Holders Clonmel Commercials dig deep to win Tipperary Under 21 A football final
Heartbreaking defeat for JK Brackens after extra time
Clonmel Commercials 0-22 JK Brackens 1-13 (after extra time)
Holders Clonmel Commercials were in real danger of surrendering their FBD Insurance County Under 21 A Football Championship title when they trailed JK Brackens by three points, 1-13 to 0-13, with three minutes to go in a tense final at Fethard Town Park on Sunday.
Down to fourteen players following the dismissal of Oisin Forristal ten minutes into the second half, Commercials had never been in front since Peter McGarry’s opening score in the third minute, and struggled at times to match the intensity of the Templemore side.
But facing the prospect of losing another county final to Brackens – the Mid side had already beaten them in the Under 17 A decider – they dug deep in remarkable fashion to hit the game’s last nine points without reply, three in ordinary time to force extra time, and then another six on the bounce in the extra twenty minutes that they totally dominated.
It was the turnaround of the year to secure further silverware for this highly talented team – they have won three South titles and two county crowns in three years, with the 2022 South campaign not going to the county series.
They had heroes all over the field – Shane Ryan was outstanding in goal with a series of crucial saves; in front of him Thomas Charles, Rory O’Dowd, Mark Corcoran and Tadhg Sheehan were resolute in defence; Joe Higgins was imperious at midfield, hitting four super points from play, including a brilliant equaliser in the 62nd minute to force the game to extra time; Darragh O’Connor maintained his fine form throughout the campaign; Peter McGarry hit six points from play in another display that established him as one of the top forwards in the county; while Cian Smith played a true captain’s role, complementing his accuracy from frees with three classy points from play.
It was a heartbreaking defeat for JK Brackens, as it looked like they had done enough over the first 57 minutes to secure a famous win. Once Jack Nevin put them 1-1 to 0-1 ahead with a goal in the fourth minute, they were never headed again until the fourth minute of extra time. They continued to maintain their lead, 1-7 to 0-9, at the break, and were a goal to the good three minutes from time, before Commercials staged their recovery.
They suffered a major blow with the loss of their influential midfielder Jack Nevin to injury after 21 minutes. Nevin had been involved in most of their best play until a leg injury forced his early departure, after he had scored 1-2.
However, the Mid side regrouped and maintained their lead. And following the dismissal of Commercials’ midfielder Oisin Forristal in the 40th minute for an off-the-ball incident, Brackens used the extra man well, finding space behind the Commercials defence and they might have put the game out of reach if they had been more clinical in their finishing.
Once Jack Nevin had cancelled out Peter McGarry’s opening point, and then put Brackens in front with the game’s only goal, following good play from Dayle Hogan and Michael Cahill, the game settled into a tit-for-tat encounter, with Brackens always maintaining the slight lead.
Cian Smith pointed a free for the holders but Brackens replied with a brilliant score, a superb catch from Ned Walsh putting Jamie Ormond through. A Cian Smith point following a great run from Thomas Charles, followed by a pointed free from Ciaran O’Shea left the score 1-3 to 0-3 after eleven minutes.
Dayle Hogan then put Brackens four points clear and that sounded the alarm bells for Commercials, who hit back with three in a row, two from McGarry and one from Higgins to make it a one-point game again.
The Brackens response was decisive. Jack Nevin fielded a great ball to put Michael Cahill clear and he was fouled by the Clonmel defence. Jamie Ormond pointed the free but Nevin was injured in the earlier action and was replaced by Joe Bourke. But Brackens were unfazed and when Cahill was fouled again following a Jamie Bergin pass, Ciaran O’Shea pointed the free to restore the three- point gap.
However, Commercials finished the half stronger with points from Darragh O’Connor, Higgins and McGarry, to a Brackens reply from sub Joe Bourke to leave one point between the sides at the break, 1-7 to 0-9.
That was still the margin eight minutes into the second half, with early Brackens points from Ned Walsh and a Dayle Hogan free cancelled out by a huge Joe Higgins point and a fisted score from Darragh O’Connor. Jamie Ormond from a free put two between them again before Commercials were reduced to fourteen players, with referee Sean Lonergan showing a red card to Oisin Forristal.
Brackens used the extra space well and by the 50th minute were 1-12 to 0-12 ahead, with points from Jamie Ormond and Jamie Bergin to a Commercials response from McGarry. That was still the margin seven minutes later, 1-13 to 0-13, with Commercials centre back Tadhg Sheehan and JK Brackens Ned Walsh swapping scores.
It looked like time had run out for the champions as they were failing to make any meaningful inroads into the Brackens lead.
However, when the need was greatest, they found their best form. They laid siege to the Brackens goal and two pointed frees from Cian Smith left just one point between them entering added time. As they continued to press forward against a tiring Brackens defence, a patient build-up ended with the score of the game from a composed Joe Higgins to send the game to extra time. Ned Walsh had one last chance to win it for JK Brackens but his effort was well off target.
Commercials carried their momentum into extra time and added five points without reply in the first half, through Peter McGarry – after Brackens ‘keeper Cian Sheedy had made an earlier brilliant save – three in a row from Cian Smith, two from play, and then from substitute Jamie O’Keeffe, to leave it 0-21 to 1-13 at the turnover.
Commercials defended that cushion in the second period when the only score was a second point for O’Keeffe.
Tempers became a little frayed in the closing minutes following a heavy tackle on Commercials goalkeeper Shane Ryan, but by that stage the contest was decided and the cup was making the short journey back to Clonmel.
Clonmel Commercials: Shane Ryan, Eoghan Walsh, Mark Corcoran, Thomas Charles, Rory O’Dowd, Tadhg Sheehan 0-1; Billy Tierney, Ross Slattery, Joe Higgins 0-4; Oisin Forristal, Peter McGarry 0-6; Darragh O’Connor 0-2; Niall Deely, Cian Smith 0-7, 4 frees; Declan Nee.
Subs: Michael Connellan for Niall Deely, Jamie O’Keeffe 0-2 for Billy Tierney, James Power for Eoghan Walsh, Darragh Landers for Declan Nee.
JK Brackens: Cian Sheedy, Tommy Burke, Sean Collier, Jamie Bergin 0-1; James Ryan, Luke Ormond, Tom Corcoran, Ned Delaney, Jack Nevin 1-2; Ned Walsh 0-2; Stephen Cahill, Jamie Ormond 0-4, 2 frees; Michael Cahill, Ciaran O’Shea 0-2 frees; Dayle Hogan 0-2, 1 free. Subs: Joe Bourke for Jack Nevin, Jack Marnell for Joe Bourke.
Referee: Sean Lonergan (Moyle Rovers).