The weekend saw a cracking start for Broadford in the Under 14’s Championship and Clare Cup League competitions.
On Friday the U14’s fielded a strong team against Whitegate but despite a huge effort throughout the whole match from the Whitegate lads, Broadford left their first match in this competition with a win.
On Saturday afternoon Broadford played County Champions and All-Ireland club finalists Ballyea in the first round of the Clare Cup. In a show of respect to their opponents, and hosts on this occasion, Broadford lined up to applaud Ballyea on to the pitch.
Ballyea got the first point, from play, in the first minute of the match which Broadford responded to some seven minutes later to even the score. From that moment the match was largely a game of tag with Balleyea keeping Broadford at bay by one or two points. Thanks to a significant enough cross-wind, Ballyea suffered some seven wides from a mix of frees and play which stopped their score forging ahead and helped Broadford to just a one point deficit at the half-time: 0-06 to 0-05.
Ballyea scored the first point of the second half with a free and Broadford responded with a point from play moments later and you could have been forgiven for thinking the second-half was going to be a repeat of the first but Broadford took a point from play to finally equalise the score (0-07 to 0-07). Was the tide turning for Broadford? No! Ballyea responded by increasing the lead by four points ten minutes in to the match. Three further points each but two frees sent wide for Broadford denying the visitors a chance to reduce the gap of points (0-14 to 0-10) by 17 minutes.
This was the moment though when it all changed for Broadford. Awarded a free, Craig Chaplin took his shot from some 30-metres out and left of the Ballyea goal but the ball dropped to the right of the square was and only narrowly kept in play and away from the back line and the long grass. The ball was knocked back to Darren Chaplin and then smashed to the back of the net to put Broadford just one point behind with around ten minutes of regular play left.
New goalie Eoin O’Brien was sending his puck-outs deep, for the ball to regularly find its way to Broadford’s wing-backs and when that extra point was needed a puck-out after a wide from play for Ballyea in the 23rd minute seemed as good an opportunity as ever but it was a foul against Paurig Taylor that gave Craig Chaplin the chance to send a free over the bar to get the crucial equalising point.
A further wide each for Ballyea and Broadford and then approaching 27-minutes Ballyea were awarded a free deep in to Broadford’s end of the pitch. An attempt over or under the bar were equal possibilities but in the end the Ballyea player opted to send the ball quickly and efficiently to a well-placed teammate closer to the goal and the ball was then lobbed in to the net putting Ballyea three points ahead again (1-14 to 1-11).
The subsequent puck-out from Eoin O’Brien was again sent deep and fought and won by Broadford. The ball was sent across the field to Craig Chaplin who took it on a solo run in the middle of field and through the back lines for a goal opportunity and, although intercepted, the ball deflected off the goalie’s hurley to even the score. A free from an illegal tackle against Broadford in the next minute put Broadford ahead by one solitary point again. (1-14 to 2-12)
Predictably perhaps at this stage, but none the less frustratingly and just in to extra time, Ballyea scored an equalising point.
However in a final twist a goal from Shane Taylor in the last act of play gave Broadford the final victory. Final score 1-15 to 3-12
Ballyea got the first point, from play, in the first minute of the match which Broadford responded to some seven minutes later to even the score. From that moment the match was largely a game of tag with Balleyea keeping Broadford at bay by one or two points. Thanks to a significant enough cross-wind, Ballyea suffered some seven wides from a mix of frees and play which stopped their score forging ahead and helped Broadford to just a one point deficit at the half-time: 0-06 to 0-05.
Ballyea scored the first point of the second half with a free and Broadford responded with a point from play moments later and you could have been forgiven for thinking the second-half was going to be a repeat of the first but Broadford took a point from play to finally equalise the score (0-07 to 0-07). Was the tide turning for Broadford? No! Ballyea responded by increasing the lead by four points ten minutes in to the match. Three further points each but two frees sent wide for Broadford denying the visitors a chance to reduce the gap of points (0-14 to 0-10) by 17 minutes.
This was the moment though when it all changed for Broadford. Awarded a free, Craig Chaplin took his shot from some 30-metres out and left of the Ballyea goal but the ball dropped to the right of the square was and only narrowly kept in play and away from the back line and the long grass. The ball was knocked back to Darren Chaplin and then smashed to the back of the net to put Broadford just one point behind with around ten minutes of regular play left.
New goalie Eoin O’Brien was sending his puck-outs deep, for the ball to regularly find its way to Broadford’s wing-backs and when that extra point was needed a puck-out after a wide from play for Ballyea in the 23rd minute seemed as good an opportunity as ever but it was a foul against Paurig Taylor that gave Craig Chaplin the chance to send a free over the bar to get the crucial equalising point.
A further wide each for Ballyea and Broadford and then approaching 27-minutes Ballyea were awarded a free deep in to Broadford’s end of the pitch. An attempt over or under the bar were equal possibilities but in the end the Ballyea player opted to send the ball quickly and efficiently to a well-placed teammate closer to the goal and the ball was then lobbed in to the net putting Ballyea three points ahead again (1-14 to 1-11).
The subsequent puck-out from Eoin O’Brien was again sent deep and fought and won by Broadford. The ball was sent across the field to Craig Chaplin who took it on a solo run in the middle of field and through the back lines for a goal opportunity and, although intercepted, the ball deflected off the goalie’s hurley to even the score. A free from an illegal tackle against Broadford in the next minute put Broadford ahead by one solitary point again. (1-14 to 2-12)
Predictably perhaps at this stage, but none the less frustratingly and just in to extra time, Ballyea scored an equalising point.
However in a final twist a goal from Shane Taylor in the last act of play gave Broadford the final victory. Final score 1-15 to 3-12