End of road for Bright stars as Ardglass win

End of road for Bright stars as Ardglass win

13 September 2023

BOTH Ardglass and Bright knew they were in a must-win match in order to progress to the next round of the Junior Football Championship after hiccups earlier in the competition.

Ardglass had drawn against Glasdrumman and Bright lost to the same opposition by two points. 

Favouritism leaned more to Ardglass to come out on top and it was them who started the scoring off through a Jamie McDarby point from play. 

This score stemmed from a short free in the middle of the park, with Michael Magee passing out to the right and McDarby converting. 

Ardglass doubled their scoring from the kick out, with a turnover by Shane Taggart, pass to Magee and strike over the bar. 

It took until the eighth minute for Bright to get their first score, after the ball was over-

turned by Gareth George before a long range kick to Tony McIlhone was brilliantly converted.

Bright levelled the scoring in the tenth minute when Ross McLeigh cracked a near 45 metre shot and both umpires agreed it had split the posts. 

Ardglass quickly responded as Caolain O’Shea was allowed space for an easy finish. O’Shea notched his second point of the contest soon after, stepping up to take a free from the 45 metre line. 

Ardglass looked to have momentum behind them, with Adam Mulhall getting his first score after a poor kick out and McDarby getting his second when he found the space at close range. 

Bright needed to respond and for the next six minutes of the game they did, coming in the form of a point from Gareth George, thanks to great ball play by Matthew Burns, and a Lee Murphy effort from the ’45.

However, Bright really found motivation when Matthew Burns set up Declan Burns, who side stepped his marker and fired to the net for a goal to take his team in front by a point.

Ardglass levelled the game once again through a Magee free. Half-time: Ardglass 0-7 Bright 1-4.

The first five minutes of the second half was ping pong scoring, Bright opening with a Declan Burns point from play and Jack O’Shea executing a great score from out from the left. 

Lee Murphy added his second point of the game before Ardglass’ Michael Magee responded with a score of his own. 

Magee continued his fine form, taking a far out chance that paid off in the 37th minute. Ardglass went two in front through James Crangle, although Bright kept in touch with need Kyle Broggy capitalising on the break. 

The turning point came 15 minutes from time, as Bright found themselves reduced to 14 men as Declan Burns was shown a red card. 

Magee then restored the two-point lead and Bright went desperately hunting for a goal, but the Ardglass backline was holding well. 

The game was as good as over when Polley exchanged a neat one-two with team-mate O’Shea before lashing his effort over the bar to confirm a three-point victory for Ardglass.

Bright had the pace on the day, but Ardglass had the ability to score points from all over the pitch. 

Ardglass: S Moore, M Crangle, L Kearney, SP Halpin, S Rooney, J O’Shea, S Teggart, A Mulhall, J Crangle, J McDarby, M Magee, C O’Shea, A O’Shea, C Mahon. 

Subs: J Polley, E McMullan, G O’Shea, C Feenan, E McEvoy.

Bright: A McEvoy, C Laird, B Mageean, C Black, D McComiskey, C McLaughlin, C Byrne, O McEvoy, K Broggy, L Murphy, T McIlhone, D Burns, G George, M Burns, R McLeigh.

Subs: M Murphy, D Quinn, M Laird, J Hanna, M O’Connor.