Ulster LGFA Senior Club Championship quarter final
Bredagh (Down) 2-10 Moneyglass (Antrim) 4-11
Moneyglass produced a magnificent performance to beat Down champions Bredagh in Sunday’s Ulster Senior Club quarter final at Cherryvale to secure a spot against Tyrone champions St McCartan’s at a home venue next weekend.
The Antrim champions dominated the opening half and were 1-6 to 0-3 ahead at half time, the goal coming from corner forward Bronagh Devlin. A second goal from Cliona Griffin early in the second half and another one from Devlin midway through the half had them in complete control, but Bredagh fought back with two goals of their own to leave things a little nervy for a while. However the Moneyglass fans need not have worried as centre back Rebecca Bradley settled any nerves with goal number four five minutes from time to seal a convincing win.
Bronagh Devlin takes one for the team as she beats Bredagh goalkeeper Emer Murtagh to the ball to palm the ball home for the first Moneyglass goal
Moneyglass started well with two Orlaith Prenter points in the fifth and seventh minutes, and it could have been much more had Bronagh Devlin’s goal bound shot not been turned away by Bredagh keeper Emer Murtagh, and Prenter’s angled shot not come back off the inside of the post and rolled along the line to safety.
When Bredagh captain Eilish Ward got her team on the scoreboard with a point on 10 minutes it appeared the Antrim champions may rue missing those early chances, but two minutes later a great move through the middle of the Bredagh defence ended with Bronagh Devlin beating the goalkeeper to a bouncing ball and bravely palming it to the back of the net.
With Niamh McIntosh brilliant at the back, Aoife Kelly in great form at midfield, Cathy Carey dominant on the 40 and O’Neill, Prenter and the twin Devlins creating havoc up front, the lead was soon out to six as Prenter hit a beauty of a point from the edge of the ‘D’ and soon it was seven as Aine Devlin got in on the scoring act.
Bredagh steadied the ship and pulled back point through Eva Hicks and Susanne White, and could have been closer, but for some great defending by the Moneyglass rearguard, and goalkeeper Anna McCann. The gap was down to four with just four minutes of the first half remaining, but two late points from the brilliant Prenter at full forward gave the St Ergnat’s girls a 1-6 to 0-3 cushion at the break.
With the breeze favouring Bredagh in the second half it was clear nobody in the Moneyglass camp was taking anything for granted as the second half got underway, but when right half forward Cliona Griffin broke through for a goal inside the opening minute the confidence flowed through the Moneyglass team.
Bronagh Devlin and Orlagh Prenter added two more to put eleven between the sides, but Bredagh were starting to find their feet and a series of excellent points from Eilish Ward, Eva Hicks, Anna O’Keefe and Laoise Duffy re-ignited their challenge. For the first time in the game Moneyglass were starting to waver a little, but they found the perfect response when Bronagh Devlin fired in her second goal of the game.
Bredagh found an instant replay when McCreanor squeezed the ball through a packed goalmouth at the other end, but Prenter found her scoring touch again with another well taken point from a free on the left. The Down champions came back with two more points from McCreanor and Hicks and the gap was back to seven, but five minutes from the end centre back Rebecca Bradley got in on the scoring act when she fired in her team’s fourth goal to seal an emphatic win.
After the game team manager Charlie O’Kane, humble as ever, said that he thought it was a great match between two very good teams. “when Bredagh beat them last year in Bellaghy the girls have striven to get to that level and they done it there today. I’m delighted for the girls, for they have done everything we ask of them, but we have nothing won yet” Next week we play the Tyrone champions and that will be another tough battle, there are no bad teams in Ulster.” We have had a great year and the club have won all the competitions in Antrim, so there a lot of young players coming through. Next week will be tough but we prepare that as the week goes on.”
MONEYGLASS
Anna McCann, Niamh Neeson, Emma Louise McAreavey, Niamh McIntosh, Eleanor Mallon, Rebecca Bradley, Sarah O’Neill, Aoife Kelly, Laura McCann, Cliona Griffin, Cathy Carey (capt), Maria O’Neill, Aine Devlin, Orlaith Prenter, Bronagh Devlin.
Subs – Alica Boyd and Danielle Duffin.
BREDAGH
Emer Murtagh, Siobhan Murray, Orna Kelly, Nuala Carvill, Olivia Boyle, Aishling McDarland, Orla Duffy, Aoife Laverty, Eilish Ward, Aoise Duffy, Claire Timoney, Anna O’Keefe, Ciara McCreanor, Vivienne McCormack, Eva Hicks.
Subs – Susanne White
Referee – Maggie Farreley
