BREDAGH coach Paul O’Reilly insists that his side have regrouped since their penalty shoot-out victory over Southern Gaels in the quarter-final of the FonaCAB Ulster Minor Tournament at St Pauls.
It’s been four weeks since the Belfast club and their semi-final opponents Clontibret of Monaghan tasted victory in their respective last-eight encounters on the 22nd of November when the tournament began at Colaiste Feirste.
The duo will lock horns on the Shaws Road tomorrow afternoon looking to be the first team to book their place in the annual New Years Day decider.
O’Reilly got to cast an eye over their semi-final opponents hours before his side went into battle, but admits his players didn’t as they wanted to avoid any distractions ahead of their evening encounter.
“We tried to get down to watch Clontibret, but we didn’t want the guys to get too ahead or distracted with our game in the evening” he admitted.
“We‘ve regrouped. We’ve had four weeks since the quarter-final. We’ve regrouped, watched videos, talked and we’ve got back out training and we’ll go for it on Sunday”.
Reflecting on their dramatic shoot-out victory, O’Reilly believes the group showed their character that they’ve displayed as far back as Feile back in U-13.
“It was a titanic game and two good teams that left everything out there on the pitch” he reflected.
“It’s a pity it goes to penalties but I can see why it goes to penalties on the night. We were just delighted to get over the line.
“We’ve shown character all along. In the semi-final in Down against Carryduff it was level, they looked like they might come across and win it and we got the winning point right at the very end.
“We know the boys have had the character, they have always had that character from Feile right from U-13 and they showed it in the quarter-final. They are a great crowd of guys”.
THE all-Belfast semi-final in the Rosina McManus Cup went right to the wire in Cherryvale on Tuesday afternoon with late goals from Honora Sands and Maisie Quilton seeing last year’s Shield champions Aquinas Grammar overcome St Geneieve’s.
The Ravenhill Road school led for almost the entire match, but St Genevieve’s kept clipping at the heels with midfielder Aimee Ferris the star performer and Rhea Hanna, Eliana Grant and Cady Brennan solid at the back with Autumn Connolly-Wallace and Ella Cavanagh catching the eye up front.
Aimee Ferris who starred for St Genevieve’s
For the winners Mary Angela Nic Cárthaigh and hat-trick heroine Maisie Quilton stood out with solid performances from Veronica Boyle and Sophia Little.
Quilton’s goal 12 minutes in put Aquinas 1-3 to 0-2 ahead and Anna McArdle also goaled before Aimee Ferris got the first of her three goals. She bagged another just before the break to leave Aquinas with a single point advantage, 2-3 to 2-2.
Quilton scored her second goal on the re-start. But Niamh Curry hit back with a goal and when Ferris completed her hat-trick 13 minutes into the second half, the girls from west Belfast had edged ahead by 4-2 to 3-4.
That lead last just four minutes with Nic Cárthaigh finding the net for Aquinas. Points were traded over the next ten minutes and with 55 minutes gone it was very much in the melting pot at 4-5 to 4-3.
However Aquinas finished strongly with a point from Katie Christie followed by goals each from Honora Sands and Quilton to see them through to the final.
The second semi-final, between St Joseph’s Donaghmore and St Joseph’s Crossmaglen, has been postponed until January 5th with the decider pencilled in for a week later.
Aquinas: M Quilton 3-0, MA Nic Cárthaigh 1-1, A McArdle and H Sands 1-0 each, E Bagnall and K Christie 0-2 each, G Engman and M Lawn 0-1 each
The first of the St. Paul’s/fonaCAB Ulster Minor Football club semi-finals is scheduled for this Sunday, 21st December when Down champions, Bredagh take on Clontibret O’Neill’s from Monaghan.
A Charlie Mone inspired Clontibret O’Neill’s of Monaghan swept aside the challenge of Derrygonnelly from Fermanagh in the first quarter-final of the St. Paul’s-fona/cab Ulster Minor Football club championship at Colaiste Feirste.
The Monaghan side led 1-7 to 1-3 at the break with their goal coming from Evan Treanor after 11 minutes and Darragh Keenan, Malachy Treanor, Charlie Mone, Jack Brady, Daniel Boylan and Odhran Boylan all weighing in with points.
The second half was less than a minute old when Odhran Boylan fired home Clontibret’s second goal and even then it looked as good as over and the Monaghan champions would push on to rake up an impressive second half tally.
Darragh Keenan, Charlie Mone, Jack Sullivan, Daniel Boylan, Jack Brady and Shane Connolly gave an exhibition of point taking as Clontibret romped home winners by 19 point to set up a semi-final meeting with Bredagh of Down.
