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Under 10's fixtures and results
Championship Fixtures and Results
EAST DOWN BLITZ - CHAMPIONS September 6th Downpatrick
League Fixtures and Results
FRIENDLIES
St Galls P5 Tournament May 5th
Mayobridge League
Heroics at Carryduff T'ment Saturday June 14th
Warrenpoint Tournament - OFF August
Bredagh 5-2 Glenn 3-4 Monday May 19th Cherryvale
Newry Bosco 2-5 Bredagh 2-3 Thursday May 29th Newry
Bredagh 6-6 Longstone 1-3 Thursday, June 5th Cherryvale
Saval 2-3 Bredagh 4-4 Thursday June 12th Saval
Mayobridge 1-1 Bredagh 4-3 Sat June 21st Mayobridge
Bredagh 6-9 An Riocht 3-3 Saturday June 28th Cherryvale
Warrenpoint 2-6 Bredagh 2-5 Saturday July 5th W'point
Bredagh Lost to Clonduff Thursday July 24th Cherryvale
Ballyholland v Bredagh TBC B'holland
Burren 2-6 Bredagh 1-2 Sunday September 7th Burren
Bredagh 4-1 Kilcoo 2-8 Friday September 19th Cherryvale
Bredagh WIN Rostrevor
Bredagh v St Endas Sunday June 23rd Cherryvale
Downpatrick T'ment Saturday June 28th D'patrick
Co Down Summer Camp July Carryduff
Banbridge Tournament Saturday September 13th Banbridge
Championship Reports
EAST DOWN BLITZ - CHAMPIONS, September 6th, Downpatrick
A glorious week for Bredagh Youth culminated in double joy at Downpatrick on Saturday. First, the U-10 footballers won the East Down Blitz and secondly, the U-14 hurlers won the Co Down B Championship at the same venue just a few hours later.
The footballers kicked off the magical day by surprising everyone at the Blitz with tremendous performances to beat Kilcoo and Castlewellan in the semi-finals and final. It was a surprise because Bredagh actually lost their first game of the Blitz to Castlewellan and looked anything but impressive.
THE GAMES
Bredagh 0-2 Castlewellan 2-0
We had bags of possession in the first game but shot numerous wides and looked very rusty after several weeks of inactivity. Danny Nolan and Declan Magee scored our only points.
Bredagh 3-3 Ballykinlar 0-0
Ronan McKegney got our first goal in the victory over Ballykinlar, with Eamonn Kelly and Brian Cunningham adding two more. Deccie Magee and Kaelan Devlin (2) got our points.
Bredagh 3-4 Drumaness 0-0
Michael Doran started the scoring against Drumaness with a goal, followed by two terrific long-range points from Ciaran McFarland and John Mongan. Danny Nolan got two more points and Jack Holywood found the net.
Bredagh 3-1 St Johns 1-0
The clinching score here was a free from Kaelan Devlin which dropped into the net when it looked like he would take a simple point. St Johns had just scored a goal to reduce our lead to four points, so the goal ended the contest and sent us through to the semi-finals.
Getting the message across...
... what message?
THE SEMI-FINAL - Bredagh 3-3 Kilcoo 1-1
This was our first-ever defeat of Kilcoo at U-10 level and followed the U-12 defeat of the same club seven days earlier. As usual, the black and whites were well-fancied to win the tournament, especially as they beat us quite comfortably just six weeks ago and they were going for a third East Down Blitz title in-a-row. We started well with two points, but a goal gave Kilcoo a half-time lead and Bredagh looked to be going out of the tournament. But this group of players showed tremendous determination to win possession and they were rewarded with three almost identical goals in the second-half. Danny Nolan, Ben Scullion and Kaelan Devlin all broke free on the left side and shot high to the top corner of the Kilcoo net. MVP was Jack Holywood with several brave interceptions and clearances in the full-back line.
