Bridge
make third final in a row - 23/09/2003
Senior
Football Championship semi Fianl: Mayobridge 1.13 Castlewellan 0-09 - 21/09/2003
Mayobridge the holders turned in a superb second-half performance
to outscore their opponents Castlewellan in the SFC semi-final in Clonduff Park,
Hilltown on Sunday evening 21st September on a scoreline of 1-13 to 0-9.
This was a very hard-fought encounter between two determined sides, and the difference
between the sides in the end was that the Mayobridge side had greater variation
in their attack and made better use of their scoring opportunities. The opening
half saw the Castlwellan side play their best football and they were unlucky not
to be further ahead at the break than one point - 0-6 to 0-5. However they were
getting it very hard to outwit a Mayobridge defence in which Ronan O'Hare, Noel
Sexton and Brendan Grant were on top of their game.
Mayobridge were a
completely different side in the second-half with top-class forwards such as Benny
Coulter, Michael Walsh and Mickey Linden thriving on a good supply of ball, and
the Castlewellan side were now under pressure. The real breakthrough for the winners
came in the final quarter when county star, Benny Coulter robbed Thomas Jennings
before cutting in from the right and blasting past Mickey McVeigh in the Castlewellan
goals.
This score really killed off the game as a contest as Mayobridge
quickly added three more points to their tally, and the losers only replay was
a pointed free from Gregory McCartan. On this form, Mayobridge will be strong
favourites to retain their county senior title, and could be also good bets for
an Ulster club title this season.
Mayobridge - S. Featherstone; D. Tighe,
B. Grant, G. Barry; R. O'Hare, F. Poland, Noel Sexton; D. Rooney, E. Woods; B.
Coulter 1-2, M. Walsh 0-1, R. Sexton 0-3; M. Linden 0-2, R. Coulter 0-4, G. McMahon
0-1. Subs: J. Coulter for B. Coulter.
Castlewellan - Mickey McVeigh;
T. Jennings, S. Trainor, L. Lennon; S. Poland, B. McAleenan, N. McArdle 0-1; G.
McCartan 0-2, P. O'Grady; F. McGreevy 0-4, C. McAlarney, T. McAtamney; D. O'Grady
0-2, C. McCabe, C. McCann. Subs - D. Anderson for T. Jennings; P. Keown, T. McAtamney,
N. Loughran for C. McCann, N. McAleenan for P. McGrady.
Referee: C. Broderick
(Banbridge).
