Fast-starting 'Bridge claim U16 title

U16 Division 2 final

Butlersbridge 1-16

Templeport 1-13

Dervish-like Butlersbridge led from gun to tape to stave off the gritty challenge of a never-say-die Templeport team in an entertaining U16 Division 2 Football final last Saturday in O'Connell Park, Milltown.

The 'bridge were well worthy of the silverware and were the slicker, more powerful and overall sharper crew where it mattered most of all.

Templeport showed their mettle and despite their tender years and their small squad, the Saints punched above their weight throughout the game and were unlucky not to have bagged a crucial goal in the first half which would have put added pressure on the leaders.

To the victor, the spoils then and the 'bridge bared their teeth right from the get go by opening the scoring after barely 90 seconds with a neat point from the excellent Excel Imade and then before the opening 11 minutes had elapsed they had stretched their lead to a healthy five points (0-6 to 0-1) with the likes of impressive number 11 Senan Graham showing up very well.

Graham’s looped point was Butlersbridge’s second score; Exceedingly Imade won possession with a well-executed turnover, played a nice pass to Dara Maguire, took the return and pointed their third.

Maguire then showed a nice turn of pace and clipped over a well-taken score. Graham was next to clip in after a powerful run and the lively Euan Barry added another to make it 0-6 to 0-1 after 12 minutes.

At this stage, Templeport were pinned back but they sorted their kick-out issues, with Reece Prior fielding well around the middle among others, and they began to settle down. In fact, the St Aidan’s enjoyed lots of possession in the second quarter and probably should have been closer at the break, having been guilty of handling errors and over-playing the ball at times.

Templeport hung in there and a converted free by Darragh Gilleece after a foul on Patrick Devine and a follow-up free by Fiachra McManus cut the eventual winners' lead to just three points, 0-6 to 0-3, with 18 minutes on the clock.

Good work from Gilleece and Devine assisted McManus as he fired over Templeport’s fourth point but the Bridge were more economical and always looked dangerous. After a long ball bounced over the head of a defender, poacher Barry blasted over his second point and after a tremendous run upfield from full-back Omo Ebikueleye, playing one-twos all the way, Barry raised another white flag.

Although Patrick Devine (24) and young Gileece (31) subsequently split the 'bridge's posts, it wasn't enough to prevent the long-time leaders easing their way into a 0-10 to 0-6 lead by the half-way mark with the winners' in-form midfield pairing of Cormac Brady and, in particular, Exceedingly Imade, very much to the fore in affording the 'bridge the majority of possession from open play.

The Saints were arguably the more sprightly team on the restart but they received a huge sucker punch in the 37th minute - following yet another Gileece point - when Excel Imade converted a penalty to put his side six points (1-10 to 0-7) in front.

Two quick-fire points thereafter by Senan Graham and Euan Barry (41) consolidated the Butlersbridge's lead with the chasing team now facing into an eight point deficit, 0-7 to 1-12.

The tit-for-tat nature of the game continued but the 'bridge's lead was never seriously threatened and by the 52nd minute, Templeport were badly in need of goals to get them out of jail as they sought to erase a 10 point deficit, 0-9 to 1-16.

To their credit, the lads from the west of the county battled right to the end and a fine two pointer from goalkeeper Kevin Heery in the 58th minute kicked off a run of four unanswered points for the would-be losers in the run in.

On the hour mark, Templeport deservedly found the 'bridge's jugular with Reece Prior notching his side's one and only goal, smashing it to the roof of the netm which made it 1-11 to 1-16.

The 'bridge showed ambition and composure down the back straight; playing in a mature fashion beyond their years as they kept their opponents at arms' length.

A brace of points in the dregs of the game from the impressive Gileece, one after a big fetch from Prior, kept the 'bridge honest but they were scores of mere consolation value with the 'bridge continuing, 'till the death, to retain a firm and secure grip of the silverware on offer, despite the best efforts of the Saints, for whom wing-back Sean Brady also caught the eye among others.

Butlersbridge: Senan Woods; Joshua Allison, Omo Ebikueleye, Adam Dychus; Excel Imade (1-3, 1-0 pen), Sean Cheung, Nathan Sherlock; Cormac Brady, Exceedingly Imade; Tomás McDwyer, Senan Graham (0-5), Dara Maguire (0-2); James Greene, Euan Barry (0-5), Phillipe Pinheiro.

Subs; James Kelleher (0-1) for J Greene; Finn Boylan for T McDwyer; Carson Mee for P Pinheiro.

Templeport: Kevin Heery (0-2, 2ptf); Faolán Osojca, Dean McAveety, Seamus Edwards; Kevin McCaffrey, Finn Maguire, Sean Brady; Fiachra McManus (0-3), Reece Prior (1-0); Diarmuid McGovern, Patrick Devine (0-1), Mark Edwards James McManus, Darragh Gileece (0-7), James Wetherall.