Loughmore Castleiney dish out a reality check to rivals JK Brackens in huge victory

FBD Insurance Senior Hurling Championship Group 3 - Round 2

Loughmore Castleiney 2-32

JK Brackens 2-20

By Michael Dundon

Make no mistake about it – holders Loughmore Castleiney’s defence of their FBD Insurance senior hurling title is firmly on course. 

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At Templetuohy on Sunday, they handed a 12-point drubbing to their great rivals, JK Brackens, in round 2 of Group 3, virtually guaranteeing themselves a quarter-final spot when the knockout stages come around.

Pre-match speculation rated this one of the contests of the second round, but it turned out to be a “cake-walk” for the holders, who had their second lot of points secured by the start of the second quarter. 

Eleven points up at half-time, they breezed through the second half, content to protect their halfway advantage (1-19 to 1-8), and happy to give game time to their subs panel.

JK Brackens, despite an early Andrew Ormond goal after five minutes, never made a contest of it. From the word go, Loughmore ran the show, Noel McGrath at his imperious best, popping up everywhere, and brother John leading the Brackens' defence a merry dance, punishing every indiscretion with his accuracy off placed balls.

This was Loughmore at their best. After 17 minutes, they were ahead 1-11 to 1-3 and coasting. Faster to the ball, surer in possession, their teamwork and support play stretched Brackens to the limit in a game played entirely on Loughmore terms, much to the frustration of the Templemore lads who went into the game with hopes high of taking the honours.

A huge turn-out, expecting a toe-to-toe clash, were left scratching their heads at the Brackens' “no show” as Loughmore streaked away from the start. Points from Tomas McGrath, John Ryan, and John McGrath inside four minutes had Brackens on the back foot straight away. 

Even an Andrew Ormond goal for Brackens off a misplaced clearance in the fifth minute which levelled the game, failed to bring the challengers to life with Liam McGrath, Ciaran Connolly, Ed  Connolly, Noel McGrath and of course John McGrath all on target before, in the 13th minute,  John McGrath set up Tomas McGrath for a Loughmore goal and a 1-9 to 1-2 lead.

Granted, Loughmore had the fresh breeze with them, but before half-time, they added another 10 points to their tally, Brackens, largely through the free-taking of Shane Doyle, managing just six points. 

At the break, the 1-19 to 1-8 advantage enjoyed by Loughmore looked beyond J K Brackens’ reach, but they needed an improved second half to prime them for the remainder of the campaign.

Brackens did deliver a much-improved second-half showing, but they never threatened to overtake their rivals despite a few point-scoring surges. 

They were 1-25 to 1-12 adrift when  a five-point flourish brought them within possible striking distance going into the last quarter, but over the next seven minutes, Loughmore outpointed them 0-5 to 0-1. 

Andrew Ormond’s second goal cut the lead to nine points after 55 minutes, but Loughmore finished well, sub Paul McCahey notching their second goal in injury time for the most comfortable of wins and by a margin nobody expected.

If Loughmore Castleiney can sustain this level of performance, they will be hard to supplant. Their game plan is predictable, but they execute with such efficiency that opposition strategies to counteract it flounder. 

They have quality, and they have leaders on the field and in full flight like this are unstoppable. Noel McGrath was named Man of the Match by TG4 and deservedly so for his five points from play and numerous assists, but the performances of his brothers John and Brian, Ciaran Connolly, and Ed Connolly also stood out while goalie Aidan McGrath again scored from play.

J K Bracken’s expectations were high beforehand, which makes this defeat all the harder to take. They are due to meet Loughmore again in football and will badly want to make amends. 

Best for them to treat this as a” bad day at the office”. They are a much better team than Sunday’s display suggests, and their next outing in the group, against Drom-Inch, will test the character in the squad. 

Of course, as Mid champions, they are guaranteed a place in the knock-out stages of the championship, a welcome cushion at this stage.  

Andrew Ormond was their main threat in attack and obliged with 2-2 from play. Eanna McBride, Paddy Cadell, Shane Doyle and Ned Walsh also did their bit but overall it was a day to forget for them.

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Scorers: Loughmore Castleiney: John McGrath (0-13, 0-10f), Noel McGrath 0-5, Tomas McGrath, Paul McCahey 1-1 each, Ciaran Connolly, Liam McGrath, Ed Connolly 0-2 each, Brian McGrath, John Ryan, Willie Eviston, Ciaran McGrath, Philip O’Connell, Aidan McGrath all 0-1 each.

JK Brackens: Shane Doyle (0-10f), Andrew Ormond 2-2, Ned Walshe, Jamie Ormond, Lyndon Fairbrother, Paddy Cadell, Eanna McBride, Ciaran O’Shea, Ned Delaney, Michael Cahill all 0-1 each.

Loughmore Castleiney: Aidan McGrath; Lorcan Egan, Willie Eviston, Ed Meagher; John Ryan, Brian McGrath, Tommy Maher; Noel McGrath, Ciaran Connolly; Ed Connolly, Tomas McGrath, Ciaran McCormack; Liam McGrath, Ciaran McGrath, John McGrath.

Subs used: Eoin O Connell for J Ryan (25); Paul McCahey for L McGrath (49); Philip O’Connell for McCormack (55); Liam Treacy for C McGrath (58); Joey Hennessy for Meagher (62).

JK Brackens: Jack Kennedy; Luke Ormond, Cathal Scully, Sean Walsh; James Corcoran, Eanna McBride, Ned Delaney; Paddy Cadell, Jordan Moloney; Shane Doyle, Conor Cadell, Stephen Cahill; Ned Walsh, Andrew Ormond, Jamie Ormond.

Subs used: Lyndon Fairbrother for Moloney (HT); Ciaran O Shea for N Walsh (52); Michael Cahill for S Cahill (52).

Referee: Ciaran O’Donovan (Burgess)