Goals prove crucial as Golden Kifeacle win Tipperaryman's Cup

Golden Kilfeacle 5-14 Grangemockler Ballyneale 2-15 

Golden Kilfeacle are the FBD Insurance Division 2 County Football League champions following their eight-point victory over Grangemockler Ballyneale at a sun-drenched Cahir GAA Grounds on Saturday evening.

Inspired by a man of the match display from ace attacker Sam Hall, they pushed for home with a late surge during the final twenty minutes. This was a game in which Golden opened up the Grangemockler defence on numerous occasions to create a good number of goal chances, but over-elaboration was their undoing.

Nevertheless, they hit five majors, with two each from Sam Hall and Ben Currivan, while midfielder Niall Heffernan capped off a good evening when he found the net on the hour mark.

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Overall this was an entertaining game, watched by a reasonable crowd, with both teams intent on playing attacking football, with very little negativity. This is what the patrons want to see, with players and officials adapting well to the new rules.

Golden’s Jack Leamy got the scoreboard moving inside two minutes with a neat score. James O’Meara equalised before Leamy doubled his account from a placed ball. Niall Heffernan got on the end of a good Golden move out of defence to stretch the lead out to two.

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The opening break for the West men came on nine minutes when Aaron Colohan was hauled down and Sam Hall made no mistake from the resulting penalty kick, going low to David Power’s right. The South side were quick to reply, having won possession from the kickout, to set up a move, with Sean Daly slotting past Jack Currivan for a major.

Golden then created a first real goalscoring opportunity when Jack Leamy went one-on-one with David Power, but the ‘keeper did well to smother the shot. Power then showed his versatility when coming upfield to slot over a two- point free from outside the forty metre zone.

With little or nothing between the sides, Golden squandered a few chances before Sam Hall, who was beginning to exert his authority, kicked over just after the quarter-hour mark. From the restart, Grangemockler moved the ball quickly into attack, with Leon Kennedy putting pressure on the Golden defence before winning a free that Mark O’Meara converted, to bring the sides level for the third time.

With ten minutes remaining in the half Sam Hall gave Golden a boost when kicking over a two-pointer but the South men answered in triplicate, with two points from Jamie Walsh and a converted free from Mark O’Meara.

Sam Hall converted a 45, which was was awarded following a David Power save from close range. Power then had the final say of an entertaining half when he put over his second two-point free one minute into added time.

The half time score was Grangemockler Ballyneale 1-9, Golden Kilfeacle 1-7.

The West side were quickly out of the blocks after the restart, with Sam Hall and Jack Leamy both converting placed balls inside ninety seconds to bring the game back on level terms, the second from Leamy being awarded following a kickout infringement. Paidí O’Shea kicked a free before Sam Hall finished off a piercing run from Eanna Ormond for his second major of the evening.

Mark O’Meara landed a big two-pointer to tie the game for what would be the last occasion, 2-9 to 1-12. Golden upped the intensity and Ben Currivan slotted home from close range following a well-worked move from midfield that also involved Sam Hall and Jack Bergin.

They then worked a free kick, which Hall converted, before Mark O’Meara and Leon Kennedy got in for two minors either side of a Jack Bergin beauty.

Ben Currivan effectively wrapped up the game with ten minutes remaining when he found the net for his second goal. Sam Hall and Paidí O’Shea traded minors before Sean O’Meara gave the South men a lifeline with a well-worked goal.

However, Golden saw out the game on a high, with midfielder Niall Heffernan finding the net on sixty minutes.

After the game Ben Currivan was presented with The Tipperaryman’s Cup by Alan Moloney, Secretary of the Tipperary Football Committee.

Scorers: Golden Kilfeacle: Sam Hall (2-7, 1-0 pen, 1 2pt, 1 45, 2f), Ben Currivan (2-0), Niall Heffernan (1-1), Jack Leamy (0-5, 3 frees), Jack Bergin (0-1).

Grangemockler Ballyneale: Sean Daly (1-0), Sean O’Meara (1-0), Mark O’Meara (0-5, 1 2pt, 2f), David Power (0-4, 2 2ptf), Jamie Walsh (0-2), Paidí O’Shea (0-2, 1f), Leon Kennedy (0-1), James O’Meara (0-1).

Golden Kilfeacle: Jack Currivan, Jack Dalton, Aidan O’Connell, Ciarán Byrne, Cian O’Connell, Shane O’Connell, Jack Lonergan, Gavin Dalton, Niall Heffernan, Eanna Ormond, Jack Leamy, Aaron Colohan. Jack Bergin, Sam Hall, Ben Currivan (captain).

Subs: Padraig Dalton for Aaron Colohan (42), Aidan Tuohy for Jack Lonergan (52), Michael Coman for Eanna Ormond (60), Harry Fogarty for Jack Bergin (60).

Grangemockler Ballyneale: David Power, Darragh Shelly, Conor Hahessy, James Daly, Thomas Regan, Leon Kennedy, James Flynn, Sean Daly (captain), Michael Meaney, James O’Meara, Mark O’Meara, Lorcan Magorrian, Paidí O’Shea, Sean O’Meara, Jamie Walsh.

Subs: Tom Brett for Lorcan Magorrian (45), Conor McGuire for James O’Meara (48), Jack Bourke for Jamie Walsh (55).

Referee: Brian Tyrrell (Clonmel Commercials).