Clonmel Óg find the answers to edge out battling Borrisokane to clinch county title

FBD Insurance County Premier Junior Football Final

Clonmel Óg 0-12 

Borrisokane 0-9

By James Hayden 

Clonmel Óg staved off a late Borrisokane rally to be crowned county Premier Junior Football champions following an enthralling and absorbing contest at a breezy Templetuohy on Saturday afternoon last.

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The south champions were full value for their three-point victory, with a superb third-quarter performance providing John Crotty’s charges with the necessary platform for a hard-fought and hard-earned county final victory.

The accuracy of the influential Clonmel Óg attacker Darragh McVicker from both close-range and long-range frees proved crucial, with two two-pointers and three further frees from close range, rattling up seven points in total for the men in saffron and blue.

However, Borrisokane had their opportunities too, but a couple of missed two-pointers coupled with a missed 19th-minute penalty did little to augment their title aspirations. In addition, a poor third quarter, which saw them cough up three points without reply to allow Clonmel Óg to forge a deserved six-point lead, proved hugely detrimental to their cause.

Clonmel Óg came into this encounter off the back of a thrilling semi-final victory over JK Brackens, while Borrisokane, gunning for their third-ever county title in the adult ranks, overcame Fr Sheehy’s in a hard-fought 3-10 to 2-9 victory.

However, they were dealt a major blow just before throw-in, with centre-back Darragh Kearney pulling up in the warm-up, while influential attacker Niall O’Connor was forced off after just 17 minutes of play despite passing a late fitness test on an injured hamstring.

Prior to throw-in, a minute’s silence was impeccably observed in memory of the late Borrisokane and Tipperary legend John ‘Mackey’ McKenna. When hostilities commenced, it was Borrisokane who drew first blood, with Shane Nevin and Mike Kelly linking up well to create an early scoring opportunity for corner-forward Conor Ryan. 

Cian O’Sullivan, who proved influential throughout, responded for Clonmel Óg with a sweet effort before another surging Shane Nevin run afforded Philip Austin the opportunity to add to Borrisokane’s tally.

Clonmel Óg were back on terms in the tenth minute thanks to a well-taken Christopher O’Gorman point before a scything attack involving Conor Arrigan and Dean Kelleher almost resulted in Clonmel Óg’s opening goal. 

Kelleher’s looping hand pass was a fraction too high for the lurking Christopher O’Gorman, though, and the danger was quickly averted.

Borrisokane were clearly struggling to fashion some badly needed scores, while Clonmel Óg kept the scoreboard ticking with a sublimely struck two-pointer from the boot of Darragh McVicker midway through the half, before Conor Arrigan fired the south champions into a three-point advantage with a close-range 17th-minute effort.

Borrisokane were afforded the opportunity to restore parity minutes later after Brandon Landers hauled Gordon Harding to the ground inside the small parallelogram. Up stepped Gary Ryan to take the resulting penalty, but his effort was well saved by Kyle Grant in the Clonmel Óg goal. 

Grant also denied Ryan again as he attempted to flick the ball to the net, and in what could have been a calamitous error, Clonmel Óg’s Mikey Jones almost put the ball in the back of his own net in a hasty attempt to clear his lines. The post came to the rescue for the Clonmel Óg defender, though, and Borris came away empty-handed.

Philip Austin, who was one of Borrisokane’s standout performers on the day, narrowed the gap to two points with a 23rd-minute effort, but a crucial two-pointed free from the boot of Darragh McVicker right on the cusp of half-time fired Clonmel Óg four points clear.

Borrisokane’s Ciaran Foley managed to pull one back just before the break, but Clonmel Óg took a deserved 0-7 to 0-4 lead with them to the dressing room at the interval.

Borrisokane introduced David Austin for the second half, but it was Clonmel Óg who really seized the initiative in the third quarter with an early Darragh McVicker free before the elusive Jamal Yousif knifed over a well-taken 35th-minute effort from close range following a mazy run down the left flank. 

Cian O’Sullivan added a 40th-minute point to put six between the sides, and indeed this margin could have been greater had O’Sullivan’s 34th-minute goal-bound effort not rattled off the crossbar and away to safety.

Despite their disastrous third quarter, Philip Austin dragged Borrisokane back into contention with a 49th-minute long-range free (two-pointer). Darragh McVicker responded with a close-range free before a tremendous point-blank James Morris save from the boot of Cian O’Sullivan served to keep Borrisokane’s hopes alive with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

Darragh McVicker popped up in the 56th minute to flight over a close-range free to put six between the sides, but Borris weren’t done yet. Cian Foley narrowed the gap to five in the 57th minute before successive points from Gary Ryan and Conor Ryan whittled the deficit down to three.

Borrisokane continued to press high, and for the duration of time added on the south champions were forced into a rearguard effort. Borrisokane threw absolutely everything at Clonmel Óg in those closing frantic minutes, but try as they might, they could not find a way through for the all-important major, with the men in saffron and blue holding out for a deserved three-point victory.

Impressive for Clonmel Óg were Darragh McVicker, Shane O’Connor, Conor Arrigan, Jamal Yousif, Cian O’Sullivan and Aaron Arrigan, while Philip Austin, Shane Nevin, James Morris, Ciaran Foley, Conor Ryan and Gary Ryan were to the fore for Borrisokane.

Clonmel Óg: Kyle Grant; Brandon Landers, Shane O’Connor, Reece Lonergan; Mikey Jones, Cian O’Sullivan (0-2), Luke Hannigan; Graham Quinn, Conor Arrigan (0-1); Dean Kelleher, Aaron Arrigan, Niall O’ Connor, Jamal Yousif (0-1), Christopher O’Gorman (0-1), Darragh McVicker (0-7, 2x 2ptf).

Subs used: Marty Norris for O’Connor (17); Adam Tobin-Purcell for Lonergan (45); Jack Dillon for O’Gorman (48); Ciaran Barrett for O’Sullivan (56).

Borrisokane: James Morris; Luke Quigley, James Hough, Bryan Davis; Liam Cleary, Shane Nevin, Kevin Cleary; Philip Austin (0-4, 1x2ptf), Mike Kelly; Seosamh Cleary, Gary Ryan (0-1), Ciaran Foley (0-2); Conor Ryan (0-2), Gordon Harding, Josh Chadwick.

Subs used: David Austin for Chadwick (HT); Luke Gleeson for S Cleary (36); Oisin Larkin for Harding (40); Kevin Harding for K Cleary (50); Peter McSherry for Kelly (54).

Referee: Willie Fitzharris (Fr Sheehy’s)

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