JK Brackens make it two wins from two in Tipperary senior football championship

JK Brackens 1-14 Ballyporeen 1-11

JK Brackens chiselled out a hard-earned Round 2 victory in this FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship game when they came from behind to overcome Ballyporeen at Golden on Sunday.

Chasing this game until seven minutes from time, they came good at the end to record their second victory in Group 4.

Ballyporeen were far superior in the first half and were able to get numbers behind the ball to curtail the Brackens attack, limiting them to three points, with just one from open play. Up front Darragh Brennan led by example and accounted for all of their first half scores, kicking 1-5 from placed balls, the goal coming after seven minutes from the penalty spot after Tomas Vaughan had been hauled down.

Ballyporeen led by five points at the break and looked to have taken over where they had left off when they got the first two scores of the second period, going seven to the good in the process.

While Brackens pulled back a couple of points, the south men still led by six, 1-8 to 0-5, with eighteen minutes remaining. The mid side began to eat into this lead and kicked the next five points without reply as they came more and more into the game. With eight minutes of normal time remaining, they still trailed by two following an Anthony Crotty fisted point.

With the sides on even terms and six minutes remaining, Luke Ormond came upfield and crashed home the all-important goal to put Brackens three ahead. Scores were shared during the final four minutes plus injury time and Brackens had pulled off a victory that will go a long way towards securing a place in the knockout stages.
It took both sides time to settle into the game. Dean McEnroe got the scoreboard ticking when he pointed after five minutes.

Ballyporeen hit back and Tomas Vaughan was hauled down. Darragh Brennan stepped up to take the resulting penalty and gave Tom Bourke no chance, to put Ballyporeen two up after seven minutes. Brennan, who was showing for nearly every ball and causing Brackens trouble, pointed from a mark before Jack Kennedy put over his first point from a placed ball on twelve minutes.

What followed for the remainder of the half was a period of dominance by the south men, forcing Brackens to concede frees, while at the same time tracking back to close off any potential threat. Brackens’ attacking build-up was slow and this suited Ballyporeen, enabling them to get twelve and thirteen players behind the ball at times.

Brennan kicked four unanswered frees in the final ten minutes of the half and it took a Jack Kennedy free three minutes into injury time to salvage something for the mid men, who went in at the break trailing by five points, 1-5 to 0-3.

Ballyporeen kicked the opening two points of the second half, the first from Darragh Lyons inside the first minute and the second coming from a Darragh Brennan placed ball three minutes later.

In between these two scores a Jack Kennedy piledriver came back off the crossbar, which signalled the intent of the mid men. Points from Paddy Cadell and Jack Kennedy had the lead back to five again with seven minutes gone. Darragh Lyons got his second point after ten minutes, pushing the lead out to six, before Brackens upped their game considerably. They attacked with pace and this brought dividends, as Jack Kennedy got in for two points in succession, one from a placed ball.

Jack Nevin kicked two splendid points between the 16th and 20th minutes while Neil Quinlan also got in on the act. Anthony Crotty broke the momentum with a fisted point and in a good move a shot for goal was just wide. Two further points from Jack Kennedy had the game on level terms with six minutes remaining.

It was all to play for, with the game in the melting pot, but the momentum was definitely with the Templemore men.

Their big break came when Luke Ormond got on the end of a good move and crashed home their only goal, putting them three points to the good as the clock ran down. During the final four minutes plus injury time, scores were even at 0-2 apiece, as Brackens ran out three point winners following a good last quarter comeback.

JK Brackens: Tom Bourke, Luke Ormond (1-0), Tom Murphy, Martin Delaney (captain), Stephen Cahill, Neil Quinlan (0-1), Jordan Moloney, Adrian Bourke, David O’Shea, Conor Cadell, Paddy Cadell (0-1), Dean McEnroe (0-2), Jack Nevin (0-2), Jack Kennedy (0-8, 6 frees), Shane Doyle.

Subs used: Eanna McBride for Shane Doyle (31 mins), Lorcan Egan for David O’Shea (35 mins), Lyndon Fairbrother for Adrian Bourke (43 mins).

Ballyporeen: Mikey Sweeney, John Carey, Oisin Brennan, Seamus O’Callaghan, Charlie English, John O’Callaghan, Noel Vaughan (captain), Dean Finn, Riain O’Callaghan, Darragh Lyons (0-2), Christy English, Anthony Crotty (0-1), Tomas Vaughan, Darragh Brennan (1-8, 1-0 penalty, 8 frees), Glen Walsh.

Subs used: Paudie Fitzgerald for John Carey (46 mins), John Martin for Christy English (57 mins).

Referee: David Grogan (Aherlow).