THE FINAL - Bredagh 1-4 Castlewellan 0-5
After the celebrations died down, the city boys were reminded about their disappointment at the Carryduff Tournament in June when they lost in the Final. They were also asked to emulate the U-12 footballers by winning an East Down title and to give the Bredagh U-14 hurlers a boost as they were due to arrive for their Final. The U-10s responded with a gutsy display to gain revenge on Castlewellan. Declan Magee, Ben Scullion and Niall Irwin all made terrific challenges to win the ball and set up attacks. Two points from captain Danny Nolan, a goal from Ronan McKegney and a great point from Deccie Magee had Bredagh in front at the break by 1-3 to 0-2. In a frantic last period, Castlewellan threw everything at Bredagh, but they refused to crack. Conor McManus kept goal superbly and defenders Eoghan Curran, Diarmuid Kielty, Ben Scullion and Jack Holywood tackled like tigers. Castlewellan clawed back three points, but we broke away to score a point and Niall Irwin came back into defence to make two matchwinning blocks for Bredagh.
THE SUMMARY
This was a famous day for Bredagh with two trophies won in three hours. The U-10 footballers started slowly but eventually rediscovered their famous fighting spirit and will-to-win. The medals and Shield were just reward for their efforts all season, and to think that the organisers were not going to bother playing the semi-finals because they though they were running out of time. This would have meant that Bredagh would have been eliminated by virtue of losing their first game! Instead, the club name will now take it's place on the Shield beside previous winners Downpatrick (2000) and Kilcoo (2001 & 2002).
The Three Amigos - Conor McEvoy, Niall Irwin and Mark Quinn.
Four More Amigos - Eoghan Curran, Michael Cassidy, Declan Magee and Eamonn Kelly.
Doran's Pride - Michael and Noel.
THE SQUAD
Back Row, left to right: Eoghan Curran, Ciaran McFarland, Michael Cassidy, Michael Doran, John Mongan, Ben Scullion, Conor McManus, Brian Cunningham, Danny Nolan (captain), Ruairi Sheridan, Kaelan Devlin.
Front Row: Jack Holywood, Declan Magee, Mark Quinn, Niall Irwin, Eamonn Kelly, Daniel Steele, Vincent Robinson, Diarmaid Kielty, Conor McEvoy, Ronan McKegney, Joe Shields.
PS - Thanks to Sean Nolan for the excellent pictures.
League Reports
FRIENDLIES,
Under-10 Star Declan Magee practices a fist-pass at training.
The Under-10s played friendlies against the likes of Newry Mitchels, Carryduff and St Brides in the build-up to a busy season ahead.
Bredagh beat Carryduff... twice!
On Sunday morning, April 13th, Bredagh U-10s beat Carryduff in both challenge games at Cherryvale. In the 'A' game, Daniel Nolan, Kaelan Devlin and Timothy Durkan ran the show as the boys easily beat the visitors by 40 points to 15 (10-10 to 4-3), while in the 'B' game the stars were Daniel Steele, Jack Holywood and Conor McEvoy. Jack and Conor scored our points, and the goal came from the same pair - Conor's free punched to the net by Jack. A great performance by the whole team.
Conor McEvoy and Niall Irwin played very well against Carryduff.
Under managers Micky Young and Marty Hannity, the boys will play in the Mayobridge League this year and in a number of Tournaments, starting with the P5 Tournament at St Galls on May Day. Scroll down for more details...
St Galls P5 Tournament, May 5th
Danny Nolan starred at the St Galls Tournament in 2002, and although he was over-age this year, we had the likes of Declan Magee and Lorcan McMullan (pictured below).
Bredagh entered two teams this year - details of the 'B' team are in the Under-8 section of this website, and here are the details for the 'A' team.
Team captain Declan Magee was the star of the show as Bredagh gave host side St Galls a fright in the quarter-finals of the tournament. 'Wee Deccie' led by example in the group games with victories over St Agnes and Davitts. Bredagh beat St Agnes by 3-2 to 0-0 with 2-1 from Declan and a point from Niall Irwin and a goal from Lorcan McMullan. The game with Davitts was close, with Bredagh falling behind and then winning by 1-2 to 1-0 with a goal from Michael Cassidy and points from Declan Magee and Niall Irwin. Then we met a strong St Brigids team and lost heavily, though Declan was unlucky to see a shot come off the crossbar and to have a penalty saved.
