Bradley inspires St Mary’s to a second league title
DROMORE 0-08
KILLYCLOGHER 1-09
BY FRANCIE MOONEY
TOTAL commitment and unbreakable belief mixed in with a couple of touch- es of Mark Bradley magic carried Killyclogher to triumph in a riveting Tyrone Division One league final at Carrickmore yesterday.
The St Mary’s, who wobbled and wavered after a whirlwind start to the season which saw them win their first ten games, returned to form at just the right time, and were full value for their four points win over Dromore.
A rigidly disciplined defensive unit frustrated the St Dympna’s attacking efforts, and while the Gardrum Park men were uncompromising at the back as well Bradley’s class proved the difference.
The game’s only clear-cut goal chance fell to the 21-year-old and he buried it ten minutes before half-time to give his side a massive boost and a path to victory that they faithfully followed.
Dromore, despite losing wing back Emmet O’Neill to a second yellow card ten minutes into the second half, always looked dangerous, and capable of rescuing their title challenge but a heroic Killyclogher defence held firm.
Leo Meenan’s movement caused problems for the St Dympnas’ defence in the opening stages and he set up James Carlin for the opening score.
The threat of Mark Bradley was always evident but Conor O’Hara was sticking tight and managed to hold the St Mary’s danger man in the opening quarter.
Carlin’s second doubled the lead before Ruairi Sludden opened Dromore’s account striking a ’45 into the wind in the tenth minute.
Conor O’Neill and Sludden combined along the right flank to carve the opening for Sean McNabb to bring the men from Gardrum Park level before Bradley finally managed to weave a stroke of familiar magic.
He side-stepped O’Hara before slicing over a delightful score but the sides were level again within a minute, Dromore countering at pace for Sludden to land a delightful score.
Killyclogher defenders Danny Gorman, Tiernan McCann and Dermot Carlin pushed forward at every opportunity and Carl Donnelly and Martin Swift also excelled at the back, getting in a couple of perfectly timed and vital interventions.
Aidy Kelly’s game was ended by a black card in the 18th minute with Declan Leonard coming in to put in an effective shift.
And in the 20th minute, Kieran Howe’s men struck a massive blow with the only goal of the game. The ball was moved quickly through the hands of Leo Meenan and Micheal Meenagh, and Bradley nipped in to collect and flash a shot past Peter Ward.
Dromore needed to post a suitable response but they were held in check by a Killcylogher defence that put heart and soul into every challenge and closed down space effectively.
Ruairi Sludden did convert a free, but the St Dympna’s trailed by 1-3 to 0- 5 at the interval, and failed to score in the third quarter, despite having the wind in their backs.
It was Killyclogher who pushed on, and with the attention focused on Bradley, who was often crowded out by as many as four defenders, there was extra space for Conall McCann to gallop through for a point, with Leo Meenan and James Carlin also on target for a four points advantage.
And Dromore suffered a severe set- back when Emmet O’Neill, one of a rash of defenders to pick up bookings in the early stages of the second half, received a second yellow card. Emmet McFadden dropped back as the spare man to give extra protection to his full back line, and even when Dromore did get in shots, Sludden and Sean O’Neill saw their efforts come back off the woodwork.
They went 18 minutes before Sludden scored their first point of the half, and his 22nd minute effort reduced the deficit to a single point.
But it was Killyclogher who displayed all the grit and determination demanded of the occasion at this stage.
Conall McCann seized every opportunity that came his way around the middle, running in direct lines through the middle, taking Leonard’s return pass to fire over his second score.
James Carlin’s fourth provided breathing space, while another Leo Meenan free gave them a four points cushion.
Despite the loss of the excellent Swift to a second yellow card, they held on for a deserved second title.
STARMAN
CONALL MCCANN (Killyclogher)
Killyclogher midfielder Conall McCann put in a terrific shift, running fearlessly at the Dromore defence and chipping in with a couple of points.
THEVERDICT
A second league title is just reward for the hard work being done at Ballinamullan where the focus now shifts to the search for a second championship crown.
MATCHSTATS
THE SCORERS
Killyclogher
Mark Bradley 1-1, James Carlin 0- 4, Leo Meenan (2 frees), Conall McCann 0-2 each.
Dromore
Ruairi Sludden 0-6 (4 frees), Em- met O’Neill, Sean McNabb 0-1 each.
