Antrim Hurling League Division Two
Bredagh 1-18 Tír na nÓg 2-10
A LATE run of scores sealed the league points for Bredagh who moved joint-top of the table thanks to their win over Tír na nÓg at a gloomy Cherryvale on Wednesday.
With league leaders Carey and second place Clooney Gales both falling to defeats, the South Belfast side is now level on 12 points with Carey, albeit having played a game more.
Their win on Wednesday was well deserved as they were in the ascendency for most of the game although they did have to find the composure to see it out as the Whitehill men rallied superbly in the final quarter as they cut the deficit to two.
However, with Niall McFarland landing some vital scores from long frees to break the visitors' momentum at key times, the Harps saw it out in what was a very well contested and entertaining game.
McFarland was joint top-scorer with Declan McCartney and the centre-back wasted no time in getting off the mark as from the throw-in, the hosts were awarded a free that he sent between the posts with the wind at his back.
Aodhan Donaghy and Declan McCartney added scores from play to suggest the hosts were on for a good night as they looked sharp in attack.
Niall McFarland - who scored six points from placed balls - in action
The visitors got off the mark six minutes in with Caoimhin Duffin converting from a placed ball, but Mark McAreavy hot back soon after when gathering and turning well to get his shot away that sailed between the posts.
Tír na nÓg had their first sight of goal on 11 minutes when Declan Mallon let fly from just outside the penalty area, but Ian Galway was equal to the shot.
The visitors didn't have long to wait for that goal, however, as two minutes later, an excellent move upfield that began with full-back Ryan O'Neill making a great catch under pressure and instigating the passage of play that resulted in Mallon again denied by Galway, but this time Eamonn McAllister was there to smash the rebound to the net.
A second goal would arrive on 18 minutes and this time McAllister turned provider as he played an intelligent, inviting low ball when spotting Colm Duffin inside and the full-forward whipped past Galway to see the visitors turn a three-point deficit into a lead by as many.
Bredagh didn't panic and responded well with McFarland landing a 65 to steady his team and he added another to level after Declan McCartney was well picked out to fire over from play.
Ryan Curran then edged the hosts back into the lead and while Mallon hit back to equalise at the other end, Oran McFlynn hit back immediately and then on 29 minutes, a long ball downfield wasn't dealt with by Kevin Sheerin and McCartney was only too happy to pounce on the loose ball to gather and fire into the empty net.
Aaron McNeill did respond with a point from a free for Tír na nÓg, but it was Bredagh leading at the break, 1-9 to 2-3.
Playing with the wind in the second half, Tír na nÓg would have hoped to push on but it was Bredagh who would dominate the third quarter as Chris Ferry extended their lead with a shot that dropped over and when Ciaran McMullan pointed after a strong run up the right wing, all of the home side's forwards were on the board.
The hosts kept their foot on the gas with Declan McCartney all alone to steady and score, while Aodhan Donaghy popped off to Oran McFlynn to pop over and McFarland then launched another long free to push the gap out to eight.
Players battle for possession 
Tír na nÓg had made no impression after the break, but they would spark to life midway through the second period when awarded a 20-metre free that Aaron McNeilly opted to blast over, but it did seem to ignite the Whitehill men who built on this to chip away at the gap.
Emmett Martin then scored from out on the right but was then forced off with an injury, yet it didn't upset his team's new-found rhythm as Ciaran McKeown finished a fine run with a point, McNeilly converted another free and Colum Duffin drilled over from the left to leave just a goal in it with eight to play.
It appeared it was the hosts who were now under real pressure and while McFarland landed a long free to break the cycle, it didn't halt the Tír na nÓg momentum as the impressive Eamonn McAllister landed back-to-back points to narrow the gap to two with four minutes left.
It seemed we were in for a grandstand finish, but another long free from McFarland proved a huge steadier and from the puc-out, the ball ended up with Donaghy who returned it over the bar to give his side breathing space.
Ciaran McMullan then made it safe with an injury-time points out on the right and while he was denied a late goal by Sheerin, Bredagh had done enough to see off the Tír na nÓg rally to put themselves right in the race for first place in Division Two.
BREDAGH: I Galway; C Kelly, M Woods, L Smyth; C Ferry (0-1), N McFarland (0-6, 5 frees, 1 65), F McCollum; M Patterson, H Hanrahan; M McAreavey (0-1), O McFlynn (0-2), C McMullan (0-2); A Donaghy (0-2), R Curran (0-1), D McCartney (1-3).
TÍR NA nÓG: K Sheerin; T Martin, R O'Neill, E Higgins; C O'Neill, Caoimhin Duffin (0-1 free), M Smyth; A McNeill (0-3 frees), C McKeown (0-1); E Martin (0-1), E McAllister (1-2), N Shannon; K Kerr, Colm Duffin (1-1), D Mallon (0-1).
Subs: N Devlin for K Kerr (36), C McCamphill for E Martin (46), D Fegan for N Shannon (55)
REFEREE: Danny O'Neill (Gort na Móna)