In the quarter-finals, St Galls expected to win easily but there was no score until they got a fortunate goal just before half-time. In the second-half, they had a strong wind on their backs but could not breakthrough for more goals. It finished 1-5 to 0-0, but Bredagh showed great fighting spirit and bags of skill to match.
TEAM: Conor McManus, Seamus McCloskey, Joe Shields, Ciaran McFarland, Jack Holywood, Declan Magee (Captain), Lorcan McMullan, Diarmuid Kielty, Michael Cassidy, Ronan McKegney, Niall Irwin, Conor McEvoy, Daniel Steel, Michael Doran.
Mayobridge League,
FIXTURES
Monday May 19th - Bredagh v Glenn
Monday May 26th - Newry Bosco v Bredagh
Monday June 2nd - Bredagh v Longstone
Monday June 9th - Saval v Bredagh
Monday June 16th - Mayobridge v Bredagh
Monday June 23rd - Bredagh v An Riocht
Monday June 30th - Warrenpoint v Bredagh
Monday July 21st - Bredagh v Rostrevor
Monday July 28th - Ballyholland v Bredagh
Monday August 4th - Burren v Bredagh
Monday August 11th - Bredagh v Kilcoo
COMP RULES
All matches 3 x 20 mins, results after first 40 minutes, the third 20 mins to allow subs a game - All kick-outs from the hands on 20m line - Size 4 ball to be used - All games 15-a-side or 13 by agreement.
Heroics at Carryduff T'ment, Saturday June 14th
The Bredagh boys came... and the Bredagh boys conquered! Pictured here at the start of the tournament with the club banner, the U-10s put on a fantastic display of heart and determination mixed with great skill to reach the final of this excellent competition on a sweltering day. Bredagh beat Lamh Dhearg, drew with Downpatrick and then beat St Brides in a thrilling semi-final before losing to St Galls in the decider.
GAME ONE - Bredagh 0-0 St Galls 1-2
Although we didn't score, Kaelan Devlin nearly broke the crossbar with a stunning drive in a first-half where Bredagh dominated their highly-rated counterparts from across the city. St Galls always seem to be the team to beat these days but we definitely surprised them in a scoreless opening seven minutes. However, a scrambled goal at the start of the second-half and two fine points left Bredagh with a lot of work to do in the group.
GAME TWO - Bredagh 0-3 Lamh Dhearg 0-0
A deserved win for the boys with three well-taken points, though only for a few wonderful saves by Connor McManus, the game would have ended in a draw, at least. Timmy Durkan and Danny Nolan (2) got the scores, and the whole team was beginning to get into Tournament mode, that is, marking tight, bravely contesting every ball and sending good ball into the forwards. In the backs, Ciaran McFarland was a tower of strength, Ruairi Sheridan tidied up stylish play and Jack Holywood (despite taking a bad knock) was the classic running half-back. But, we needed at least a point from the next game to reach the semis.
PICTURES FROM THE LAMH DHEARG GAME
Tight marking by right-corner-back Diarmaid Kielty, with full-back Ciaran McFarland ready to help out if needed.
Daniel Steele moves in to block, though the ref has already blown.
Determination shows in the face of Niall Irwin as he tackles back. No 21 is Ronan McKegney.
Thou shalt not pass! Kaelan Devlin reaches out to block, with Deccie Magee catching up fast.
Danny Nolan watches Deccie Magee kick the ball. Declan's parents are in the background of the picture.
Kaelan Devlin and Daniel Steele move in to tackle.
GAME THREE - Bredagh 0-1 Downpatrick 0-1
The nails were starting to be bitten with regularity as the boys just couldn't hit the target despite dominating the contest. The small goalposts didn't help and their keeper made a point-blank save from Niall Irwin and touched another one onto a post. All Bredagh had to show was a single but brilliant point from Niall and when Downpatrick equalised, the pressure was on. They appeared to go ahead from a sideline ball but luckily the referee ordered a re-take because of an injury, and they missed! Still, Bredagh deserved to go through.
You can write your own captions for this one!
