Morgan Fuels Down SFC round one: Bryansford 0-8 Cumann Pheadair Naofa 0-13
CUMMAN Pheadair Naofa blitzed Bryansford in the second half to become the first team into the second round of the Morgan Fuels Down Senior Club Championship.
Played in Mayobridge, it was a poor opening half with no clear-cut winners as only a point separated the sides at the break.
The game started with a bit of drama as Warrenpoint’s John Boyle fouled big Packie Downey in the square but Peter Brannigan drilled his spot-kick against the crossbar and was then blown up for overcarrying after catching the rebound.
Sadly, that was the highlight of an otherwise laboured opening 15 minutes. To be fair Cumann Pheadair Naofa had much of the possession but they continued to walk into tackles or when they did breach Bryansford’s defence they were shy of the target.
The sides were level after 10 minutes following points from Bryansford’s Philip Bonney and Niall McGovern. The Ford edged ahead with a David McKibbon converted free and a fine outside of the boot point from Bonny.
Danny Savage’s converted free gave Bryansford a three-point lead, which they held until first half additional time, when points from Jamie Grant and Ryan Boyle closed the gap.
The second half was a much different game due mainly to the introduction of Warrenpoint’s Ryan Mallon.
Mallon provided the direct driving force that was missing in the opening half and Warrenpoint didn’t look back. Savage kicked three points for Bryansford but by the end of the third quarter Cumman Pheadair Naofa were in the lead.
Ross McGarry (2), John Boyle, Aaron Magee, Grant, Donal McAleenan (free) and Mallon (2) gave CPN a 0-12 to 0-7 lead with three minutes to go.
Bryansford had chances but Warrenpoint keeper Conor D’Arcy pulled off two good saves, but McGarry and Downey traded points in injury-time as CPN saw the game out.
Bryansford scorers: D Savage 0-4 (0-1f), P Bonny 0-2, D McKibbon 0-1f, P Downey 0-1
CPN scorers: R McGarry 0-4 (0-2f), J Grant 0-2, R Mallon 0-2, J Boyle 0-1, A Magee 0-1, D McAleenan 0-1, R Boyle 0-1, N McGovern 0-1
Morgan Fuels Down SFC round one: Longstone v Mayobridge (Friday, Pairc Esler, 8pm)
DOWN legend Benny Coulter begins his first Championship as player-manager when Mayobridge takes on Longstone in Friday's Down SFC opening round in Pairc Esler (8pm).
The match is the second part of a double-header following the clash between Ballymartin and Saval (6.30pm).
The usually forthright Coulter has stayed tight-lipped ahead of this year’s campaign, but his assistant Francie Poland insists that the club’s season hinges on nights like tonight and that they won’t be taking the ’Stone lightly.
The Sky Blues enjoyed mammoth success in the late noughties without winning an Ulster crown, but it would mean so much to them to get their hands on the Frank O’Hare Cup for the first time since 2008.
Former Down star Ambrose Rogers also makes his return to Championship action for Longstone this evening.
The all-action midfielder has endured many ‘career-ending’ injuries and missed all of last season, but he still manages to bounce back, and when a team has driven characters such as Rogers and Mark Poland then they can’t be written off.
The Mournemen needed an end-of-season relegation play-off win against Saval last season to avoid the drop and this season has been a struggle too with their only win coming against fellow basement side Glenn.
But Francie Poland doesn’t feel that league results matter when it comes to tonight’s game.
“Longstone may not have won a lot but they have only lost by a couple of points in most of their games and they always lift their game when it comes to championship and we know it will be a tough battle,” he said.
While the loser will get a second chance through the back door, Poland insists that Mayobridge want to take the traditional route.
“There’s only one way we want to go and that is through the front door,” Poland said.
“Mayobridge have been judged on their championship campaigns over this past 15 years and this year is going to be no different. We want to take the direct route as we can do without the extra games.”
Aside from Mark Poland and Ambrose Rogers, Longstone will want talented players such as Michael Ireland and Mark’s younger brother Conor Poland to take the game to Mayobridge, while the Sky Blues, expected to be led out by player-manager Coulter, will hope that players such as Ryan Brady, Corey Quinn and Down panellist Cathal Magee can seize the initiative.
The two teams have had many ding-dong battles over the years and tonight’s test promises to be another physical cracker. But then you will also have the grace and sheer class of former Down stars Coulter and Rogers inspiring and conjuring up magic in Pairc Esler and for that it will be worth the admission fee alone.
Longstone have traditionally been the dark horses of the Down club championship and this year is no different.
Mayobridge will not take them lightly and last week’s ambush by CPN in the league will have the Sky Blues on their guard.
It should be a close contest with Mayobridge possessing enough up front to edge it.
