Silverbridge return to top as Senior B winners

Dromintee 0-14 Silverbridge 1-12

SILVERBRIDGE survived a thrilling comeback from Dromintee to secure promotion back to Division One A as group champions.

It is massive achievement for the Bridge who were relegated only 12 months ago, but Dromintee could have won it but hey needed to win by six points if to snatch the Division One B title from Silverbridge.

It a strange game where Silverbridge could do no wrong in the first half and where cruising whereas Dromintee struggled to behind 0-04 to 0-10 at the break but in the second half it was all the Droms and they took the lead (0-13 to 0-12) on 57 minutes.

It was exciting and tense and with the hour played Dromintee keeper Aidan Morgan produced a great save after team-mate Darren McKenna initially blocked Sean Conlon’s shot. The keeper then sprinted forward and Dromintee were awarded a free, still the keeper stayed outfield and was actually at the edge of the Silverbridge square. Dromintee needed goals so they had to gamble.

The free went wide and as the keeper jogged back Silverbridge founded their unmarked man who sparked the passing sequence when ended up conceding a penalty.

Conlon made no mistake from the spot and while Dromintee pulled back a point, it was the late, late penalty that pulled Silverbridge’s victory out of the fire.

Goals were always going to have a big say on Friday night and Silverbridge had the best chances only to be denied by Morgan, who was excellent between the posts.

Dromintee are provisionally promoted too and only another team from Division One B or the two relegated teams from Division One A winning the Senior County Championship title can deny them from going up next season.

There was a bumper crowd attended Friday’s game at Dromintee, which was well marshalled and there was a great atmosphere in what has been a season where many teams struggled without their county men.

Pauric Keatings was in magnificent form and Dromintee couldn’t handle him in the first half, he scored three of the first four points and set up the other, which Mark Rowland fisted over.

Dromintee were reduced to 14 men briefly when Aaron Boyle picked up black card with eight minutes gone but points from Cathal McKenna (free) and Sean McGenity (free) got the Droms off the mark.

Dromintee were creating chances but Silverbridge defender did brilliant job on young Niall Courtney, to snuff out scoring threats. County man Jarly Og Burns was making plenty of driving runs, sucking in markers and setting up scores where Keatings and Conlon peppered between the posts to lead 0-10 to 0-02.

Dromintee finished the half with encouragement as the excellent Peter Campbell, county man Aaron McKay and the talented Cathal O’Neill produced a number of turnovers and the lively Jack McArdle fired over and then Cathal McKenna leaped highest to catch into his chest and from 40-metres out he steered his shot between the posts.

The second half was only a minute old and the Droms had reduced Silverbridge’s lead to only four points as McArdle and Ryan Hughes (free) were on target.

The hits were going in hard and Dromintee pressed, putting the Bridge on the backfoot but Oisin Martin’s point offered some relief for the Harps. It was a great tussle as McArdle bagged another score, then Jarly Og Burns fisted over at the other end but that was Silverbridge’s last point, with oly 36 minutes played.

McArdle struck over two long range beauties either side of Ronan Reel narrowly missing his chance at goal, McKenna converted a free, substitute tagged on a point and McArdle (free) levelled the score with 52 minutes gone.

Cathal O’Neill made a great intercept in his own half before finding D20, who passed to McArdle and he kicked high from distance and it hung in the air before the loud the cheer in the ground meant it was over to put Dromintee into the lead for the first time.

Momentum was with the Droms but they needed goals and Silverbridge were smart, they showed character and resolve to exploit Dromintee’s adventure and craft out a winning chance, with Conlon the hero.

DROMINTEE: Aidan Morgan, Peter Campbell, Aaron Markey, Paul Martin, Cathal O’Neill, Ronan Quinn, Aaron Boyle, Darren McKenna, Cathal McKenna, Oran Loughran, Jack McArdle, Sean McGinity, Ryan Hughes, Gareth Kilgallon, Niall Courtney.

SILVERBRIDGE: Christopher Reel, Jack Reel, James Meegan, Jack McArdle, Aaron Duffy, Patrick Reel, Michael Traynor, Oisin Martin, James Martin, Fionnan Burns, Pauric Keatings, Mark Rowland, Ronan Reel, Jarly Og Burns, Sean Conlon.