GAME FOUR - SEMI-FINAL - Bredagh 1-2 St Brides 1-0
The Malone Road team beat Bredagh easily in a friendly a few months ago, so this was a big test for our lads. An early penalty was superbly saved by Goalkeeper of the Tournament Conor McManus, but Peter Mooney scored from the rebound. There seemed to be no way back at half-time, but Bredagh dug deep and tenacious play by Kaelan Devlin and Deccie Magee won two frees which Danny Nolan converted (one from the sideline). With time running out, Diarmuid Kielty made an amazing goal-line clearance and the ball was quickly sent upfield to Niall Irwin, via Ben Scullion and Paul Maguire-Wilson. Wee Niall rounded his man and fired a great shot to the net for Bredagh's first goal of the tournament! Players and coaches leapt into the air with delight, and the big crowd cheered the team off the pitch at the final whistle seconds later. Ben Scullion deserves a special mention for keeping St Brides at bay with some superb defending in the closing stages - all in all, a marvellous victory and the highlight of the day for Bredagh.
The Bredagh Huddle.
GAME FIVE - THE FINAL - Bredagh 0-3 St Galls 3-0
The boys did not let themselves down with a gutsy performance against one of the best U-10 sides in the whole country. St Galls got three goals, but we replied with a Danny Nolan point every time they scored, showing tremendous spirit and determination. Deccie Magee made one outstanding block that showed that Bredagh just refused to lie down, which is why they finished second out of eight very good teams in this tournament. Conor McManus was unlucky with the first two goals and Kaelan Devlin had a low, goalbound shot deflected just wide. All 24 players received medals and the praise of all onlookers - a great tournament performance by the boys.
ACTION FROM THE FINAL
Bredagh competed very well with St Galls.
The referee awards a free for a foul on Kaelan Devlin (11).
Danny Nolan points from a long-range free.
THE SQUAD
Back row, left to right: Danny Nolan, Jack Holywood, Conor McEvoy, Ruairi Sheridan, Ben Scullion, Caolan McWilliams, Paul Maguire-Wilson, Kaelan Devlin, Ciaran McFarland, Connor McManus, Eamonn Kelly, Mark Quinn, Tim Durkan, Michael Cassidy.
Front Row: Michael Doran, Ciaran McColgan, Vincent Robinson, Joseph Shields, Diarmaid Kielty, Ronan McKegney, Niall Irwin, Deccie Magee, Seamus McCloskey.
Missing from photo: Daniel Steele.
Warrenpoint Tournament - OFF, August
Bredagh Under-10s won the Warrenpoint Tournament in August 2002, and will hold the title for another twelve months as the competition is not being played in 2003 because of work being done on their pitches.
Bredagh 5-2 Glenn 3-4, Cherryvale Monday May 19th
Another piece of Bredagh Youth history was made at a wet Cherryvale with the club's first game in the Mayobridge U-10 League. Managed by Marty Hannity and Micky Young, the 25-strong squad marked the occasion with a fine win in an entertaining game watched by a big crowd. Kaelan Devlin and Timothy Durkan were among the goals, while Niall Irwin and Deccie Magee fought for every loose ball. Conor McManus made some great saves, Conor McEvoy and Ciaran McFarland had their best games in defence, Jack Holywood hustled the visitors off the ball many times, and Diarmuid Kielty scored a cracking goal into the top of the net. All in all, a joy to watch and lots to forward to in the League.
NEXT GAME
Bredagh has a game next week at Newry Bosco and then every week we will be up against the likes of Longstone, An Riocht, Rostrevor and Burren. This is a great opportunity for our players to come up against the best in the county. The format helps all players, as the matches consist of three 20-minute sessions. The first two count towards the result and the last one is for everyone to get a game.
Newry Bosco 2-5 Bredagh 2-3, Newry Thursday May 29th
This was a disappointing result given our performance in our opening league game. We never really reached those heights in a game played on a very poor, short and narrow pitch with long grass and soft underfoot conditions. This certainly favoured the physically bigger Bosco team who played a more direct game of football which paid dividends. Some dubious refereeing decisions didn't help our cause either. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom as we did have some great performances, Conor in goals was once again superb, bringing off some great saves, while Ciaran at full-back was absolutely brilliant with his fielding and clearances. The rest of the boys tried their best but our inability to gain and retain possession meant that we were constantly on the back foot. In the third 20-minute period we did register a victory with some impressive points from play from Joseph Shields. Many thanks to the parents who provided transport and support for the team.
