Bryansford Battle Against Kilcoo

KILCOO 1-12 – 0-9 BRYANSFORD Match Report by Peter McGrath Jnr When a review is carried out at the end of any season only one thing really matters, the championship. Failure in the championship for most clubsxa0constitutesxa0a failed season. For that reason both Kilcoo and Bryansford understood that their whole season rested on this one hour of football though in truth only one team played like that was a reality. The feared bad weather never arrived and the match was played out in dry conditions on a slippy pitch with xa0which Kilcoo seemed to cope better than Bryansford. Right from the throw in Kilcoo stamped their foot of utmost authority on the game. They took an early lead with a Paul Devlin free but a good Ciaran Brannigan point had levelled matters prior to Donal Kane restoring the Kilcoo lead with another dead ball. The third point also came indirectly from a free as Conor Laverty hit a quick kick to an unmarked Gary McEvoy who slotted over with ease. Briefly Bryansford offered a resistance with Chris Clarke and Conor Maginnxa0benefitingxa0from good play by Danny Savage and Chris Branniganxa0respectively. A goal chance for Bryansford went begging when Chris Branniganxa0didn’txa0notice the run of Danny Savage and his shot drifted wide. The final score of a first half lacking in quality was another Paul Devlin free. Though the scoring was low the intensity was high and it turned out only one team would be able to live with the intensity of serious championship football in the second half. Crucially Kilcoo got the opening two scores of the second period. Conor Laverty and Donal Kane did the honours but two Ciaran Brannigan frees, the second more difficult than the first left only a point in it until Kilcoo turned the tide fully against the Ford. Breaking out of defence Bryansford lost possession and Kilcoo suddenly found themselves in a two on one situation. Stranded between Conor Laverty and Gary McEvoy Toner could do all but nothing to deny the major and Laverty’s perfectly times pass left McEvoy an easy finish to the net. Donal Kane pointed as did Paul Devlin with an excellent free kick and suddenly there was six between the sides. A string of points which included frees from Ciaran Brannigan and David McKibben and also a Timmy Hanna point had given the faintest ray of hope but a sucker punch of a point scored by Anthony Devlin was in effect the sealing point. Jerome Johnston, Donal Kane and Paul Devlin all supplemented this with further scores and a Ciaran Brannigan free on the final whistle did little to take anything off an ugly Bryansford defeat. In this game both teams got what they deserved. Kilcoo progress to the next round and over the next couple of weeks will have a growing sense of anticipation ahead of their semi-final with Clonduff, but for Bryansford those lonely, haunting sleepless nights filled with what might have beens will continue. Final Score, Kilcoo 1-12 -0-9 Bryansford. Kilcoo Scorers; P. Devlin 0-4 (4 frees), D. Kane 0-4 (2 frees),xa0G. McEvoy 1-1, C.Laverty 0-1, A. Devlin 0-1, J Johnston 0-1. Bryansford Scorers; C. Brannigan 0-5 (4 frees), C. Clarke 0-1, C. Maginn 0-1, T. Hanna 0-1, D. McKibben 0-1.]]>