THE TEAMS
Killyclogher
Sean Fox, Martin Swift, Danny Gorman, Carl Donnelly, Tiernan McCann, Dermot Carlon, Gabhan Sludden, Micheal Meenagh, Conall McCann, Niall McFadden, Mark Bradley, Aidy Kelly, Leo Meenan, James Carlin, Emmet McFadden.
Subs; Declan Leonard for Kelly (BC), Gary Wallace for M Meenagh, Niall Bradley for J Carlin, Conor Meenan for Wallace.
Dromore
Peter Ward, Fabian O’Neill, Sean O’Neill, Conor O’Hara, Emmet O’Neill, Ryan McMenamin, Kevin Donnelly, Barry Collins, Ciaran McCoy, Sean McDonnell, Niall Sludden, Sean McNabb, Ruairi Sludden, Ronan McNabb, Conor O’Neill.
Subs: Aodhan O’Donnell for Collins, Colm McCullagh for C O’Neill, Peter Teague for S McN- abb.
Referee
Eugene McConnell (Clogher)
SCORE BY SCORE FIRST HALF
4 MINS – Niall McFadden and Leo Meenan combine for the latter to play the ball out to James Carlin who takes a neat point from forty metres out.
Killyclogher 0-1 Dromore 0-0
9 MINS – Killyclogher double their lead and once again it is full forward Carlin who is the player on target after another patient build up.
Killyclogher 0-2 Dromore 0-0
10 MINS – Dromore open their account in the next attack when Ruairi Sludden con- verts a fine long range free off the ground after Ronan McNabb is fouled.
Killyclogher 0-2 Dromore 0-1
13 MINS – The sides are level after Ronan McNabb, Conor O’Neill and Sludden com- bine for Sean McNabb to hoist over a fine score with his left boot.
Killyclogher 0-2 Dromore 0-2
16 MINS – Killyclogher regain the lead with an outstanding point with the outside of his boot from Mark Bradley after receiving
a pass from Conall McCann.
Killyclogher 0-3 Dromore 0-2
17 MINS – Straight from the next kick out Dromore are level again after a well taken point from distance from Sludden.
Killyclogher 0-3 Dromore 0-3
18 MINS – The St Dympna’s get their noses in front for the first time after an outstanding six man move is finished off by Emmett O’Neill.
Killyclogher 0-3 Dromore 0-4
20 MINS – Killyclogher grab what proves to be the only goal of the game when Micheal Meenagh plays the ball to Bradley who finishes in style low to the net.
Killyclogher 1-3 Dromore 0-4
26 MINS – Sean McDonnell is fouled and Sludden makes no mistake from the resulting thirty metre free on the left wing to bring the first half scoring to an end.
Killyclogher 1-3 Dromore 0-5
SCORE BY SCORE SECOND HALF
7 MINS – Both sides miss chances early on and its midfielder Conall McCann who opens the second half scoring with a fine point af- ter a move that he instigated himself.
Killyclogher 1-4 Dromore 0-5
9 MINS – Dermot Carlin is fouled while charging forward and Leo Meenan knocks over the resulting thirty metre free from in front of the posts for a three point advantage.
Killyclogher 1-5 Dromore 0-5
12 MINS – Killyclogher are on top and enjoying a purple patch and they increase their lead when a seven man move ends with James Carlin taking his third score of the afternoon.
Killyclogher 1-6 Dromore 0-5
18 MINS – Dromore finally get off the mark in the second half when Ruairi Sludden converts a thirteen metre free after his brother Niall is fouled.
Killyclogher 1-6 Dromore 0-6
19 MINS – Ruairi Sludden once again proves to be a reliable place kicker with a free from
twenty five metres out as the Dromore fight back continues.
Killyclogher 1-6 Dromore 0-7
22 MINS – Colm McCullagh and Kevin Donnelly combine for Ruairi Sludden to point from play and now only the minimum separates the two sides.
Killyclogher 1-6 Dromore 0-8
24 MINS – Killyclogher badly need a point and it comes in the form of another superb score from midfielder McCann.
Killyclogher 1-7 Dromore 0-8
25 MINS – Killyclogher substitute Declan Leonard wins possession from a kick out and plays the ball to James Carlin who kicks his fourth point of the final.
Killyclogher 1-8 Dromore 0-8
27 MINS – Mark Bradley is fouled and fittingly it is left to captain Meenan to complete the scoring from a free as they bridge a 13- year gap since their last league title.
Killyclogher 1-9 Dromore 0-8