SQUAD: Connor MacManus, Diarmaid Kielty, Niall Irwin, Declan Magee, Michael Doran, Michael Cassidy, Ben Scullion, Daniel Nolan 1-2, Daniel Steele, Vincent Robinson, Mark Quinn, Ciaran McFarland, Conor McEvoy, Ronan McKegney, Kaelan Devlin 0-1, Seamus McCloskey, Jack Holywood, Joseph Shields, Eamonn Kelly 1-0, Paul Maguire Wilson, Dean Maguire, Ruairi Sheridan, Cormac Mee.
SUMMARY: A two-point loss was disappointing after making the long trip to Newry, especially as the home side was awarded a goal that Bredagh mentors felt had not crossed the line and Daniel Nolan had a point disallowed. Still, the big turn-out and running Bosco to a point showed once again that we can live with South Down teams in this League.
Bredagh 6-6 Longstone 1-3, Cherryvale Thursday, June 5th
Another enthusiastic performance from the big squad that turned out ensured that Bredagh remain unbeaten at home in this competition. Longstone made the long journey to Belfast but were no match for the likes of Tim Durkan, Danny Nolan and Kaelan Devlin. The goals flowed in the opening half, and although the visitors hit back with a few points at the start of the second-half, goalkeeper Daniel Steele pulled off a stunning save and Bredagh ran out easy winners. Connor McManus got a taste of life in the forwards, while P5s Ronan McKegney, Niall Irwin, Deccie Magee and Mark Quinn all contributed well. P4s Robert Graham, Seamus McCloskey and Michael Cassidy battled hard, and Michael Doran kicked the best point of the match from distance.
Saval 2-3 Bredagh 4-4, Saval Thursday June 12th
Marty Hannity's 20-strong squad put in a brave and skilful performance to make it three wins out of four in the Mayobridge League. On a picturesque evening in Saval, the boys dug deep to battle for their first victory away from home. Daniel Steele in goals and Ciaran McFarland came to the rescue when the team was under severe pressure in the second-half, while Tim Durkan and Danny Nolan gave great support in midfield. Michael Cassidy opened the scoring with a well-taken goal, followed by a fine point by Niall Irwin. Saval replied with a goal, but a Nolan point and a long-range Durkan goal had Bredagh ahead at the break by five points, 2-2 to 1-0. Saval reduced the deficit to two with a goal within ten seconds of the restart, and for a while it was tough and tense. Every player had to go into every tackle and their courageous efforts paved the way for Danny Nolan to score two points and a solo goal. Still Saval came at Bredagh and after Ciaran McColgan had scored a close-range goal, the home side got two late points. In the third 'half', the highlights were Deccie Magee taking on four Saval lads (and winning a free!) and a stylish point from Conor McEvoy after a pass from Jack Holywood.
TEAM: Daniel Steele, Ciaran McFarland, Ronan McKegney, Ruairi Sheridan, Ben Scullion, Jack Holywood, Tim Durkan, Daniel Nolan, Deccie Magee, Paul Maguire-Wilson, Michael Cassidy, Michael Doran, Niall Irwin, Diarmaid Kielty, Joseph Shields, Ciaran McColgan, Eoghan Curran, Eamonn Kelly, Conor McEvoy, Mark Quinn.
Hey Mister, did we win?!
