FonaCAB St Pauls Ulster Minor Tournament, Quarter Final 

Bredagh 1-19-3-13 Southern Gaels (Cavan) AET, Bredagh win 3-1 on penalties 

Kevin Herron reports from Colaiste Feirste 

JACK MCCONVILLE saved three of Southern Gaels four penalties as Bredagh advanced to the semi-finals of the FonaCAB St Pauls Ulster Minor Tournament with a 3-1 shoot-out win at Colaiste Fierste on Saturday evening. 

The sides were unable to be separated, finishing 1-19-3-13 after over 80 minutes of play through normal time and extra time as a shoot-out was needed to settle things on the night. 

Bredagh had to send outfield player McConville into goals because regular keeper Joseph McIntyre had played through normal time with an injury, and their substitute keeper couldn’t be substituted because it was after full-time. As things worked out it paid dividends come the conclusion with the South Belfast side progressing to meet Monaghan champions Clontibret in the last four.  

It was the locals who were ahead inside of the first 60-seconds under the lights at Colasiste Feirste. Jacko Watson swung in a shot that appeared to have gone wide, only for team-mate Dara McCabe to have kept the ball in play and scrambled the ball to the Southern Gaels net. 

A foul on Jake Brady allowed Cian Galligan to get the Gaels up and running after 7 minutes and they took the lead from the next attack. 

Cormac McEntee was fouled and offloaded to Fiachra Brady and he in turn picked out Sonny McKiernan, a popped pass into Jake Brady opened up a goal opportunity and he rounded Joseph McIntyre and shot home to make it, 1-1-1-0. 

Parity was restored when Valo Marttila steered over and Bredagh hit the front again when goalscorer McCabe converted a free after Jack McConville was felled, then Jacko Watson guided a high angled shot over. 

Two scores in the space of 60-seconds tied things again after 21 minutes. Cormac McEntee was shoved in the back and he swung over the resulting free, and that was quickly followed by a clipped Jake Brady point. 

It looked as though a 45’ from James McEvoy had edged Bredagh in front at the break, but at the other end Caolan Fitzpatrick slipped a pass into Sonny McKiernan to ensure it was all square at the interval at 1-4 apiece. 

Southern Gaels made the perfect start to the second period when they were awarded a penalty and Cormac McEntee made no mistake, dispatching past McIntyre. 

A Gavin Farry point had Bredagh up and running, though a two-pointed Fiachra Brady effort doubled his side’s lead in response. 

Jacko Watson reduced arrears and points were traded between Cian Galligan (free) and Harry O’Neill. 

Midway through the half Bredagh began to click into gear, substitute Paddy Cooke dropped a shot over following Conn Hutson’s layoff and Luke Doran then converted an angled free to put the bare minimum between the sides (2-7-1-9). 

A two-pointed James McEvoy score had the County Down men ahead by the 51st minute and they extended their advantage when Doran converted a further free and Jacko Watson added to his personal tally for the evening. 

Southern Gaels were in need of a score and it came on the 56th minute, Jake Brady earned his side a free in the middle of the park and the ball was launched forward, eventually coming into possession of Cormac McEntee – whose bullet of a shot found the net to make it 1-13-3-7. 

The Cavan outfit looked to have nicked it on the hour mark when Dylan Corr produced a magnificent angled score that appeared to be the winner, though Bredagh forced extra time when Luke Doran converted a close range free to tie things up at the conclusion. 

Extra time: 

Southern Gaels drew first blood in extra time with their second two-pointed score of the evening courtesy of Cormac McEntee giving them the advantage. 

That lead was halved when Tiernan Conway immediately pointed in response and Conway popped over a leveller three minutes later. 

At the end of the opening half of extra time it was the Belfast side who held the slender 1-17-3-10 lead when Jacko Watson shot over on the turn. 

Midway through the second period of extra time the sides were drawn level as Caolan Fitzpatrick’s angled shot dropped over. 

Bredagh thought they they had done enough in the dying embers when they hit back-to-back points in the space of a minute. 

Dara McCabe laid the ball off to Conn Huston to nudge his side back ahead and a fine Jacko Watson bent a shot inside the posts to surely settle things by the 80th minute. 

The drama wasn’t to end there though and in the additional minute that was to be played at the end of the second period, Southern Gaels forced a free outside the arch and it was successfully landed by Cormac McEntee who began extra time with a two-pointer from play and his effort from the placed ball ensured that penalties were required. 

Penalties: 

Bredagh decided that outfield player Jack McConville would take up residence in goal, with experience as a soccer goalkeeper in his spare time. 

The East Belfast outfit took the lead in the shoot-out when Jacko Watson confidently blasted home, and McConville justified his switch in position when he saved Odhran Madden’s kick for Southern Gaels. 

Bredagh were two from two when Luke Doran netted from his sides second take, and their side were on the brink of victory when Caolan Madden’s effort was saved. 

Harry O’Neill’s conversion meant the pressure fell onto the shoulders of Fiachra Brady-but he finally got his side off the mark at the third time of asking. 

The chance for victory was passed up momentarily as Conn Huston saw his side’s fourth penalty saved by Darragh Eccleston in the Southern Gaels goal. 

However, Jake Brady was unable to extend the shoot-out as Jack McConville saved his third kick from four to ensure his side prevailed and joined early winners Clontibret in the semi-finals. 

BREDAGH: J McIntyre, M Tohill, L McMahon, J Skelton, L Doran (0-4f), E Browne, C McKee, J McEvoy (0-3, 0-1 45’, 1×0-2pt), H O’Neill (0-1), J McConville, J Watson (0-5), V Marttila (0-1), G Farry (0-1), M Guest, D McCabe (1-0). SUBS: C Hutson (0-1) for D McCabe (35), P Cooke (0-1) for G Farry (41), T Conway (0-2) for V Marttila (51), J McQuillan for J Skelton (57). 

SOUTHERN GAELS: D Eccleston, B Brady, C Madden, D Simpson, D Corr (0-1), F Brady (0-2, 1×0-2pt), C Sheridan, M Shields, C Fitzpatrick (0-1), S McKiernan (0-1), O Madden, E Gunn, C Galligan (0-1f), C McEntee (2-5, 1-3f, 1×0-2ptf, 1×0-2pt), J Brady (1-2, 0-1f). SUBS: D O’Meara for M Shields (46), T Crotty for S McKiernan (59), F Crowe for E Gunn (63), R Madden for C Galligan (71). 
REFEREE: Brendan Toland (LÁMH DHEARG)