The Ford Falter Against The Bridge

BRYANSFORD 1-05 xa0 MAYOBRIDGE 0-12 Match report by Peter McGrath Jnr Night and day, black and white or water and stone. Each of these is the opposite of the last and one thing is certain, none of these things will turn into their direct opposite yet the performances of Bryansford against An Riocht in the championship last week and in thexa0leaguexa0against Mayobridge this week were as different as any of the aforementioned pairings. That begs the question, how can a team go from being so good one week to so bad the next? Credit must go to Mayobridge for not allowing Bryansford to playxa0theirxa0game but such axa0disappointing showing poses serious questions about the Bryansford team. Nevertheless, it would be amiss to deflect any credit away from the fine display put in by the Bridge and by the end of the game Bryansford were certainly suffering from a severe case of Bridge Blues. Mayobridge began this game with a focus and determination which their opposition simply couldn’t live up to. With twelve minutes gone thexa0visitorsxa0were leading 0-2 – 0-1 but had already hit five wides. Caolan Gallagher opened the scoring on four minutes and Eoghan Woods doubled his sides advantage with an outstanding point from a very acute angle. Chris Brannigan’s point in the eleventh minute was Bryansford’s first and Conor Maginn showed immensexa0strengthxa0andxa0perseverance to go on a long run and fist over at the end of it. Kevin O Rourke pointed an easy free and then a more difficult one soon afterwards. Ryan Brady brilliantly stuck his first of the evening over before a string of Bryansford scores against the run of play gave them and their supporters a bit of hope in what proved to be a false dawn. An opportunistic Chris Brannigan point came prior to Kalum King breaking a high ball down to Danny Savage who ran onto it and drove it emphatically to the net. Immediately after that a second goal almost arrived as a stinging Ciaran Brannigan drop kick rose just over the bar as opposed to dipping under it. Bryansford’s last score came on 24 minutes as Chris Clarke took a long distance point. Eager for the virtual sun of the false dawn not to rise above thexa0imaginaryxa0mountain , Mayobridge tagged on two points before the interval. Caolan Gallagher pulled a point back and another Kevin O Rourke free left the minimum between the sides at half time. The second half was a tale of one team as the remaining thirty minutes proved a ‘Bridge too far for Bryansford. Cathal Magee started it all off, with the first of the five second half scores with a point that travelled from sixty metres, dropped like a stone over the bar and was so good that it even had some Bryansford fans clapping. Following in the footsteps of their full forward Mayobridge really came to life. Michael Lively ran the length of the field untracked by Danny Savage and it was Lively who ran onto the ball and plopped it between the sticks. Substitute Noel Sexton pointed a free and left Bryansford’s second half crumbling like a packet of biscuits dropped from an aeroplane. Fortunately for the hosts though Mayobridge would only manage another two points – both inside the last three minutes. Incredibly the second half was 26 minutes old when Dannyxa0Savagexa0hit Bryansford’s first shot – a 45 that went wide. Still only trailing by two Bryansford were denied a strong penalty shout when Timmy Hannaxa0appearedxa0to be hauled down in the box but play continued, Mayobridge broke and Ryan Brady pointed. The insurance score came in injury time and was another from Cathalxa0Magee. Mayobridge will be delighted with an impressive away performance and win, forxa0Bryansfordxa0it’s back to the drawing board. Final score, Bryansford 1-05 – 0-12 Mayobridge. Bryansford scorers; D Savage 1-0, Chris Brannigan 0-2, Ciaran Brannigan 0-1, C Clarke 0-1, C Maginn 0-1. Mayobridge scorers; K O Rourke 0-3, C Gallagher 0-2, R Brady 0-2, C Magee 0-2, E Woods 0-1, M Lively 0-1, N Sexton 0-1.]]>