Ulster IHC Semi Final - Bredagh lose cross city derby against Antrim side Naomh Éanna

Saturday 26th October 2019

Bredagh lost this cross-city Ulster IHC Semi Final derby by two points 0-18 to 0-16 after extra time.

Bredagh's Donal Hughes opened the scoring for the Down side after only 3 minutes, which was followed up two minutes later with an Ian Galway free to double the lead. By the 10th minute, the sides were level with Naomh Éanna players Cormac Ross and John McGoldrick levelling things.

Ian Galway put the Down side in front again before Ryan Bogue once again levelled the game on 18 minutes. Over the next 7 minutes, the Antrim side started to pull away with two points from Eddie O'Connor and a point each from Joe Maskey and Cormac Ross. Cormac Hughes reduced the gap on 26 minutes to three points but once again the Antrim side responded with two more points from John McGolrick (free's) and one from Cormac Jennings to leave the score 0-10 to 0-04 at half time.

At the start of the second half Bredagh now playing with a stiff breeze reduced the gap with a Ronan Costello point. Ruairi Donaghy replied for the Antrim side to keep the gap at 6 points. Bredagh upped their game and landed two more Ian Galway points but their wide count was steadily rising. Over the next ten minutes both sides exchanged frees - on the 43rd minute John McGoldrick added another free for Naomh Éanna, Galway nailed another free for Bredagh on the 47th minute. On the 49th minute Jennings lands a free with Galway responding on the 52nd minute to leave the scores Naomg Éanna 0-13 Bredagh 0-09.

On the 54th minute Ronan Costello reduces the gap to 3 and two minutes later he puts two between the sides.

Sean Hughes left the minimum between the sides before Sean McGourty levelled the match on 57 minutes.

Over the next few minutes, both sides had their changes to win the game. Philly Curran nudged Naomh Éanna ahead before Sean Hughes once again levelling the match at 14 points apiece and to force the game into extra time.

During the first period of extra time both sides exchanged a point apiece with Ian Galway getting Bredagh’s point after 1 minutes and Cormac Jennings levelling the game once again two minutes later.

During the second period of extra time Cormac Ross and Ryan Bogue put two between the sides before Sean Hughes put one between the sides, however in the closing minute Killian Jennings added another for the Antrim side to leave two in at, at the final whistle. Final score Naomh Éanna 0-18 Bredagh 0-16.

Bredagh Team: Eoghan Donnelly, Matthew McAreavey, Tom McGuckin, Danny Robinson, Chris Ferry, Oran McFlynn, Declan McCartney, Ian Galway, Sean McGourty, Cormac Hughes, Donal Hughes, Niall McFarland, Joe Hanrahan, Malachy Scullion, Ronan Costello.