Kiladangan halt Brackens progress with ruthless round 3 victory to confirm top spot

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship - Group 4 - Round 3

Kiladangan    2-30

JK Brackens 0-16

By James Hayden

Holders Kiladangan put down a serious marker in their bid to retain the Dan Breen Cup with a whopping twenty-point victory over previously unbeaten JK Brackens in a disappointing Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship third round encounter on Sunday afternoon.

JK Brackens went into this encounter with two wins from two but were without the services of their injured captain Luke Ormonde as well as the influential pair Paddy Cadell and Cathal Scully. Kiladangan are still awaiting the return of the injured Seán Hayes but once again fielded a very experienced and seasoned side.

Granted, the squally and breezy weather coupled with the greasy underfoot conditions weren’t conducive to good hurling but regardless the manner in which Kiladangan dispatched the challenge of Brackens was both ruthless and devastating. Brackens kept pace for just a quarter of the game but even Kiladangan will be surprised by the manner of the Templemore side’s capitulation in the second half.

Shane Keegan’s charges won the toss and elected to play with a strong breeze, but it was Kiladangan who were quickest off the mark with two quick-fire efforts from captain Alan Flynn and Shane Gleeson firing the champions into an early two-point advantage.

JK Brackens responded with efforts from Andrew Ormond and Lyndon Fairbrother (free) but up popped Flynn once more to knife over his side’s third point on six minutes. Brackens kept pace with a second Fairbrother free before two points on the bounce from man of the match Paul Flynn coupled with a fantastic Billy Seymour effort fired the ‘Dangan into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead with just ten minutes elapsed.

Brackens' response was impressive in what was probably the best period in the game for the Mid side with three points from Lyndon Fairbrother (2 frees) bringing the Brackens back upsides once more at 0-6 apiece.

From this juncture on though, John O’Meara’s charges ratcheted up the tempo, restricting JK Brackens to just four further points for the remainder of the half while they rattled off an impressive 2-7, 2-6 from play.

The first goal came in the 20th minute after a deft ball from Bryan McLoughney put Paul Flynn through and he made no mistake with a cracking low drive past Jack Kennedy.

Ned Walsh responded with a fine point for Brackens before Kiladangan breached the Templemore side’s rearguard once more with Joe Gallagher, Billy Seymour and Alan Flynn combining to fashion a thoroughly impressive second goal from Bryan McLoughney.

JK Brackens were at sixes and sevens as David Sweeney, Alan Flynn, Billy Seymour, Willie Connors, Declan McGrath, and Paul Flynn ran the show. Paul Flynn and Seymour added two further points before Brackens picked off three points late in the half, with Jamie Ormonde on target for two while Shane Doyle arrowed over an expertly struck sideline cut to see JK Brackens trail by nine points at the break, 2-13 to 0-10.

Unfortunately for the Brackens the second half provided very little in the way of entertaining fare as they added just six more points, five of which came from play, while Kiladangan turned the game into a procession by rattling off a further 17 points.

Such was the ease at which Kiladangan created their scoring chances that the crowd were already streaming for the gates with a quarter of an hour remaining. Brackens attempted to muster some resistance, but the fact is that they were out-hurled, outplayed, and outclassed.

Jamie Ormond, who hit an impressive six points in total from play for the Brackens, opened the scoring following the re-start but two points from Alan Flynn and a sweetly struck sideline-cut from Billy Seymour served to enhance Kiladangan’s tally.

Efforts from Tadgh Gallagher, Willie Connors, Shane Gleeson, and three further points from Paul Flynn fired Kiladangan fifteen points clear by the 52nd minute mark.

JK Brackens Andrew Ormonde tapped over his sides’ fourteenth point on 56 minutes before a raft of late points from Bryan McLoughney and Paul Flynn served to cap off a hugely impressive victory for Kiladangan.

Indeed, the scoreline would have been far worse for the Templemore men had it not been for the excellent shot-stopping abilities of Jack Kennedy in goal. Kennedy pulled off a fine reaction save following an audacious Billy Seymour snapshot on the cusp of full-time and he was again on hand to deny Seymour by deflecting his shot onto the crossbar in time added on.

Kiladangan: Barry Hogan; John O’Meara, James Quigley, David Sweeney; Willie Connors (0-2), Alan Flynn (0-5), Joe Gallagher; Declan McGrath, Tadhg Gallagher (0-1); Shane Gleeson (0-2), Billy Seymour (0-7, 3f, 1 s-cut), Paul Flynn (1-8); Bryan McLoughney (1-1), Andy Loughnane (0-2), Conor Byrne (0-1).

Subs used: Darren Moran for McGrath (39 inj); Fergal Hayes for O’Meara (47); Conor Culhane for Loughnane (55).

JK Brackens: Jack Kennedy; Martin Delaney, Tom Murphy, Jack Bergin; Jordan Moloney, Éanna McBride, Ned Delaney; Ned Walsh (0-1), Dean McEnroe; Shane Doyle (0-1 s-cut), Andrew Ormond (0-1), Jamie Ormond (0-6); Lyndon Fairbrother (0-6, 5f), Michael Cahill, Conor Cadell.

Subs used: James Corcoran for Fairbrother (45, inj); Ciaran O’Shea for Walsh (49); Stephen Cahill for Doyle (55).

Referee: Kevin Jordan (Thurles Gaels)