By Patrick Sharkey,
There was a lot of hope in Balintra in 2022 after Naomh Bríd got promoted from division three of the Donegal Club football league and planned for 2023 to be the year when Naomh Bríd put it up to the big boys in division two. Five games into the 2023 Marley Coaches Division two season and Naomh Brid struggle as they are yet to find their first win in the 2023 league. This was in full show tonight.
The Green and Blacks made the long journey to Buncrana but were unable to turn their fortunes.
Buncrana won the game on a scoreline of 3-11 to 0-6. Naomh Bríd manabger John Muprhy was well used to it.
Mr Murphy travelled to South Donegal having been involved in a Derrygonelly Harps team that won five Fermanagh senior football championships in a row but he has been finding it difficult to get wins.
Naomh Bríd trailed throughout the game and failed to really put it up to Buncrana. Murphy reflected on it by saying: “Here look at, it one of those games where we can’t really keep going about. We are very badly depleted at Naomh Bríd. I think we are missing a lot of good players now and look at it Buncrana are on a different level than us. You know they are probably between fitter and used to the standard of football. Coming up from division three, for a lot of these boys, here look at it, it is a learning curve for them to be honest with you. We are not going to lose heart. I still have a lot of belief in the boys. They are trying hard in training and look at it, all we can do is what we can do”.
John added: “We keep coming out. We keep the jersey, and we keep trying to play football the Naomh Bríd way. Look that is all we can do. Until the boys come back from being injured we get the full hand from being dealt with. It’s all we can do, keep showing up.” It was pouring down with heavy rain in the first 20 minutes but regardless of weather conditions, Buncrana was able to keep on going.
The Derrygonelly Harps man isn’t too fixated on the aim of staying up. The Fermanagh man said “It’s like anything else. First and foremost, get a performance. We have been performing well in patches at times.”
The referee added: “We have shown up at times but that level of consistency, we need to try and get a consistent performance first. Yes, the aim is to stay up but at the same time, it hasn’t been simple for us at the end of the day you know. Keep trying and that is all we can do and keep pushing on”.
John Murphy however was still proud of his team’s performance and wasn’t willing to single out any particular player. Mr Murphy said: “They really show their hand at times. They can’t really comment on that. There is more in them, to be honest with you. They have probably been harder in training than they have played in matches you know.” Buncrana isn’t expected to get a challenge that easy next time.
Murphy took up the role only this year and claims to know little to nothing about the club football.
Well not in Fermanagh but this is the first club management role for the Derrygonelly Harp man in Donegal. The Fermanagh man made it clear: “Well again I am just new to Naomh Bríd and I don’t know. Whatever has happened in the past stays in the past but then again the likes of Buncrana we are following here there and everywhere at times. They seem to have a group of young lads coming through. Naomh Brís from what I hear, there are a lot of people emigrating and stuff like that and that’s fair play.”
The referee added: Each person to their own but at the same time, a club like Noamh Bríd need to stick together and that kind of way you know. Keep pushing on.” Buncrana will play senior opposition next time round.
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