Bryansford stage comeback glory

8 October 2014

BATTLING Bryansford bridged a 36 year gap when they lifted the Division 1 title after a bruising battle with Mayobridge at Kilcoo on Saturday afternoon.

This encounter had it all and after a pulsating 60 minutes played at breakneck speed, it was Joe Ireland who fired over an amazing winning score, almost three minutes into added time to send Bryansford wild with delight.

The ‘Ford’s win was made all the more enjoyable and satisfying as they played the entire second half with only 14 men after Kalum King was sent off for two yellow cards and Timmy Hanna, who was having a stormer, was black carded midway through the second half.

The game got off to a tempestuous start with a few pleasantries exchanged before the ball was even thrown in, but it was Ciaran Brannigan who notched up the game’s first score in the third minute with a point from play.

It was Mayobridge who recorded the next score with Michael Lively popping up from full back to score and the lively Caolan Gallagher tagged on a point to give his side the lead.

The feisty nature of the game continued unabated, but Luke Howard duly brought the sides level when he showed Lively that he too could join in the attack when he scored a nice, fisted point in the eighth minute.

A Ciaran Brannigan free nudged Bryansford ahead before Gallagher brought the sides level again in a flash.

There was absolutely nothing to separate the sides in a battle of wills and Chris Clarke and Conleth O’Hare exchanged points as did Ireland and Kevin O’Rourke to leave it all square again by the 18th minute at 0-5 apiece.

Ireland then manufactured a scything run through the heart of the Bryansford defence and shipped the ball to an unmarked Kalum King.

The big midfielder had the goal at his mercy, but he was denied by a stunning save from Shealin Strain.

Ciaran Brannigan also broke through the Mayobridge cover a matter of minutes later and he set up Chris Brannigan, but Strain intervened with a brave interception to save the day for Mayobridge.

With 22 minutes gone Conleth O’Hare and Conor Devlin swapped points before the game took another dramatic turn.

Mayobridge’s John Caldwell, who had just replaced Jamie Barr in the middle of the field, won dirty ball about 40 metres from the Bryansford goal and as the ‘Ford defenders appealed for a foul on Ireland, Caldwell slipped the ball to Benny Coulter who didn’t have to be asked twice before beating Marc Reid with a tidy finish to the net.

This was only the start of Bryansford’s worries as seconds later Kalum King was controversially shown a second yellow and then red to hand the initiative to Mayobridge big time.

The South Down side then rubbed salt into the wounds when Ryan Brady pointed his side into a 1-7 to 0-6 lead at the break.

Bryansford certainly had a mountain to climb, but climb it they did it in spectacular style.

However, it was Mayobridge who strengthened their position on the restart with three unanswered scores from Gallagher, Kevin McClorey and Caldwell to take a seven point lead.

All seemed lost for Bryansford, but how wrong we all were.

Davy McKibbin, who got stronger and stronger as the game went on, started the comeback with a super point from play. This score injected a new belief in Bryansford and Chris Clarke, Chris Brannigan, Timmy Hanna, Danny Savage and Conor Maginn followed suit with points of their own to leave the ‘Ford trailing 1-10 to 0-12 with 10 minutes remaining.

Ryan Brady put two points between the sides with a good score from play and O’Rourke stretched it to three as Bryansford’s brave challenge seemed to falter, but that was far from it.

In another amazing turnaround exceptional pressure scores from Savage (2) and McKibbin had the sides level at 1-12 to 0-15 with five minutes remaining.

The 60 minutes were up when Gavin Walsh pointed Mayobridge ahead, but in a sensational finale to the game, McKibbin levelled the scores with a free and with the

referee about to blow for full time, Joe Ireland was on the end of an overload down by the left hand sideline and somehow crafted a score with his left foot to give Bryansford an amazing win.

Bryansford: M. Reid, T. Hanna (0-1), L. Howard (0-1), C. Devlin (0-1), J. Magorrian, B. King, S. Toner, J. Ireland (0-2), K. King, D. Savage (0-2), D. McKibbin (0-4), C. Maginn (0-1), C. Clarke (0-2), Ciaran Brannigan (0-2), Chris Brannigan (0-1). Subs: A. McDonald for Magorrian, C. Gribben for T, Hanna (black card), R. Wells for Howard, A. Somers for Chris Brannigan.

Mayobridge: S. Strain, C. Gribben, M. Lively (0-1), K. Lynchehaun, S. McNamee, C. Fitzpatrick, K. McClorey (0-1), B. Coulter (1-0), J. Barr, S. O’Hare, C. O’Hare (0-2), A. Barry, K. O’Rourke (0-2), R. Brady (0-2), C. Gallagher (0-3). Subs: J. Caldwell (0-1) for Barr, C. Quinn for Fitzpatrick, G. Walsh (0-1) for S. O’Hare.

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