Down Senior Football Championship: Bryansford 1-8 John Martin’s Glenn 1-7
From Andy Watters at Pairc Esler
GLENN, the new kids on the block, gave Down aristocrats Bryansford an almighty scare in Newry yesterday before Stephen Poacher’s men wriggled off the hook.
Scores were in short supply but there was drama right to the finish and talented Down underage star Ryan O’Higgins popped up with an injury-time point as the ’Ford, who had dominated the first two-thirds of the game, came back from behind to edge out a battling Glen side that have moved up from intermediate level.
They clawed their way back into it thanks to an opportunistic goal from Cathal Clarke and for a while that effort looked likely to be the decisive score but Patrick Sheridan popped up with a late major before teenager O’Higgins got the former Ulster champions out of jail.
“It was cat and mouse for the first 40-45 minutes,” said Glenn manager Tony Bagnall.
“It was ‘who over blinks first’ but once we got the goal it opened up a bit and we’re just unfortunate to come out on the wrong side of the result. There was a wee bit of naivety with some of the players but I’m happy with the performance. It’s a step up from intermediate and they probably have aspirations of going far in the championship.”
Both sides set up defensively; operating with two sweepers and looking to attack on the break. The Glenn defence held up well but their long-range shooting was poor and last year’s Down intermediate champions had only a Mattie Bagnall free to show for their efforts up to the first water break.
By that stage Bryansford had three points on the board – two from midfielder Danny Savage and another from O’Higgins.
Former Carlow mentor Poacher is a master at designing defensive formations and Glenn struggled to break his rearguard down. Attack after attack broke up around the ’Ford 45-yard line and their goalkeeper, Marc Reid, was a regular visitor to the Glenn half as his side prodded and probed for a breakthrough.
They created three chances but missed them all and Glenn pulled a point back when former Down skipper Niall McParland played in double-marked Northern Ireland soccer international Shay McCartan. McCartan wasn't able to get into the game but he somehow kept the ball in his hands as the tackles rained in and won a free. Bagnall tapped it over but another brace from the outstanding Savage kept Bryansford’s noses in front and they led 0-5 to 0-2 at the break.
Savage’s fifth point extended the lead to four early in the second half but the flipside of Bryansford’s slow build-up means they aren’t likely to set the scoreboard racing and Glenn hung in there until Cathal Clarke got his fist to a ball allowed to bounce in the square and punched it into the Bryansford net. Suddenly there was only a point in it and Bagnall’s free had the sides level after 41 cagey minutes.
O’Higgins edged the ’Ford ahead again but Joe Sands levelled almost immediately and then Bagnall somehow won a ball in the middle of three defenders and swung it over the bar to give his side the lead for the first time in the game.
But Bryansford found another gear and they hit back when Sheridan raced forward to take a pass from Corey Lavery and crack a shot past John O’Hare in the Glenn goal. It has helter-skelter stuff now and Glenn replied with a brace of points from Bagnall to tie the game up again going into three minutes’ of injury-time.
With extra-time looming, Reid launched a kick-out down the middle but two Glenn players collided as they jumped to grab it and the ball broke Bryansford’s way. Conor Maginn played in O’Higgins and he split the posts with a superb finish that was enough, just enough, to get his side over the line.
“I thought we were in control of the game for most of the first half,” said manager Poacher.
“We knew what Glenn were going to bring – a high level of organisation and a very disciplined defence. They’ve got a massive boost with Shay McCartan coming back, it seems to have given the whole community a boost and I thought the whole of Glenn was in the stand at one stage!
“They brought a great energy and a great intensity to the game but I thought we were never in trouble until we conceded the goal. It was a terrible goal from our behalf – it was a bit of a mix-up and it bounced about and bobbled about. We shouldn’t be conceding goals like that because if you’re going to progress you need to tidy that aspect up.
“But there’s a lot of things I’m taking great heart from – there were four or five boys who’ve been in the team this year, the likes of Fintan Canavan and Ryan O’Higgins – who are coming through and they’re learning and they’re growing.
“It’s a big club, with massive tradition and massive history but today just shows you that, on any given day, you have to make sure you’re on your game.”
Glenn: J O’Hare; G McParland, K Rice, R Byrne; M Turley, D Bagnall, C Cranny; C Lyons, N McParland; S McCartan, G Bagnall, J McCartan; T O’Brien, J Sands, M Bagnall (0-6, 0-4 frees)
Subs: C Clarke (1-0) for G Bagnall (7), N Rodgers for Sands (53)
Yellow card: Turley (46)
Bryansford: M Reid; L Casement, S Toner, R McDonald; F Canavan, D McDonald, P Sheridan (1-0); D Savage (0-5, 0-1 free), T McInerney; C Burns, C Maginn, L Kelly; D McKibbin, C Clarke, R O’Higgins (0-3, 0-1 free)
Subs: T Hanna for Kelly (HT), J Scannell for McKibbin (43), C Lavery for Clarke (43)