Mayobridge 1-1 Bredagh 4-3, Mayobridge Sat June 21st
The long trek was well worth it as the Bredagh boys put in a wonderful performance at the home of the great Mickey Linden and many other famous Down players. In fact, Mickey's son was on the Mayobridge team, but tradition counted for nothing as the city side dominated from start to finish. The style of football was direct, with the ball moved quickly, and the key was hard work. From the goalkeeper to the corner-forward, Bredagh fought for every ball, tackling hard but fair. Tim Durkan was the outstanding example in midfield, getting through a mountain of work and scoring a goal, but there were many heroes. Conor McManus made a David Seaman-like save in the second-half, clawing a high ball from behind him to prevent a goal. Danny Nolan scored a superb and stylish 2-2, Eoghan Kelly showed up well at right-corner-back alongside the steady Ciaran McFarland and the ever-improving Ruairi Sheridan, Joe Shiels had his best game yet in the half-backs alongside the lively Jack Holywood and the determined Ben Scullion, Deccie Magee won MVP, Diarmaid Kielty crashed home a first-half goal, Kaelan Devlin got through loads of work, and Niall Irwin scored a great point. It was ten-nil at half-time, 3-1 to 0-0, but Mayobridge got a goal within seconds of the restart and as they were playing into the full-size goals, the big crowd of Bredagh parents feared the worst. But the Bredagh lads were having none of it. They got stuck in and wore down their illustrious opponents, and thoroughly deserved the win. The Carryduff Tournament was no fluke - this is a team to be reckoned with, they are getting better with every game in this League, which they now lead with four wins from five games. In the third session, Ronan McKegney, Mark Quinn, Paul Maguire-Wilson and Daniel Steele played very well, but the star was Dean O'Hara with his first-ever goal, smashing a great shot into the top corner of the net.
Bredagh 6-9 An Riocht 3-3, Cherryvale Saturday June 28th
Before the game began, Brian Cunningham got in some shooting practice.
The Kingdom had some small but very skilful players, like this one who needed the watchful eye of Danny Nolan.
There was some dodgy refereeing by the man in red and black...
Hands up! Michael Moyna and Kaelan Devlin compete with three opponents.
Tim Durkan and Deccie Magee move in....
Crunch! Tim and Deccie get their man, and the ball.
Michael Moyna closes his eyes and still gets away from one of the An Riocht defenders!
Flying into the tackle! Brian Cunningham is in mid-air, though Niall Irwin (13) appears to have things under control.
MATCH REPORT: It's now five wins from six for a team that just gets better and better with every outing. Despite falling behind to an early goal and having a few goalbound efforts well saved by the An Riocht goalkeeper, the Bredagh boys settled into their rhythm and the scores duly flowed. Poacher supreme Brian Cunningham got the first two goals, then Niall Irwin (who had set up one for Brian) hammered home a cracker to the top of the net, Danny Nolan added two points and Tim Durkan made it 4-2 to 1-1 at the break. A few more Nolan points and a Michael Moynagh goal put Bredagh out of sight, though An Riocht replied with 1-1. In the closing stages, Nolan was on target again and another Cunningham goal made it an emphatic win. Tim Durkan worked very hard at midfield, Declan Magee showed that his skills are now as impressive as his courage with some superb soloing, Daniel Steele deputised very well in goals and Joe Shiels was outstanding in defence. In the subs game, the whole panel get a good run-out with Ciaran McColgan and Mark Quinn stealing the show. Ciaran's tenacious tackling was a joy to watch, while Mark sent a free to the top corner of the An Riocht net.
Warrenpoint 2-6 Bredagh 2-5, W'point Saturday July 5th
There was disappointment all round as the Bredagh players, coaches and parents came away from Warrenpoint with nothing after a great second-half effort. Trailing by five points at the break, the boys gave it everything in the last 20 minutes but just came up short. Still, it is worth remembering that this is our first year in the League and we have lost only two games from seven, and they have been by one and two points. And, we were without players such as Kaelan Devlin and Ben Scullion.
In the first-half, Bredagh were on top for long periods but couldn't score. Many balls were kicked into the home full-back line with little reward and no luck. Niall Irwin shot against the post and several other efforts could have gone anywhere. In contrast, Warrenpoint scored 2-1 from four attempts at our goal. A free sailed directly into the top of the net and we found ourselves down at half-time by 2-1 to 0-2. A mighty effort saw Niall Irwin and Michael Cassidy both find the net as Bredagh won the second-half by 2-3 to 0-5, and substitute goalie Connor McManus made a cracking save, but it proved to be too big a mountain to climb before the final whistle. Bredagh are still joint top of the League with Burren and a break now will help everyone redouble their efforts for the latter part of the League as well as a few U-10 Tournaments in August.
