By Michael McMullan

NEWBRIDGE began their homework on Madden on Saturday ahead of this weekend’s Ulster Senior Championship semi-final showdown with the Armagh champions.

A second-half goal from Callum McGrogan was the key score as the ‘Bridge saw off Dunloy at Owenbeg on Saturday night.

“I’d say they were there watching us so we’ll have to start our homework on them now,” said Kevin Brady, who manages the Derry champions alongside Gary Hetherington.

“Ulster Championship is all about going to the Athletic Grounds on a Sunday for a quarter-final.

“It’s something that we’ve never experienced before. Last year, it was up in Derry and here (Owenbeg) so travelling and playing against an Armagh team at home, it’s going to be a big test for us.”

While Newbridge have 12 Derry titles to their name, Sunday is a third-ever Ulster senior experience for the current group. Some of their older players have a taste of Ulster at intermediate level. For Madden, Sunday is new.

“There are teams that sometimes can just go straight from winning their championship for the first time,” Brady added.

“For other teams, it takes maybe a year to get used to it and then maybe come back the second year.

“That’s what we’re hoping anyway, that it works that way for us and we’re hoping that it works for Madden that way too, that in their first year, that they don’t go on a bit of a run.”

It was Clann Éireann who knocked Newbridge out last season with a late push. This year, they’ve the extra experience of having walked the Ulster path before.

“It’s been easier this year and I’ve found the celebrations just weren’t as mad this year,” Brady said of getting the camp regrouped ahead of Saturday’s win over Dunloy.

There is a feeling of taking it a step at a time after getting their hands back on the John McLaughlin Cup.

“We’re not setting ourselves any sort of huge goals,” Brady pointed out. “It was always to go further than we did last year. We’ve achieved that already and let’s see where it takes us.”

Looking back on their win over Dunloy, Brady said the main focus during the game was not to fall further than their two-point interval deficit.

Two-pointers from Keelan Molloy and Deaglan Smith opened a 0-8 to 0-6 half-time lead.

Dunloy twice went three points ahead but weren’t able to stretch the margin before Newbridge hit back with McGrogan’s goal to turn the tie.

“We didn’t want that lead to grow in the second half because if they can get a bit of a cushion, they’ll be very comfortable keeping the ball,” he said.

“As soon as you rush in, they’ll hit you and get their main men (on the ball), which they have been doing through the Antrim Championship and just increase their lead.

“We were just glad that we kept in touch at the start of the second half and got ourselves ahead with the goal, which just came at a really good time.

“We were sort of strong then in the last quarter of the game. It was never comfortable, that’s about all I can say, but it was a good battle.”

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