Down Senior Ladies Championship Final: Bredagh 2-16 Carryduff 0-9
BREDAGH clinched their second Down senior title in three years with a convincing 2-16 to 0-9 win over Carryduff in Saturday’s final.
It is a fifth senior title for Bredagh following on from 2009, 2010 and 2016 county final victories and they now begin their preparations for the Ulster senior club championship.
The Belfast-based club, managed by Caolan Hendron and Paedar Doyle, whose daughter Anna is corner forward on the team, led 1-11 to 0-6 at half time, thanks to some superb long-range point taking and a goal from Anna McKee but it was a close opening quarter with just a point between the sides, Bredagh leading 0-4 to 0-3.
However, McKee’s goal gave them a 1-5 to 0-4 19th minute lead and they pushed on in the final 10 minutes of the half to go in at the break eight points to the good.
They held Carryduff to just three points in the second half and kicked on to hit another 1-5, their second goal coming from Ella Durkin to give her side a 2-14 to 0-7 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Wing half-forward Eva Hicks top scored with seven points as she picked up the 'Player of the Match' award.
Captain Hannah Murray, who had led the team for the past five years, was delighted to receive the Down senior championship title on behalf of her team-mates for the second time in three years.
“Anna’s goal was the turning point,” said Murray. “We pushed on from there and had a good eight points lead at half-time and our fitness and work rate - we had 11 passes out on our way to scoring our second goal - really stood to us.
“It was a tight game up until that the first goal and we felt we had a point to prove as we were beaten by Carryduff in the first round of the championship last year. It was our goal this year to try and win the county title again and we are looking forward to the Ulster championship.
“We have some great minors in our team who won the Ulster minor club championship in 2016 like Ciara and Muirin McCreanor and Orla and Laoise Duffy coming through and that has made a great difference.
“I am very proud of this great bunch of players and am honoured to captain them to another county title.”