Bredagh Lost to Clonduff, Cherryvale Thursday July 24th
Unfortunately the holiday season meant that we had only nine players available for the visit of Clonduff, so we took some of their players and had a good game but we forfeit the points.
Ballyholland v Bredagh, B'holland TBC
Burren 2-6 Bredagh 1-2, Burren Sunday September 7th
Despite the result, this was an enjoyable trip for the team, coaches and parents to the home of three-time All Ireland Champions Burren. The impressive surroundings was matched on the field by an impressive home team, though Bredagh more than held their own and on another day (with Kaelan Devlin and Daniel Nolan back) we could have made a real game of it. Goalkeeper Conor McManus was MVP with numerous point-blank saves and there were some excellent passages of play from the visitors, with a short-passing game leading to first-half scores for Niall Irwin (goal) and Jack Holywood (point). There were only two points in it at the break, and although Burren pulled away, Bredagh finished with a great point from Deccie Magee. In the final period of 20 minutes, Jack Holywood scored two goals and Bredagh won easily.
TEAM: Conor McManus, Diarmaid Kielty, Ciaran McFarland, Ruairi Sheridan, John Mongan, Ben Scullion, Eoghan Curran, Tim Durkan (capt), Brian Cunningham, Jack Holywood, Declan Magee, Conor McEvoy, Michael Cassidy, Niall Irwin, Daniel Steele. Subs: Vincent Robinson, Ronan McKegney, Mark Quinn and Eamonn Kelly.
Bredagh 4-1 Kilcoo 2-8, Cherryvale Friday September 19th
This was a rip-roaring encounter at Cherryvale between two of the top sides in the League. It ended in a narrow and controversial victory for the visitors which means they can clinch the title from their next and last match in the competition. For Bredagh, they can be very proud of their efforts in their first year in the League. On the night, they matched the best team and arguably should have won but for some debateable decisions by their referee in the second-half. Bredagh's big support was incensed by the failure to award what looked like obvious frees for the home side, especially in the last ten minutes.
Bredagh trailed at half-time by a point after a first-half where they dominated but couldn't convert possession into scores. Numerous balls were thrown into the full-forward line without reward, and our only scores were a point by Kaelan Devlin and a scrambled goal by John Mongan just before the break. At 1-2 to 1-1 down, Bredagh started the second period in dramatic fashion with two quick goals from Brian Cunningham and John Mongan again. Kilcoo were rocked, though they came back strongly. Some brave defending held them up until a penalty was awarded. Their kick-taker had not missed all year but Conor McManus brilliantly deflected the shot over the bar. Kilcoo however followed up with a succession of frees and a goal to regain the lead by 2-6 to 3-1. Bredagh responded with a marvellous solo effort from Kaelen Devlin, lifting the roof of the net with a great drive. Again Kilcoo came back and with all of the decisions going their way, they got a couple of points to claim the win.
Bredagh WIN Rostrevor,
This game was delayed into mid-September when the South Down U-11 League started, so Rostrevor conceded the points rather than try to fit it into a busy schedule for both clubs.
Bredagh v St Endas, Cherryvale Sunday June 23rd
Downpatrick T'ment, D'patrick Saturday June 28th
Bredagh beat Downpatrick in a thrilling first game, followed by wins over Castlewellan (see picture above) and Loughinisland. The Kilcoo game was a 'different' experience for the boys and coaches, but one which we will learn from for future meetings. Overall, the squad performed superbly and everyone got plenty of football. Boys like Stephen O'Connor and Dean O'Hara showed that they are close to first-team selection after their best performances of the year so far. There is another blitz pencilled in for Saturday, July 26th.
This picture was taken by Sean Nolan at the blitz, while the squad were listening intently to Coach Marty Hannity.....
Co Down Summer Camp, Carryduff July
Banbridge Tournament, Banbridge Saturday September 13th
RESULTS:
Group Two
Bredagh 2-4 Downpatrick 0-0
Bredagh 0-8 St Pauls 0-2
Bredagh 1-6 Banbridge 0-1
Bredagh 1-3 Newry Bosco 2-2
Semi-finals
Bredagh 2-2 Burren 1-2
Final
Bredagh 0-2 Carryduff 0-3
We may have lost the Final but only by a point and it should not take away from another tremendous performance by this very special U-10 team. They can now claim to be the most successful U-10 team Bredagh has ever had as they have conquered new heights in recent weeks, beating both Kilcoo and Burren for the first time and in so doing they have reached their third Tournament Final of 2003.... from three Tournaments!
