By George, Bright bristling with confidence for decider

By George, Bright bristling with confidence for decider

20 September 2017

BARNSTORMING, belligerent, buoyant Bright becalmed Dromara with a stunning display at a miserably wet Pairc Esler on Saturday afternoon.

Noel Burke’s battlers were stunning from start to finish and they had an experienced Dromara side chasing shadows at times.

However, they have won nothing yet and they will have to get the better of Dundrum in the final before securing silverware.

Bright made another dream start and points inside the first minutes minutes from B J McMenamin (0-2) and Declan Trainor had them in a commanding lead.

Paul Kelly replied for Dromara in the ninth minute, but his score was quickly cancelled out by Matthew Burns. With 12 minutes gone Bright’s voracious desire to succeed hit the right note when Jack McLaughlin drifted wide right.

Rather than go for his point, the corner forward lofted the ball towards the back post where Gareth George was lurking before palming the ball into the net to make it 1-4 to 0-1 with 12 minutes gone.

Conor Burns grabbed Dromara’s second point in the 13th minute, followed immediately by another point from Brendan McNeill to leave four points in it.

Unfortunately, these scores proved to be false dawn for Dromara as Bright moved into top gear. Points from McLaughlin, Conor Kelly, George (0-2) and McMenamin were added to by a second goal from George after McLaughlin had provided the chance.

Dromara’s John Fegan picked up the last score of the first half as Bright went in at the break with a 2-9 to 0-5 lead.   Bright were definitely not as ebullient at the start of the second half and Conor Burns nabbed the first score of the second half. Dromara were now controlling the pace of the game,but they left themselves exposed at the back and Conor Kelly said goodbye when he ghosted past three defenders before calmly planting the ball in the net to make it 3-9 to 0-6 with 42 minutes gone.

A Brendan McNeill goal and a point from Colm Kelly kept Dromara interested, but George, who was on fire, and Conor Kelly had Bright back in a 10 point lead with 10 minutes remaining.

McNeill and George swapped points before McNeill (0-2) and Fegan rattled off the last three scores of the game for Dromara.

Dromara: S O’Hare, D Walker, C Quinn, S McNally, B McElroy, K Martin, P J Drake, C Kelly (0-1), E Kelly, P Kelly (0-1), K Kelly (0-1), L Kelly, C Burns (0-2), G Burns, B McNeill (1-4). Subs: J Fegan (0-2) for L Kelly, A Strain for G Burns, C Malone for McElroy. 

Bright: C Doyle, M Burns (0-1), N Byrne, C Byrne, C Toner, S Tumelty, M Burke, D Trainor (0-1), N O’Connor, C Kelly (1-2), C Ranaghan, R Tempany, B J McMenamin (0-3, 1f), G George (2-4,2f), J McLaughlin (0-1). Subs: C McLaughlin for Tempany, C Burke for McMenamin, J Farrand for Burns, E McKinney for McLaughlin.

Bright 3-12

Dromara 1-11

TROCAIRE JFC SEMI-FINAL