By Michael Mc Cartan

Powerade SFC Round 1   An Riocht 0.07   Bryansford 1.12

A potential banana skin for Bryansford was avoided when they knocked Pete Mc Grath’s, Division Two league leaders out of this year’s ‘Powerade’ Senior Football Championship.

For sixteen minutes the game was evenly balanced with the score standing at 0.04 apiece. But! A point from Chris Brannigan and a Gerard Morgan goal gave the Ford a breathing space which they capitalised upon; holding An Riocht scoreless for seventeen minutes.

All eyes were on Martin Clarke, given the recent speculation about his interest in Australian Rules football, but Bryansford’s Jonathan Cunningham was in superb form limiting Clarke’s influence and containing the All Ireland Minor winner to a single score. At the other end the Ford’s All Ireland Minor winner notched up a tally of six points before retiring through injury in the forty-sixth minute.

The exciting first quarter opened with a John Clarke free in the second minute and it was tit-for-tat until the seventeenth minute. Chris Brannigan and Brian Mc Veigh replied and Bryansford lead by the minimum which lasted only a minute.  Martin Clarke’s point was followed shortly after by one from Patrick Cole and An Riocht had reversed the roles.

Back came Bryansford with two points as Ciaran Branngan and Cunningham split the uprights and the Ford were again in the lead. John Clarke’s fist over in the fifteenth minute levelled the game. A very close game was in prospect with each side cancelling out the others scores.

When Chris Brannigan was upended in the seventeenth minute he rose to point the free. Everyone in the ground expected a rapid response from the Division Two leaders but it never came. Ferocious in their tackling around midfield the Ford won a sideline. Brian Burns drilled the ball to Ciaran Brannigan whose long range shot dropped inviting between keeper,Brendan Mc Veigh and Bryansford’s Conor Gribben. The ball was blocked out into the waiting arms of Morgan who drove low to the net passed Jim Clarke and Joe Mc Veigh who had raced to cover.

Ciaran Brannigan added two more points before the break  An Riocht were fortuitous in their last score of the half when Stephen Toner, who was magnificent in defence throughout the game, fumbled and Ciaran Walsh capitalised.

Trailing 0.05 to 1.07 An Riocht tried to assert themselves as the second half commenced. John Clarke pointed a free in the thirty-second minute and for five minutes Bryansford struggled to clear their lines. But it was only a matter of time before they regained their momentum and Ciaran Brannigan claimed three excellent scores before leaving the game injured. Conor Gribben gave the Ford a 1.11 to 0.06 lead with fourteen minutes remaining.

Fergal Doyle, Conor Sloan and Christopher Killen were introduced for An Riocht but the Ford machine stood solid until the fifty-fifth minute when Deaglan O’ Reilly breeched the defence. Chris Brannigan replied for Bryansford who in reality had a comfortable progression to the next round.