Ballymena travelled to Belfast to take on St Brigid’s Division 5 team in a challenge game on Sunday last at Harlequins.
St Brigid’s began by playing into a stiff breeze in the first half and it was Jimmy King who siezed the initative in the full forward line, ably assisted by Mark Kelly in the half forward line. Despite creating several chances it was ten minutes before King converted a point. Ballymena were wining the midfield tussle and in a purple patch mid way through the first half they knocked over five points without reply. Eddy Smyth at full back and Brian Loughran playing against his former team in the half back line did their best to stem the tide. Two scores before the break gave some hope for the boys in blue as the gap at the half time whistle of 8 points to 3 was not an insurmountable one.
The management trio of Loughran, McGuckian and Conway rung the changes at half time giving the large bench the opportunity for a good half hour of football.
St Brigid’s began the second half with a flourish and ate into the margin with five
points of their own, with ace marksman King leading the scorers. Brendan McDonald, once moved out to the half forward line,began to find space, and a couple of surging runs from sub Donnelly, and St Brigid’s were on the up. Despite the best efforts of Cunningham and Daniel McKeever in defence, St Brigid’s were caught on the counter attack for the decisive goal of the game by Ballymena, as they held out for a narrow victory.
The final score was Ballymena 1:11 to St. Brigid’s 0:12 important points from the game were the failure of the more senior players to make a mark on the game and another solid performance from Daniel Mckeever and the Kelly Brothers aided by a promising start for Oliver Cunningham.
Team : Stephen Morrisey, A McVeigh,E Smyth,C Mackle, B Loughran, P Finnegan, John Killen,R Smyth and P McCrudden G Morris,Mark Kelly, Matthew kelly,Ryan Mackle,B McDonald, J King
Subs used: T Kane, K Finnegan, O Cunningham, M McLaughlin, D McKeever, P Nolan, C Donnelly, E McMahon
