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Champions
keep up the hope of the double - 02/12/02
Bryansford
0 - 06 v Mayobridge 2 - 11
 On
Sunday past the current county champions Mayobridge took
on east down club Bryansford in the league semi final at
Burren. In very poor conditions with high winds and rain
Mayobridge outclassed a Bryansford side, that failed to
acclimatise to the conditions. Bryansford for their part
had taken the game to the county champions and could have
had a goal when Colm Kearney’s cheeky chip cleared Featherstone
but was caught by the wind and rebounded off the upright.
Adrian Carville following in found his shot parried by Featherstone
over the end-line, for a forty-five. But careless passing
and an inability to hold on to the ball proved costly.
Michael Walsh and Benny Coulter were outstanding
for the champions, with Coulter controlling all areas of
the field popping up in defence, midfield and in attack.
He was also responsible for scoring Mayobridge's first goal,
the goal which effectively killed off the game.
In the opening nineteen minutes Bryansford
missed three simple score which would have had the sides
level, at three points apiece. In the next ten minutes a
series of fouls and poor passing by the ford' allowed the
Bridge attack to add five more points to the board to leave
the scores at 9 points to 1 at half time in Mayobride's
favor. Walsh scoring five points (three from frees), Robbie
Coulter and Joe Coulter adding one each and man-of the-match
Benny Coulter rattling over two.
In the final minute of the half tempers
frayed and referee Conn Reynolds saw fit to send Bryanford's
Colm Kearney and Mayobridge's Ciaran O’ Hare to the line.
 Trailing
0.09 to 0.01 Bryansford now playing with the wind soon reduced
the deficit through Half forward Gerard Morgan, whose quick
free a minute into the half, forced Featherstone to palm
over. Chris Brannigan scored a second for the Ford as they
mounted the pressure on the Bridge defence. Mayobridge responded
through Benny Coulter on the thirty-eighth minute. Coulter
linked with Francie Poland who played the ball to Gavin
Berry and a series of quick handpasses involving Walsh,
Eamon Linden and Sexton saw the Bryansford defence crumble
leaving Coulter, who had continued in a supporting role,
the task of sliding the ball, under the despairing lunge
of Mark Brannigan, to the net.
1.09 to 0.03 Bryansford's heads dropped and before they
could recompose themselves, Noel Sexton popped up on the
right to fire over a point to further ignite his team-mates,
and Eamon Linden duly obliged with a fortuitous miskick
that slipped through the hands of Brannigan for Mayobridge's
second goal.
In the final few minutes Brian Burns, Morgan and C. Brannigan
put scores over for the east down club, but it was a little,
too late. Ronan Sexton stock over the Bridge’s final point
to leave the scores 2 - 11 to 0 - 06.
Bryansford: M. Brannigan, J. Magorrian, A. Kane, S. Toner,
G. Toner, J. Cunningham, M. Valentine, B. Burns, A. Shields,
G. Morgan, C. Brannigan, G. Mc Crickard, C. Kearney, A.
Carville, C. Mc Laughlin Sub. D. Valentine for C. Mc Laughlin
Mayobridge: S. Featherstone, L. Coulter, C. O’Hare, M. Berry,
D. Rooney, F. Poland, N. Sexton, E. Woods, B. Coulter, C.
Fegan, M. Walsh, J. Coulter, R. Coulter, E. Linden, R. Sexton
Subs: G. Berry for J. Coulter, A. Berry for C. Fegan
Referee: C. Reynolds
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