Bittersweet victory for Ballyporeen in county senior football championship in Tipperary

Ballyporeen 1-16 Kilsheelan/Kilcash 0-8

Ballyporeen had little time to celebrate their hugely impressive win over Kilsheelan/Kilcash at Clonmel Sportsfield, before disappointment set in when they heard the result of the other FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship Group 1 game between Aherlow and Cahir in New Inn.

They would have joined table-toppers Kilsheelan in the quarter finals if Cahir had held on to a three-points lead over Aherlow heading into injury time. But in the fifth minute of added time, the West Tipp side scored a decisive goal that put them into the knockout stages – they finished level on three points with Ballyporeen but advance on their head-to-head meeting that they won.

It was a cruel blow for Ballyporeen following their best display of the campaign. Inspired by a superb display from Conor Sweeney, they took a lead in the second minute that they never lost. They led 0-7 to 0-4 at half- time, and the win was sealed by a Christy English goal in the 42nd minute.

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English was immense throughout, scoring 1-3 before going off injured late in the game, with a huge performance also from Darragh Brennan. Eoin Morrissey, James Barry and Riain O’Callaghan were outstanding in defence, keeping close tabs on a Kilsheelan/Kilcash side that had run up big scores in both their earlier group games.

However, Kilsheelan’s attacking threat was dented with the absence through injury of Liam Freaney, Jamie Roche and Mikey McGuire, as well as team joint captain Mark Stokes, while county man Micheál Freaney wasn’t as impactful as in previous games. But with a mounting injury list they were probably just happy to get through the game with no further casualties.

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They had no one on the day to match the impact of former Tipperary captain Conor Sweeney, who orchestrated the whole performance. The Ballyporeen build-up was always patient, sometimes laboured, but it was Sweeney who usually created the final openings or made the telling pass. In addition, he kicked a superb two-pointer, two other points from play and two from frees.

Ballyporeen raced into a 0-3 to no score lead by the eighth minute, Darragh Brennan getting them on the scoreboard in the second minute, Conor Sweeney pointing a free following a foul on Brennan, and then Sweeney converting a free after Bally’ had dominated the early exchanges.

Kilsheelan had to wait until the 10th minute for their opening score, a superb point following a free for a foul on Tommy Connor. Shane Garland took it quickly to Barry Kehoe and then took the return pass to score.

Darragh Brennan set up Tommy Sweeney to stretch the lead to three, 0-4 to 0-1 in the 14 th minute, but it was back to a single point game a minute later when a long range shot from Senan Butler bounced in front of the Ballyporeen goal and over the bar for a two-pointer.

Ballyporeen quickly restored their three-points advantage when a pass from Darragh Brennan cut open the Kilsheelan defence and Riain O’Callaghan pointed, and then Brennan kicked a great point for a 0-6 to 0-3 lead.

Kilsheelan were gifted a score when Ballyporeen goalkeeper Kieran Macken delayed a kickout and referee Derek O’Mahoney awarded a free in front of the posts that Garland pointed. However, Ballyporeen were three points ahead again at the break when Christy English scored after another patient build-up.

Just sixteen seconds had elapsed in the second half when Tommy O’Connor pointed for Kilsheelan but that signalled the end of their bid to retain their 100% record in the group stages. They didn’t score for another 24 minutes, as Ballyporeen hit 1-6 without reply.

Conor Sweeney scored from play and a free, followed by another Brennan free, before the only goal of the game in the 42nd minute – a Sweeney kick that looked destined for a point rebounded off the crossbar and when Ballyporeen regained possession, Christy English blasted to the net for a 1-10 to 0-5 lead.

Before Kilsheelan had time to recover, Darragh Brennan pointed a free after he had been fouled himself, followed by a Sweeney two-pointer for an eleven points lead nine minutes from time.

That remained the margin at the finish. Micheál Freaney had Kilsheelan’s second point of the half in the 24th minute, and then hit a second, with Barry Kehoe scoring their last. Brennan from a free and Thomas Vaughan scored for the winners, with three substitutes combining for their last score, Gavin Canty moving the ball on to Josh Kearney, who provided the scoring pass to Oisín Power.

Ballyporeen: Kieran Macken, Seamus O’Callaghan, Eoin Morrissey, Kyle O’Gorman, Dean Finn, James Barry, Kevin O’Mahoney, Thomas Vaughan 0-1; Tommy Sweeney, Darragh Lyons, Conor Sweeney 0-6, 1x2pt, 2f; Riain O’Callaghan 0-1; Christy English 1-3; Darragh Brennan 0-4, 2f; Sam McGrath.

Subs: Oisín Power 0-1 for Sam McGrath, Gavin Canty for Riain O’Callalghan, Josh Kearney for Seamus O’Callaghan, Mikey Maher for Christy English.

Kilsheelan/Kilcash: Evan Comerford, Kian Quinn, Eoin Kehoe, Jason Madigan, Emmet Butler, Daire Brennan, Sean Ryan, Michael Freaney 0-2; Billy Murphy, Tommy O’Connor 0-1; Barry Kehoe 0-1; Shane Garland 0-2, 1f; Oisín O’Donoghue, Sean Freaney, Senan Butler 0-2, 1x2pt.

Subs: Ru Kelly for Sean Freaney, Jake French Davis for Sean Ryan, Conor Neville for Kian Quinn, Michael Bates for Senan Butler.

Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Ardfinnan).