BEATING BURREN
This time last year, Bredagh suffered an agonising defeat to Burren in the semi-finals at Banbridge, but we reversed the result in dramatic fashion. The scores were level in the second-half and Burren had a very strong wind on their backs when the Bredagh boys showed great heart and determination to break out of defence and land the clinching score - a goal by Danny Nolan. This avenged the 2002 loss and last Sunday's League defeat at Burren.
ANOTHER GREAT TOURNAMENT
In the Final, Bredagh lost by just one point, 0-3 to 0-2, to Carryduff, but were very unlucky to see a Danny Nolan effort rebound off the post in the closing minutes. Nothing went for us in the Final, but it was still another great Tournament performance as we had wins over Downpatrick, St Pauls, Banbridge and Burren.
SUMMARY OF MATCHES
In the first game against Downpatrick we were 1-3 up at the break with a great goal by Joe Shiels and points from Danny Nolan (2) and Niall Irwin. Full-back Ciaran McFarland took an accidental knock to the face but recovered bravely in the second-half. Danny added another point and Niall Irwin scored a super goal.
Goalkeeper of the Tournament and probably Player of the Tournament Conor McManus made an amazing double save just after half-time.
Three more points from Danny Nolan saw Bredagh outpoint St Pauls, though the best of the three was down to Conor McManus. The keeper's pinpoint kick-out set Danny clear and the wee man did the rest. The other points were scored by Brian Cunningham (2), captain for the day Kaelan Devlin, John Mongan and Niall Irwin. Against Banbridge, the host team, Bredagh strolled to victory with a goal from Eamonn Kelly and points from Danny (3), Michael Doran, John Mongan and Kaelan.
The Bredagh boys visibly tired in their fourth game in-a-row without a break and lost to a late Bosco goal. Points from Kaelan and Danny and a goal from Ronan McKegney had us in front, but Bosco used the strong wind to good advantage in the second period.
THE SEMI-FINAL
Bredagh had never beaten Burren and had lost to them as recently as the previous Sunday, as well as in the corresponding game twelve months before, so this was a famous victory for the boys. They did it the hard way by having to fight back against a really strong wind in the second-half when Burren equalised. We started well enough with a goal straight from a long-range free by Kaelan Devlin and a point from Danny, but Burren replied with a point and Conor McManus had to save the day with a wonderful penalty save. Just before the break, Burren shot to our net and the score was 1-2 to 1-1 for Bredagh. The onslaught came in the second-half but Bredagh survived one amazing goalmouth scramble and a series of Burren wides, before they finally sent over a point to equalise. There seemed to no way back until substitute Michael Cassidy won possession and drove the ball forward to Danny Nolan. He went on a run and probably shot for a point but the ball dropped into the net! Burren were distraught at the end, as we were a year before. The Bredagh boys showed admirable courage and skill to raise their game when needed and qualify for yet another Tourament Final.
THE FINAL
Maybe the boys were tired after the epic semi-final or maybe Carryduff deserve credit for closing us down, but whatever is the cae, Bredagh never got out of the starting blocks in the decider. It was one-all at half-time with our point from Danny Nolan, but we faced the stiff breeze and had it all to do once again. The boys dug in and Danny equalised their second point, but their third score came from a 45 and we were denied by the woodwork when Danny went for another equaliser.
THE SQUAD
Conor McManus, Eoghan Curran, Ciaran McFarland, Jack Holywood, Declan Magee, Ben Scullion, Diarmaid Kielty, Danny Nolan, Brian Cunningham, John Mongan, Kaelan Devlin (captain), Niall Irwin, Ronan McKegney, Michael Doran, Joe Shiels, Eamonn Kelly, Vincent Robinson, Mark Quinn, Conor McEvoy, Daniel Steele, Aaron, Ruairi Sheridan and Dean O'Hara.
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