Charlie Mone led his line superbly and caused endless problems for Derrygonnelly up front while Darragh Keenan, Odhran Boylan, Evan Treanor and Shane Connolly were others to impress for an impressive Clontibret.
It took penalties to separate their opponents on Sunday, Bredagh and Southern Gaels from Cavan in their quarter final at Colaiste Feirste.
Jack McConville saved three of Southern Gaels four penalties as Bredagh advanced to the semi-finals in a 3-1 shoot-out.
The sides were inseparable over the hour, finishing 1-19-3-13 after 80 plus minutes of play through normal time and extra time as a shoot-out was needed to settle things on the night.
Bredagh nominated outfield player McConville for the goal keeping duties after 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 in the end with the South Belfast side progressing to meet Monaghan champions Clontibret in the last four.
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.
Monaghan champions Clontibret who impressed in their opening game
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 drew level as Caolan Fitzpatrick’s angled shot dropped over.
Bredagh thought 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 Jacko Watson bent a shot inside the posts to surely settle things by the 80th minute.
The drama wasn’t over 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.
Jack McConville became the Bredagh hero with his three saved penalties but is likely to return to his outfield duties if Joseph McIntyre is deemed fit to resume goalkeeping duties and there might not be too much separating these sides after 60 plus minutes with the possibility of another penalty shootout not to be ruled out.
Charlie Moone could prove the difference in a tight contest for the Monaghan side however and they might just edge an eagerly awaited semi-final.
The second semi-final of the St. Paul’s/fonaCAB Minor tournament will take place on St. Stephen’s Day, December 26th with the final scheduled for New Year’s Day.
St Patrick’s Maghera 3-11 St Killian’s, Garron Tower 2-7
Monday 15 December
Brendan McTaggart reports from Lavey
A brilliant start and strong performance from Emma Quinn was enough for St Pat’s to reach the Corn Uan Uladh Final on Monday evening but they were made to fight for the full hour by a gallant St Killian’s side.
Seven points separated the sides with Quinn top scoring with eight white flags while majors came from lightning inside forward Aoibh Mulholland and Swatragh duo Aoife McWilliams and Marie Therese McCullagh.
After a start that was borderline catastrophic for the ‘Tower, they were left indebted to goal keeper Laoiseach McNaughton who pulled off a string of saves and was assured under the dropping ball in testing conditions.
Eva McNeill was once again immense at the heart of the St Killian’s defence and top scored with 1-5. Anything coming from an attacking sense from St Killian’s came from their centre half while Cliodhna Thompson was always a handful up front. She would finish with 1-2 for her hours work and her move further out the field in the second half gave them a stronger attacking position but St Pat’s always had an upper hand. Midfield duo Orla McCartney and McCullagh worked tirelessly throughout while the direct running of Brannagh Brolly was causing the St Killian’s back six plenty of problems.
With the temperature showing not much above zero at the south Derry venue and a freezing fog hovering, it was the Maghera girls who started on fire. Laoiseach McNaughton had denied Aoibh Mulholland with a super save in the first attack of the game but St Pat’s constant pressure finally yielded the opening goal of the game through MT McCullagh.
The St Pat’s pressure continued with Emma Quinn’s accuracy from placed ball unerring. Three points in as many minutes from placed ball had St Pat’s 1-3 to no score up after seven minutes and any St Killian’s attacks were in scarce supply.
The second St Pat’s goal came in the 12th minute, Aoibh Mulholland getting on the end of a lovely pass from Bolly before finding the bottom corner. Nine points up and it was all one way traffic, it looked like it was going to be a long evening for the St Killian’s girls.
Eva McNeill opened their account with an accurate ’45 only for a brace of scores to follow from Aoibh Mulholland and Emma Quinn. Quinn’s effort a brilliant score, instinctive and accurate despite being under pressure.
McNeill split the uprights in the 17th minute before Cliodhna Thompson found the back of the St Pat’s net. McNeill delivered the sliotar high to the edge of the square and when it broke loose, Thompson was first to react and managed to find the far corner of the net, throwing St Killian’s a lifeline.
Orla McCartney and McNeill (’45) swapped white flags in the time that remained to leave the half time score 2-6 to 1-3 in the Maghera schools favour.
St Killian’s were fastest out of the traps in the second half and had the opening two scores of the half inside five minutes. Thompson and McNeill (free) as the ‘Tower played with more aggression and intensity. St Pat’s responded with a brace of points from Orla McCartney and Emma Quinn (free) but a second St Killian’s goal brought them back to within three in the 44th minute. Eva McNeill sending the sliotar into the danger area but it took a wicked bounce and deceived Orlaith Johnston between the sticks to leave just three between the sides.
