County Senior Football Championship
Group 4. Rd. 2
JK Brackens 1-14
Ballyporeen 1-11
at Golden.
When both of these sides clashed at exactly the same stage of the 2022 championship Brackens won by three points (1-13 to 1-10). How they achieved victory on Sunday was the complete opposite from twelve months ago when they raced into an early seven-point lead and held on at the finish. It was Ballyporeen’s turn to dominate the opening half this time and backed by the strong wind they opened a 1-5 to 0-3 half-time lead which they extended to 1-7 to 0-3 five minutes into the second half, the same lead that Brackens held at the halfway mark last year.
The strong southerly wind howled up the field and away from the village end, favouring the red and black in the first half. Brackens opened the scoring in the 5th minute thanks to a nice point from Dean McEnroe. Darragh Brennan was profiting from quick ball into space at the other end and he goaled from a penalty in the 7th minute when Luke Ormond was pulled for holding. Brennan and Jack Kennedy traded frees but Ballyporeen were wasteful up front and missed several gilt-edged chances to stretch their lead. Brennan did add frees in the 20th,22nd, 25th and 31st minutes before Jack Kennedy’s free closed out the first half scoring as Ballyporeen led 1-5 to 0-3 at the break.
Six points was never going to be enough against the strong breeze and, worryingly for Ballyporeen, they had also failed to score from play in the opening half. Daragh Lyons corrected that when he landed the opening point of the second half to stretch the lead to seven, which soon became eight courtesy of another Brennan free. Brackens discipline wasn’t up to scratch and they were not playing well. They lacked any great flow to their game and they needed to change it up. The introduction of Lorcan Egan and Eanna McBride, along with the switch of Paddy Cadell from centre-forward to midfield seemed to settle Brackens and gave them a solid base from which to attack. A great burst forward from Cadell landed a minor and Kennedy quickly added another. Lyons landed another sweet score from play for Ballyporeen but Brackens tails were up now and three points in a flash from Kennedy (2) and the ever-improving Jack Nevin made it a one score game. They got lucky in the 17th minute however, as Anthony Crotty’s shot fizzed across the goal when a major seemed a certainty.
Brackens took advantage of the let off and points from Neil Quinlan and Nevin cut the lead to one. Crotty atoned somewhat for his earlier miss when he fisted Ballyporeen two clear in the 51st minute (1-9 to 0-10). Brackens pushed forward relentlessly with Egan, Conor Cadell, Paddy Cadell and Stephen Cahill all to the fore. Kennedy landed two in a minute to tie it up and then came the game-breaker. A flowing Brackens move started and finished with Luke Ormond who tapped into an empty net in the 53rd minute to put Brackens three clear. It was a tough blow for Ballyporeen but they kept coming and Brennan twice closed the gap to two, only for McEnroe and Kennedy to reply each time and leave Brackens 1-14 to 1-11 ahead at the final blow of David Grogan’s whistle.
Brackens will be delighted to get the points in the bag which should be enough to see them through to the last eight. They really only came to life in the final quarter and will need to be more consistent over the hour if they are to challenge for County honours. Ballyporeen brought plenty to this game and will be disappointed to come away with nothing. They will lament missed chances in the opening half when backed by the elements and will need to find more scores from open play in their final game against Moyle Rovers where victory could see them through to the last eight.
JK Brackens: Tom Bourke (7), Luke Ormond (1-0, 6), Tom Murphy (6), Martin Delaney (6), Jordan Moloney (6), Neil Quinlan (0-1, 6), Stephen Cahill (7), David O’Shea (5), Adrian Bourke (6), Conor Cadell (7), Paddy Cadell (0-1, 8), Jack Nevin (0-2, 7), Dean McEnroe (0-2, 6), Jack Kennedy (0-8,5f, 7), Shane Doyle (5). Subs: Eanna McBride (6) for Doyle (29), Lorcan Egan (7) for O’Shea (36), Lyndon Fairbrother (6) for A. Bourke (inj. 43).
Ballyporeen: Mikey Sweeney (6), John Carey (5), Oisin Brennan (6), Noel Vaughan (6), Seamus O’Callaghan (6), John O’Callaghan (7), Charlie English (6), Dean Finn (6), Riain O’Callaghan (6), Daragh Lyons (0-2,7), Christy English (5), Anthony Crotty (0-1, 6), Tomas Vaughan (5), Daragh Brennan (1-8, 8f, pen, 7), Glen Walsh. Subs: Paudie Fitzgerald (5) for Carey (47), Tommy Sweeney for Christy English (59).
Player of the match: Paddy Cadell (JK Brackens).
Referee: David Grogan (Aherlow).
