SFAI U16 South West Region Semi Final
Bridge United 3-1 St Brendan's Park

Bridge United qualified for their first ever final of a national competition today at a sunny Shannon Rd when they duly dispatched of St Brendan's Park.

Bridge started the brighter and went close on a couple of occasions. Darragh Hayes pinched the ball from the opposing centre back and let fly with a left footed effort that tailed wide.

Next to try his luck was Matthew O’Halloran, his strike cannoned off the crossbar and Park scrambled the rebound clear.

Jack O'Halloran put Bridge ahead when he cooly slotted his penalty after a Park defender handled a Callum Phelan cross on 18mins.

Park came back in to the game mid way through the first half and their best chance came when a well placed headed was tipped over the bar by Bridge United number one, Finn Murphy.

Bridge doubled their lead in the second half when Jack O'Halloran ran at the Park full back, twisted and turned and his cross was deflected past the keeper for a fortuitous second goal.

Park came flying back and got the goal they deserved with 18mins to go, a second ball from a corner was volleyed beyond Murphy to cut the deficit.

On 65mins Darragh Hayes had a well taken goal chalked off for an apparent foul on the Park defender, but just minutes later it was Hayes again to seal the victory. He raced on to a loose ball, lifted it over the advancing keeper and finished to the net.

This left Park with a mountain to climb. Bridge went close to adding to lead with Callum Phelan, Aidan Moloney and Jack O Halloran all having late chances to score.

So at the end of the 80mins, the referee blew his whistle and we march on to the final. A deserved victory for the stronger side on the day. Bridge now await the result of next weekend's other semi final between Aisling Annacotty and Caherdavin Celtic.