Down Ladies’ SFC final Bredagh v Carryduff (Saturday, Downpatrick, 5pm)
BREDAGH could land a seventh consecutive Down title this evening but Carryduff stand in their way.
This could be one of the closest finals in the last few years, the defending champions up against this year’s Division One league champions.
Both sides topped their respective groups to qualify for the semi-finals, coming out on top in those just last weekend, Bredagh defeating Downpatrick and seeing off Bryansford.
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Bredagh reached last year’s Ulster final losing to Clann Eireann and while they would undoubtedly like to get back there again, their attentions are fully on Carryduff and ensuring they do everything they can to keep hold of the title they have held since 2018, according to captain Eilish Ward.
“They [Carryduff] have been the in-form team in Down this season so I think everyone would have expected them to be in the final,’’ she says.
“They’ve won the league and minor championship and have a brilliant squad so based on this season, I’m sure they’ll be favourites for the game.
The league encounters between the two produced a win each.
“We won the first game and Carryduff fairly hammered us the second time around, so they’ve definitely had the upper hand this year,’’ adds Ward.
“I think our league form was fairly up and down this year, but we probably gained a bit more consistency performance wise as the season went on which was good for us. We felt we had a lot of areas to improve on from so hopefully we’ve done that through the summer.”
Carryduff were last in the county final back in 2020. That ended in a third straight final loss to Bredagh, but there are signs that the tide is beginning to turn with Carryduff’s Ulster minor success last season and they retained that county title earlier in the summer, beating Bredagh in the final.
A number of those minor players have stepped up into the senior squad bringing it to another level according to captain Laura Sharvin.
Also, eight to 10 players who were involved in that last county final are still involved.
The senior – they have two teams, with the other playing in Division Three and currently holding the county junior title – and minor teams are all under the same management team of Noel Napier, Gerard Sergeant, Shane Donnelly, Stephen McArdle, Maura Moran and Paul Gibney.
“The minors have stormed on to the senior squad,’’ says Sharvin.
‘’I’ve been blown away with their talent and determination. Their Ulster title is a testament to the hard work put in and highlights the strength of ladies’ football in Carryduff and Down.
‘’This success not only enriches the senior team but also paves the way for continued growth and development within the sport which is fantastic to see and be part of.”
Sharvin does believe they have closed the gap on Bredagh, who are in a ninth straight final and who have set the bar high, with all the other clubs trying to achieve what they have.
“Bredagh have been out of reach the last number of years, but I feel we have closed that gap,’’ she adds.
“With the way ladies’ football has been growing at underage levels in Down I believe more teams won’t be far behind.
‘’I was very impressed with the likes of Clonduff, Saul and Dundrum in the Division Three league and you just have to look at the breadth of teams represented on the Down team to see the progress already made.
“We have what it takes to win. The skills, teamwork and dedication throughout the season is evident and comes across on the pitch.
‘’If we continue to play with the same level of focus and commitment on Saturday as we have done throughout the league campaign and to get us to this stage of championship, we have every chance of succeeding.”
