AFTER scoring one of the goals of 2016 and bagging consecutive man-of-the-match gongs, Killyclogher’s Mark Bradley isn’t concerned about being a marked man in Ulster.
Tyrone’s 2015 U21 All-Ireland winner broke the hearts of Coalisland in the county final replay and repeated the dose in knocking Antrim champions Cargin out of the provincial series on Sunday.
Bradley, whose role couldn’t by any more different to the one he performs with the Tyrone seniors, notched eight points in the win over Coalisland and he helped himself to 1-3 against Cargin.
The diminutive attacker knows he will be on Slaughtneil’s radar in 12 days’ time, but plans to “relish” every minute on the provincial stage with his club.
“I don’t think it matters where you’re playing whether it’s in Tyrone or Ulster, the game is so studied nowadays,” said the 22-year-old.
“No matter who you play it’s going to be the same. Slaughtneil is another game, another step and we’ll try and get over it.
“We’ve never been in this territory before. I think it was 13 years ago we played Crossmaglen in Ulster [and lost]. It’s a different experience.
“We created a bit of history for the club as it’s the first game we’ve ever won in Ulster.”
Killyclogher made a sluggish start to Sunday’s Ulster quarter-final but once Bradley fired home with a sumptuous strike of his left boot, Dominic Corrigan’s men never looked back.
Four minutes later, Cargin fell further behind when James Carlin palmed the ball into the Antrim champions’ net.
“I think starting slow was always going to happen; you’re still going to have a bit of fatigue after a final [nine days earlier],” said Bradley.
“The first 15 minutes was about riding it out. Cargin have some massive players and they’re a brilliant side, but once we got the first score, the second goal came pretty quickly after that which gave us a foothold in the game.
“But we still have a lot to work on. We went five or 10 minutes without scoring where we couldn’t get out of our own half and that’s something we’re going to have to go away and work at. We made some basic mistakes – which happens – it’s just trying to limit them.
“It was just about getting over the game, especially given the week turnaround [after the Tyrone final replay].
“Of course we celebrated after you win a final, but on the Sunday our focus was really on Cargin. We knew where we needed to be and we needed to get our feet back on the ground very quickly because you only have five days after Saturday and Sunday.”
Bradley’s 14th minute goal from around 25 yards was a thing of beauty. Immediately after Ciaran Close gave Cargin a 0-2 to 0-0 lead, Simon O’Neill found Bradley with a raking pass.
Faced with county defender Kevin O’Boyle, Bradley didn’t attempt to out-pace his marker. He simply moved the ball onto his favoured left side and found the top corner of the net.
Asked if it was one of his better goals, Bradley replied: “I don’t score too many goals! Simon [O’Neill] hit a great ball in and it was one-on-one. You don’t get those chances too often and you have to put them away when they do come.”
He added: “We just need to relish playing in Ulster when it comes around and try and enjoy it.”
