Brilliant Brocagh shock Castlederg

Brocagh 2-14  Castlederg 1-15

A QUICK start to the second half saw Brocagh cause a massive shock in the Junior Championship, as they held on to beat a wasteful Castlederg side in Aghaloo on a beautiful summer afternoon.

Brocagh opened the scoring after two minutes; James McKeever offloading the ball to Micheal Robinson, who kicked a good score.

Castlederg would then go on to kick the next three scores, with Adam Traynor’s free opening their account after Paddy Lynch was fouled.

Another Adam Traynor free gave them the lead for the first time, after great work by the electric Castlederg wing half back, Caolan Harvey.

Their third score came after a close range shot by Paddy Lynch hit the post, falling to the alert Adam Traynor who passed the ball to captain Ben Harper who scored from close range.

With 15 minutes played a massive moment in the match came for Castlederg as they would miss a great goal chance. A brilliant run by Caolan Harvey opened up the Emmetts defence, leaving space for St Eugene’s forward, Adam Traynor, but his tame low shot was saved well by Daniel Davidson.

Over the next 10 minutes, both sides would score two points apiece, Paddy Lynch and Adam Traynor pointing for Castlederg, Niall McCloskey and Joe McNally pointing for Brocagh, leaving the score four to two in favour of St Eugenes.

With 23 minutes played, the Emmetts would hit the front, a high ball into the square wasn’t dealt with by goalkeeper, Brian Coyle, who allowed the ball to bounce and Niall McCloskey took full advantage palming the ball to the net, 1-3-0-5. Castlederg responded immediately, with Matthew Traynor winning the ball off a Brocagh defender finding Blaine Lynch who fisted over.

Mickey Hughes would then score a close range free for Brocagh. It was Castlederg who would register the final two points of the half through Adam Traynor’s fourth point of the half and Daire Corry.

Brocagh came out of the blocks flying at the start of the second half, scoring straight from the throw in. Midfielder Cathal Donnelly won the ball kicking a fantastic side footed pass which was superbly caught by James McKeever who earned and converted a free.

Joe McNally then extended the lead from the resulting kick out, his second point of the contest. Castlederg would equalise a minute later through Darren Traynor but it could have been goal if it wasn’t for Brocagh full back, Pierce McAliskey, who made a superb last ditch tackle.

Brocagh would outscore their opponents 1-3 0-1 over the next 10 minutes, as St Eugene’s struggled to get out of their own half.

A magnificent 50-metre Mickey Hughes free was followed moments later by a top corner finish by man of the match James McKeeve. Conan McDonald would win the next kick out, finding the brilliant Cathal Donnelly, who, yet again, was provider for Micheal Robinson’s second score.

Castlederg’s only score over this period really could have been a goal, but for Pierce McAliskey blocking Ben Harper’s goal bound effort on the line. A foul in the build- up led to a Adam Traynor free kick leaving four points between the teams.

Brocagh scored five of the next seven points: James McKeever scoring a long range free, St Eugene’s scoring a point of their own through an Adam Traynor free. A curling effort from the influential Cathal Donnelly restored the five point lead for the Loughshore side.

Blaine Lynch responded immediately for Castlederg with a point. But further points for the Emmetts followed, James McKeever converting a long range free, Mickey Hughes pointing with the goal at his mercy and Marc Canavan palming over to leave Brocagh seven points up.

Castlederg thought they had made the perfect response. Substitute Mark Corry made a good run and found Cian Harper who kicked the ball to the net, but the goal was correctly ruled out as the Castlederg full forward Harper was in the square.

St Eugene’s must have felt luck was against them as minutes later midfielder, Dominic McGoldrick, found Paddy Lynch whose goal bound effort hit the crossbar with the keeper beaten.

St Eugene’s would kick the next two points of the match both coming through Adam Traynor frees. Another big moment in the encounter came in the 54th minute as Brocagh would lose midfielder Cathal Donnelly to a black card. Despite the setback the Emmetts would get the next score from Marc Canavan.

Castlederg with a man up heading into injury time had regained hope. A high ball into the square by Paddy Lynch was fisted to the net by substitute Matthew McMenamin, 2-14 to 1-13 heading into four minutes of injury time.

Castlederg could sense they had 14 man Brocagh under serious pressure and pushed high up on the next kick out, winning possession which led to Brocagh’s Stevie Canavan earning a black card after a tripping foul, Adam Traynor converting the resulting free. With Brocagh now down to 13 men they looked in trouble as Ben Harper’s point left two points between the sides.

Castlederg needed a goal to make it through to the quarter final of the Junior Championship and they almost had it if not for a great save from Daniel Davidson who saved well with his feet from a powerful low shot from defender Niall Gallen.

The Scorers
Brocagh
James McKeever (1-3, 3F), Niall McCloskey (1-1), Micky Hughes (0-3, 2F), Micheal Robinson (0-2), Joe McNally (0-2), Marc Canavan (0-2), Cathal Donnelly (0-1).
Castlederg
Adam Traynor (0-8, 7F), Matthew McMenamin (1-0), Blaine Lynch (0-2), Ben Harper (0-2), Paddy Lynch (0-1), Daire Corry (0-1), Darren Traynor (0-1).