Bredagh edge thriller

Bredagh edge thriller

21 September 2016

BREDAGH lifted the Intermediate Hurling Championship title with a committed display at Newcastle on Saturday.

Under the warm sunny skies at St Patrick’s Park, Bredagh set out with a clear determination to equal their opponents’ work rate and overturn the commonly predicted verdict of a Ballycran win.

It was Ballycran, though, that chased Bredagh’s early lead, taking a 0-10 to 0-8 lead before Ballycran’s full forward Philip Miskimmin caught the Bredagh’s full back line off guard.  

Bredagh goalkeeper Joe Shields found himself on the wrong side of the ball, allowing Miskimmin to finish with a one-handed swing, scoring the first goal of the match. 

Bredagh didn’t let up and switched their puck outs to the right side of the field which proved a decisive strategy. 

On the stroke of half-time, the Belfast side’s Malachy Scullin caught the puck out and delivered it to full forward Ryan Curran. He set up a clever little hand pass to Niall Donnelly and his shot was low and left of Ballycran ‘keeper Declan Ennis. 

The second half witnessed more points from both teams, notably Bredagh’s Cillian Mac Suibhne scoring relentlessly from frees.  

However, it was Ballycran’s Neall Torney who demonstrated how to reap rewards. Falling back momentarily to support Conor McCarthy in midfield, Torney managed to steal the ball mid-air from between two Bredagh men before slotting over.

Bredagh were on the march again, and it was Scullin who received a midfield clearance from Eoghan Donnelly. He played a simple hand pass to Donal Hughes and he did the rest with an improvised finish to the net.

The scoreline now read Ballycran 1-10 to Bredagh’s 2-9.

Ballycran knew they had to sustain the pressure and sooner or later an opportunity would come their way. They didn’t have to wait long as Michael Taylor cleared a ball from the half back line all the way into the heart of Bredagh’s defence.  

Bredagh’s Cormac Hughes blocked the high sliotar which fell to the ground. Ballycran’s Niall Breen pulled on the sliotar, sending a rasping low ball past Shields for Ballycran’s second goal.

Ballycran’s Colm McManus and Gerard Hughes and Bredagh’s Sean McGourty and Declan McCartney exchanged points in the closing minutes. 

However, Bredagh managed to pull ahead into a two-point lead, courtesy of an excellent point from Donal Hughes.

Ballycran had a free from an awkward angle well into injury time and as the sliotar soared over the bar, referee Eddie Morgan blew for full time.