That goal seemed to sting the Maghera school into life again. They saw goal chances come and go from Emma Quinn and Brannagh Brolly with a mix if heroic defending and brave goal keeping from Laoiseach McNaughton keeping them in the game but a run of 1-2 inside three minutes all but ended the game.
Points from placed ball by Emma Quinn came either side of their third goal, Aoife McWilliams getting her shot away under pressure to put eight between the sides with six minutes remaining.
St Killian’s continued to try and carve a way through the St Pat’s defence but points from Thompson and McNeill was all they managed while almost fittingly, Emma Quinn had the final say of the fame with her eighth point of the game.
St Pat’s progress to a meeting with Cross and Passion in the New Year while St Killian’s are left to rue the opening quarter and what might have been.
It’s not everyday the Liam McCarthy cup is in Belfast I do hope that one day it’s a reality for my own County Antrim. On Friday afternoon with the sun shining St Peter’s primary school hosted this famous trophy with All Ireland Tipperary’s winning manager Liam Cahill, along with players; Darragh McCarthy, Willie Connor’s and Rhys Shelly. In attendance also was the board of governors from the school which included our very own club chairman Tommy Shaw. From Gaelfast Alfie Hannaway was also present in the hall. The school and my supporting club Davitts prepared the outside and inside certainly fit for champions. All schools in the Lower Falls were in attendance St Paul’s, St Joesphs, St Claire’s, Gaelscoil na bhFal agus Gaelscoil an Lonnain making it a real community event. They landed in Ross Road ironically across from the house I grew up in my formative years to a wall of noise with everyone keen to get a glimpse of the Tipperary contingent and the trophy. They then proceeded through the St Peter’s guard of honour outside with the Sunday game theme tune bellowing in the background. On entering the school they were routed around the school which was lined with children from P1 up waving flags and screaming with excitement. In the main hall where all the schools were seated the energy and excitement was amazing which Peter Carleton was controlling with his DJ skills. When they eventually got into the packed hall they were met with a rapturous welcoming. We had a Q & A which all schools joined in on, a few speeches from Roisin McLaughlin ( St Peter’s principal), Liam Cahill and myself. Liam’s kind words towards the school and our club Davitts was very much appreciated, he Ballingarry man has a built a good relationship with our club. We finished off with the children getting autographs and pictures trying to capture a moment which I hope will remain with them for the rest of their lives. I hope this can be a springboard for the GAA in the local schools which are crucial part of our family and vision for the future. I want to thank the schools as we only had a week to prepare. The teachers leading the charge were Mark Kelly (St Paul’s), Dominic Fryers (St Joseph’s), Brendan Birt (St Clare’s ) Sean Fenn (Gaelscoil na bhFal) agus Micheál Connolly (Gaelscoil an Lonnain). Special mention to Roisin McLaughlin (St Peter’s principal) and her teachers, assistants and Gerard. Finally to Micky McCullough and Gavin Shaw thanks for making it happen.
Micheál O’Brien The school and my supporting club Davitts prepared the outside and inside certainly fit for champions. All schools in the Lower Falls were in attendance St Paul’s, St Joesphs, St Claire’s, Gaelscoil na bhFal agus Gaelscoil an Lonnain making it a real community event. They landed in Ross Road ironically across from the house I grew up in my formative years to a wall of noise with everyone keen to get a glimpse of the Tipperary contingent and the trophy. They then proceeded through the St Peter’s guard of honour outside with the Sunday game theme tune bellowing in the background. On entering the school they were routed around the school which was lined with children from P1 up waving flags and screaming with excitement. In the main hall where all the schools were seated the energy and excitement was amazing which Peter Carleton was controlling with his DJ skills.
When they eventually got into the packed hall they were met with a rapturous welcoming. We had a Q & A which all schools joined in on, a few speeches from Roisin McLaughlin ( St Peter’s principal), Liam Cahill and myself. Liam’s kind words towards the school and our club Davitts was very much appreciated, he Ballingarry man has a built a good relationship with our club. We finished off with the children getting autographs and pictures trying to capture a moment which I hope will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
I hope this can be a springboard for the GAA in the local schools which are crucial part of our family and vision for the future. I want to thank the schools as we only had a week to prepare. The teachers leading the charge were Mark Kelly (St Paul’s), Dominic Fryers (St Joseph’s), Brendan Birt (St Clare’s ) Sean Fenn (Gaelscoil na bhFal) agus Micheál Connolly (Gaelscoil an Lonnain). Special mention to Roisin McLaughlin (St Peter’s principal) and her teachers, assistants and Gerard. Finally to Micky McCullough and Gavin Shaw thanks for making it happen.
Micheál O’Brien
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PICS CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
