JK Brackens are fitting county champions after an epic Under 15 football final

An unbelievable twist to the Tippperary Under 15 county football final left spectators on the edge of their seats for the last few minutes. With fifteen minutes left to play JK Brackens were cruising at eight points up but a different game got going in the last five minutes when four goals were scored.

After all the drama JK Brackens manager Paul O'Brien said he was thrilled at full time: "We were eleven points up at half time and probably started defending a bit too much in the second half but it is brilliant as this bunch of players never won anything on the way up along so to win the mid and win this final is unbelievable," he said.

Sensing the clock against the Moyle Rovers drove on to fire in two goals in quick succession but then Brackens went back down the field and a kick at a point struck the upright but the ball somehow bounced back perfectly for midfielder Ryan Loughnane who stuck it in the net to great applause. 

Moyle Rovers never bowed their heads and went back up the field and struck another goal through Darragh O'Gorman but the clock was against them and Brackens, who were the better team over the duration of the match, secured a precious title that brought great joy. 

The mid Tipperary side were driven from the off. Latecomers missed the early drama as the referee threw in the ball they attacked. Loughnane began the attack and Dan Coffey in the corner forward berth sliced open the defence to raise a green flag with less than thirty second played. 

Padraig O'Shea hit two quick points before Moyle Rovers got off the mark through midfielder Conall Morrisson but that was where the scoring ended for them in the first half as a combination of good Brackens defending and forwards taking the wrong option closed off their route towards the goals. 

Brackens drove on. Odhran Dalling raced towards the square to get on the end of a crossfield ball on 9 minutes and it was starting to look one sided. Padraig O'Shea added a point a minute later to leave it 2-4 to 0-1. Another one from his boot then on the quarter mark finished the scoring for the first half.

The second half began in similar fashion with Ryan Loughnane and Padraig O'Shea making it 2-7 to 0-1 before, slowly but surely, the comeback began. A spell without a score soon changed into a multitude as Conall Morrisson and Conal Egan led the way by kicking points and the latter was really the secret weapon in attack. 

Despite wearing number 7 he operated between the forward lines and found the room to ghost away from markers. He kicked a couple of tremendous points before striking for a goal with five minutes to play. Here was when the Brackens showed their mettle. The defence were under ferocious pressure but they repelled attack after attack. JR Corpez carried the ball from defence and Moyle Rovers just couldn't capitalise in their best period of the match.

 
Moyle Rovers showed their courage to keep going and when they secured a late penalty Fred Perry fired low past the keeper. Brackens sensed they needed to up it and they attacked to get a goal of their own. 

The hard working and industrious Sean Burke and Dan Coffey kept attacking for Brackens as an effort hit the post and bounced back alive. Ryan Loughnane gathered and kicked into the astro turf roadside end to great roars in the Monto Carrie Stand. 
Momentarily they switched off then as Darragh O'Gorman snuck in for another Moyle Rovers goal and the spectators gasped at the good of it.

Moyle Rovers were brave but Brackens had worked hard throughout the match and stretched over the line in the end of an absorbing five minutes. The final whistle brought joy to JK Brackens manager Paul O'Brien who praised both teams: "We made very hard work of it there at the end. We had a good lead going in at half time but in fairness to Moyle Rovers they came back and sewed it into us."

In the end the Brackens skill, workrate and drive was enough to secure a famous victory. They led from within the first thirty seconds to the full time whistle. Fitting champions after a dramatic final.