced into the job and did not receive the best support from players and committee, which ultimately after 3 years took its toll. In the void, Eunan O Brien put in great work in getting players out and senior players within the team, Paul Mc Evoy, Ciaran O Keefe and Brian Cafferty all helped with the running of the team. Paul O Reilly also helped out with a few training sessions. Towards the end of the season, Kieran Boyle began to take a greater influence off the pitch, including some memorable sessions starting with the immortal words "just a few laps of the pitch to start with", 2 hours later, no-one was ever so glad to see the park attendant come over and say he'd have to wrap it up, as the gates were closing! Statistically speaking, Bredagh finished third bottom in Division 4, were put out at the quarterfinal stage of the Junior Championship (being beaten by Dundrum, after leading at half-time) and didn't field for the feis sevens. The dire straits the senior team is perhaps best highlighted by the Home game to St. Paul's, about 8 games into the season. They turned up early, had a warm-up, and had about three times as many supporters as Bredagh. Previously, Bredagh hadn't lost ever at home to St. Paul's, but St. Paul's went out to the field as if it was their home game. They really put it up to Bredagh and in what was a rough match with punches flowing freely on at least four occasions, put four goals past us, to win easily. The fact that teams who Bredagh would never have lost to in the past are coming up to Bredagh and dictating terms, should leave everyone disgusted. More on this later… Injuries to key players (Brian Rice, Barry Carson, Nicky Mc Cafferty (who when asked if he was fit, put the phone down, came back breathless a couple of minute later to declare, no after an impromptu fitness test in his back garden, that he was in fact not fit!) Eamon Tunney, John Rogers, Conor Loughran, Michael Leckey, Liam Mc Garry); together with the absence due to work and family commitments towards the end of the season of Brian Cafferty (Senior Player of the Year) and Frankie Devlin among others, played their part. The absence of many of the Ormeau Road contigent, through one reason or another didn't help either. Neither the novelty of subs nor the inability to field the same team with any sort of continuity until the very end of the season was a positive influence. All this combined with the off-field management situation go along way to explaining the above paragraph. Over the course of this season, more than 30 players have played senior football, with some great performances by Ciaran O Keefe in nets (The busiest person on the team), Paul Mac, Liam Mc Kenna, Henry Mc Donald all took turns as well. In Defence, Michael Tunney (last seasons Player of the Year and real unfortunate just to be pipped at the post for the award this year) and Gerard Mullan were magnificent, always running, first to the ball, and even fluked a few scores as well. So successfully, in fact that few forwards, if any actually scored more then Mick. After long search, Bredagh's answer to full-back was solved by Daragh Mallon, who came in and dominated to make the position his own. Other players who forced their way into the team, the Mc Kenna Brothers, Dee Brennan, Sean Mc Cann, John Mc Cullough and Eunan O Brien all contributed significantly towards the team. In Midfield, Brian Rice and Conall Toland started the season in mid-field and on their day were easily the best players I saw in the league all season, Conall in particular. They had superb all-round ability and yet for all the size of them, they could certainly field a ball, and were equally as good in play or from the dead ball. Paul Mac and John Rogers also filled the mid-field birth on occasions and would be guaranteed to challenge strongly for the ball, Johns strong running and Paul's dead ball accuracy combined to give Bredagh another dimension to their game. Up front, Kevin Muldoon would regularly torture defenders, before challenging them to a fight afterwards. The fact these were often twice his size, proved no obstacle, playing with his heart on his sleeve, he was a real blood, sweat and tears (the first and last not normally his own) player and a shining example to the rest of the team. Nicky Mc Cafferty (who had a real knack for finding the net), Brian Cafferty, Eamon Tunney all pulled their weight up front (a worthy contribution on its own), and could be relied on to take scores. Their experience and ability were often too much for defences (including Bredagh's) and quite often very few scores were taken in their absence. Towards the end of the season, young blood in the shape of Paddy Finnegan and Conor O Keefe burst on to the scene and made an impact. The running of players such as Conall Donnelly (Who's performances particularly in the second half of the season saw him run James Mc Kenna very close for Most Improved Player), with newcomers such as Noel Burns and Pete Carr always provided an outlet for our defence and considerable headaches for the opposition's. Much thanks must also go to the 'Reserves', these provided the vast bulk at training (the rest made up of Fermanagh and Tyrone club players) and in fact became the 'Seniors' by the end of the season. No fixtures were in doubt when these people were brought in, and the same players were often playing Senior and Reserve games within a couple of days of each other. Also, Sean Mc Cann and Noel Burns helped to Sponsor the team, and the new kits will have Zuni Hair Consultants on the front. Much thanks to Sean and Noel. Currently there is no Formal manager for next season, this should be the new committees first priority. The Senior team is the flagship of any club, no-body should be under any illusion that significant steps need to be taken with regard to the senior team. Talk of just fulfilling fixtures and waiting for the U16's to come through and start building from there is in mine and many of the teams opinion is rubbish. The time to act is now, some major decisions will have to be made, and a wide range of options should be addressed and considered, some of these possibly for the first time.