O'Shea substitution turns Brackens to victory in Division 1 Mid Junior Final

Sign On Templemore Junior Hurling League Final - Division 1

JK Brackens 1-23

Moycarkey Borris 2-18

By Mark Dunne

Second-half substitute Ciarán O’Shea proved the difference in this tightly contested Division 1 League Final played in Littleton last Friday night. O’Shea bagged himself 1-1 in the closing minutes to give the Templemore side the victory.

Moycarkey Borris found themselves two points in front on 58mins but the remaining 4 minutes saw the home side invite on Brackens and ultimately paid the price.

On a night where free takers were to the fore, Darragh Doyle opened the scoring inside a minute. The aforementioned Doyle had a chance a minute later to put his side two up but opted for a shot at goal easily blocked by Doran.

Diarmuid Maher opened his account with a monster free inside his own 65m to level proceedings. The game got its opening goal on three minutes when Hayes popped a pass to Moycarkey captain Heffernan who scored.

Hayes quickly added to this with a point of his own before the lively Michael Cahill pointed to bring a goal between the sides.

Maher knocked over a free on 5mins before JK Brackens got their dominant spell scoring five unanswered points over the next ten minutes.

Doyle pointed four, with Eoin Fitzpatrick getting the other. Diarmuid Maher broke the Moycarkey dry spell with a free on the 20th-minute mark to put his side one up. Eddie Bergin scored a mammoth point soon afterwards to tie matters.

The remaining ten minutes were tit for tat with both sides trading scores and more importantly the lead. Darragh Doyle on the stroke of half time levelled the game to send the teams in deadlocked 1-10 to 0-13.

Darragh Doyle opened the second half with a powerful point from play. Brackens now a point up saw an opportunity for a goal but Fitzpatrick’s shot was saved well and out for 65 metres which Doyle Duly dispatched.

The game began to kick into life as both sides traded the next few scores with Brackens three to the good on 37mins. The second goal of the game came on 38mins; a breakdown in the JK Brackens defence saw Joey Doran through, his shot initially saved by Russell but the quick thinking of Flood saw him tap in and draw the team's level once more.

Both free-takers traded points before Moycarkey Borris nearly got their third, a high-dropping ball was kicked on by Flood but right and wide. This miss appeared to have given the home side a lift with Hayes and Maher putting over big scores to put them three up on the three-quarter hour mark.

Indeed they could be on their fourth and fifth goal at this juncture; Jack Hayes saw his shot brilliantly saved by Russell and moments a goal ruled out when Flood was adjudicated to have been in the square when Hayes cut in a beautiful sideline cut.

Diarmuid Maher kept up his accuracy on frees and put them four up before Joseph Bourke cut the deficit to three on 52 minutes. The remaining eight minutes saw both teams trade scores with the prospect of extra time growing as each minute passed.

Moycarkey Borris kicked with two more points courtesy of their free taker before Brackens landed two crucial blows.

James Corcoran pointed from wing back to bring the gap to two before a long-range free from Russell dropped dangerously into the square and O’Shea’s stick got the crucial final touch and in-passed Doran.

Brackens are now one to the good and suddenly Moycarkey desperately searching for an equaliser. It wasn’t to come however and O’Shea got the all-important insurance point to guarantee victory for the Templemore side.

JK Brackens: Darren Russell; Jamie Bergin, James Bergin, Tadhg Nolan; James Ryan, Ned Walsh, James Corcoran (0-1); Eddie Bergin (0-2), Adrian Bourke (0-1); Martin Bergin, Darragh Doyle (0-12, 0-11f), Eoin Fitzpatrick (0-2); Michael Cahill (0-3), Stephen Cahill, Ned Delaney.

Subs used: Ciaran O’Shea (1-1) for Martin Bergin; Joseph Bourke (0-1) for Ned Walsh.

Moycarkey Borris: James Doran; Liam Hayes, Kevin Moran, Rory Darmody; Bill Maher, Rory Ryan, Kevin Hayes; Kevin O’Regan, JJ Darmody; Diarmuid Maher (0-12, 0-7f), Joey Doran (0-2), Mark Heffernan (1-1); Jack Hayes (0-3), Darren Flood (1-0), David O’Donnell.

Subs used: Brendan Looby for David O’Donnell; Rory O’Regan for Rory Ryan.

Referee: John Lillis (Drom & Inch)