Attritional game sees Toomevara do enough to best battling JK Brackens in Borris-Ileigh

FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary Quarter-Final

Toomevara 0-18  

JK Brackens 0-15

By James Hayden

Toomevara edged out a battling JK Brackens side in what proved an absorbing Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary quarter-final clash in front of a large attendance at a balmy Borris-Ileigh on Saturday afternoon last.

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Last year’s beaten county finalists went into this do-or-die contest minus the services of influential forward Kevin McCarthy, following his red card in Toome’s final group stage encounter against Kiladangan, while JK Brackens had a full squad to call upon for this hugely anticipated clash.

Toomevara supremo Ken Dunne is hoping to negotiate a route back into this year's county final following their 2024 loss to Loughmore-Castleiney and, despite being without the services of McCarthy, he fielded a slightly re-jigged side from the match programme, drafting in Paul Ryan, Adam Hall and Jack Delaney from the start.

JK Brackens manager Shane Keegan also made a number of changes following their defeat to Drom & Inch in their final group game and drafted in some new blood in the guise of Ciaran O’Shea and Dean McEnroe for a Brackens side that has seriously flattered to deceive since their Mid SHC victory earlier in the season.

In what proved an arm-wrestle of a contest, there was a dramatic conclusion to proceedings after the reigning Mid-Tipperary senior hurling champions were awarded a last-gasp penalty deep in time added on after Joshua Powell was somewhat harshly adjudged to have fouled Jamie Ormond as he attempted to gather possession in front of goal.

JK Brackens’ freetaker Shane Doyle, who had arrowed over seven points from placed balls throughout the course of the game, stepped up to send the tie to extra-time but his low, driving effort thundered off the butt of the upright and away to safety, much to the relief of the Toomevara faithful.

Toomevara, 21-time winners of the Dan Breen, led by the bare minimum at the break, 0-11 to 0-10, in an opening half which saw Darragh McCarthy and Shane Doyle hit five frees apiece. Conor Cadell, Ciaran O’Shea, Lyndon Fairbrother and Cathal Scully chipped in with impressive efforts from range also, with Paul Ryan, Adam Hall and the in-form Jack Delaney keeping the scoreboard ticking for Toomevara.

Brackens deservedly kept pace with a well-drilled Toomevara side throughout a free-strewn opening half which saw both sides level on no fewer than six occasions, with the pick of the Brackens points coming in the 22nd and 30th minutes. The first was a well-worked Conor Cadell effort followed by a sublime strike from range, and the second was a booming effort from way out the field from full-back Cathal Scully just before the break.

Toomevara were not without some impressive efforts from play either, with an early point from Paul Ryan after just 15 seconds and a brace of Jack Delaney efforts, together with a fine Conor O’Meara point on the stroke of half-time, drawing appreciative applause from the large Toomevara following.

Ciaran O’Shea and Jack Delaney both added to their tallies following the re-start, but scores were at a premium during the third quarter as both sides failed to convert a number of scorable opportunities from both play and placed balls.

Successive Toomevara points from Jack Delaney, Conor McCarthy (free) and player of the match Conor O’Farrell ensured Toomevara maintained their slender interval advantage into the closing quarter before Jack Kennedy in the Brackens goal pulled off a tremendous point-blank save from a fizzing Adam Hall effort as the 50th minute mark approached.

Shane Doyle brought Brackens upsides once more with a sublime 57th-minute effort before Toomevara seized the initiative with three points on the bounce, comprising a 65 and a free from the stick of Tipperary inter-county star Darragh McCarthy, and a sublimely struck sideline cut from the toes of the stand from substitute Mark McCarthy.

Indeed, the Greyhounds should have been further clear as the 60-minute mark approached, but Darragh McCarthy’s compass encountered a momentary blip with three wides on the bounce from the county star before normal service was resumed with what was arguably the most difficult effort of all, a long-range free in front of the Toomevara substitute bench on 59 minutes.

Jack Kennedy was also called into action again as he denied Toomevara an almost certain goal deep in injury-time with yet another tremendous close-range save from the stick of Toomevara second-half substitute Austin Duff.

There was still more drama to come in what proved an action-packed conclusion to proceedings, with JK Brackens raiding on a number of occasions in search of an all-important major to level proceedings. Still, it wasn’t to be for Brackens who now bow out of this year’s race for Dan Breen. 

Toomevara proved impressive in seeing off what was a stiff JK Brackens challenge, with Andrew Ryan, Josh McCarthy, Conor O’Farrell, Darren Delaney, Liam Ryan, and Jack Delaney catching the eye, while Jack Kennedy, Cathal Scully, Shane Doyle, Conor Cadell, and Paddy Cadell impressed for JK Brackens.

Toomevara: Rory Brislane; Jake Ryan, Andrew Ryan, Josh McCarthy; Barry O’Connell, Liam Ryan, Joshua Powell; Robbie Quirke, Conor O’Farrell (0-1); Paul Ryan (0-1), Darren Delaney, Jack Delaney (0-4); Adam Hall (0-1), Darragh McCarthy (0-9, 0-7f, 0-1 65’), Conor O’Meara (0-1).

Subs used: Jake Hackett for O’Meara (39); Austin Duff for Quirke (47); Mark McCarthy (0-1 sl-cut) for Hall (47); Cathal Frend for Ryan (62).

JK Brackens: Jack Kennedy; Luke Ormond, Cathal Scully (0-1), Sean Walsh; Eanna McBride, Paddy Cadell, James Corcoran; Conor Cadell (0-1), Ciaran O’Shea (0-2); Shane Doyle (0-8, 0-7f), Lyndon Fairbrother (0-2), Jamie Ormond; Dean McEnroe, Andrew Ormond (0-1), Stephen Cahill.

Subs used: Ned Walsh for Fairbrother (48); Michael Cahill for O’Shea (52).

Referee: John McCormack (Knockavilla Kickhams)

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