Our Under 14 team wrapped up a very succesful period for our underage club when they won the Under 14 shield on Saturday.

In the last few weeks our Under 14 girls team won the league and cup which was a success unprecedented by any Bridge United girls team previously.

Our Under 13 boys also enjoyed league success and the icing on the cake for the club was the U14 boys success at the weekend.

With the reopening of our facilities in Sixmilebridge pending we look forward with great excitement to seeing these boys and girls lining out for the club again next season.

U14 Clare Shield Final

Bridge Utd 1 v 0 Ennis Town

U14 Shield Final was keenly contested between the 2 top teams from League Div 2 on a sunny October morning at Cassidy Park, Lifford. The match was always going to be a close match after narrow defeats to Ennis Town in the League. Bridge Utd lined out in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Dylan Downes playing in the hole between midfield and forwards to try and create more chances against a very well organised Ennis Town defence.

Bridge Utd started on the front foot and very nearly took the lead within the first 10mins when Adam O’Sullivan poked the ball beyond their centre-half to bear down on their Keeper who made a very good save to deflect Adam’s shot behind for a corner.

The midfield area was very keenly contested by both midfields and proved to be an important battle between Ennis Town’s Joshua Williams and Leon Kelly who was very well supported by Kyle Walker & Conor Maxwell. The pace of Bridge Utd forwards Ferdia O’Lionain & Adam O’Sullivan provided a constant threat to the Ennis Town backline.

Bridge Utd continued to press forward as the first half progressed and were rewarded with a goal after a fine delivery into the box from out wide – Leon Kelly missed his initial strike on goal under pressure from their centre back, but the ball rebounded back to Leon to finish into the bottom left hand corner of the net from 10yds.

Bridge Utd now started to really play some nice passing interchanges working the ball from one end of the pitch to the other, and almost doubled their lead after a direct Dylan Downes free-kick from 25yds was only parried into the path of an oncoming Leon Kelly who again found the back of the net but was adjudged narrowly offside.

Half-Time arrived with a deserved 1-0 lead.

Ennis Town came out in the 2nd Half with far more intensity with the slope to their advantage. Will Fitzpatrick turned a powerful Ennis Town strike around the post for a corner which led to a spell of constant pressure around our Penalty Box from Ennis Town – this included several corners which our centre backs Storm Devaney & Sean McNamara defended superbly because Ennis Town carried a serious aerial threat. Full backs Aidan Johnson & Conor Morey assisted ably when called upon, and behind them our Keeper Will Fitzpatrick was very solid commanding his box.

On one isolated occassion the tall Ennis Town centre back found space for a free header which he powered toward the roof of the net but Conor Maxwell was on hand to head the ball over the bar. On another occassion the Ennis Town centre forward tried his luck from 18yds but Will Fitzpatrick dived low to his left to parry out, before Adam O’Sullivan made a superb block to prevent the rebound being converted.

Eli Murphy-O’Sullivan & Luke O’Halloran were brought on midway through the 2nd Half to help provide a bit more physicality and fresh legs which certainly worked as the Ennis Town threat appeared to dwindle. David Kennedy & Evan O’Callaghan were also brought on for the last 10mins or so to again freshen up the team, and as the match drew toward a close then Bridge Utd looked the more likely to score on the counter attack and closed out the match very well.

An all round complete and spirited team performance from every player, with Leon Kelly proving both the match winner and Player of the Match, but Will Fitzpatrick in particular ran him very close.

Team: Will Fitzpatrick, Aidan Johnson, Conor Morey, Storm Devaney, Sean McNamara, Leon Kelly (Capt), Conor Maxwell, Kyle Walker, Ferdia O’Lionain, Dylan Downes, Adam O’Sullivan

Eli Murphy-O’Sullivan, Luke O’Halloran, David Kennedy, Evan O’Callaghan, Shane Hennessey