By Shaun Casey

HAVING won the last two Down Intermediate Hurling Championships, Bredagh were ready to mix it with the big boys and reaching the semi-final of the senior competition was the target, says boss Conor Hynes.

They take on the “standard bearers” in the Mourne County over the past few years, Portaferry, and the Belfast outfit will have to play at their absolute maximum to cause an upset.

Portaferry fired five goals past them in the group stages of the campaign and Hynes is well aware of the huge challenge his side face this weekend.

“It’s a big game for the club, it’s the first time we’ve been in a senior semi in a few years now so it’s something that we’ve been aiming for this year and for the last couple of years, to get through to a senior semi,” he said.

“We’ve won the intermediate the last couple of years and it’s probably the next progression that we’re pushing for within the club. Portaferry are the standard bearers and the more we play against them, the better we’re going to be.

“They’re a massive step up and it may even be a step too far at the minute but we’re not going to get there without playing them. I’d have a good insight into Portaferry, and they probably should have won an Ulster in the last couple of years.

“It’s good to play teams like that and it’s the teams that we need to be playing. Portaferry are a quality outfit, and they beat us well the last day so we’re going to have to bring our A game and try and compete for as long as possible.”

Bredagh, who have never won the big prize, have an exciting raft of youngsters coming through the club and giving them senior experience has been crucial to their progression throughout the season.

“We wanted to stay in Division Two and try to blood through a load of young boys,” Hynes added. “We have some really good lads that have just left minor but when you get to the championship, we wanted to be in the semis.

“The likes of Carryduff and Liatroim were probably in the same boat, and so were Ballycran, we all wanted to get to the semis and it’s a big thing for us as a team and as a club to get to that stage.

“These young fellas have won everything the whole way up. Apart from this year, I think they won three in a row and played in the last six minor finals, so they are boys that don’t really know defeat too much and we’re trying to harness that into our senior boys.

“We’re trying to give them a platform to actually play. They’re a great bunch of young lads so it’s been about getting them game-time.

“The last day we played Portaferry, they beat us well, but we ended up with maybe nine u-20s on the pitch so it’s something we’re trying to do,” he added.