Last year's beaten finalists in Tipperary senior football championship hit the ground running

JK Brackens 0-12 Grangemockler/Ballyneale 0-6

Grangemockler/Ballyneale’s return to senior football proved a learning experience at Leahy Park in Cashel on Saturday evening.

Last year’s county intermediate champions found life difficult at the higher grade as they were well beaten by JK Brackens in the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship Group 1 Round 1 clash, losing by double scores.

It was a great start to the campaign for last year’s beaten county finalists from Templemore, with the brilliant Paddy Cadell orchestrating many of their best moves, and Jack Kennedy and Dean McEnroe in sparkling form in attack.

Managed by well-known League of Ireland soccer manager Shane Keegan, who had spells at Dundalk and Cobh Ramblers in recent years, and recruited to take charge of both the club’s senior hurling and football sides this season, JK Brackens recovered from a three points deficit, 0-4 to 0-1 after twelve minutes, to prove the stronger side for the rest of the game.

Grangemockler/Ballyneale were outstanding in last year’s intermediate campaign, running up big scores on their way to the title, when they beat Aherlow in the final after a replay, but on Saturday night their attack lacked any real potency. 

They were missing key players from last year’s intermediate campaign, including Mickie, John and Joey Lyons, who are all in the United States, as well as Dara Lambe, and they are crucial absentees in a tough group that also includes Ardfinnan and Kilsheelan-Kilcash. They also lost inside forward Tom Brett to injury in the first half.

They scored just three points from play over the hour, scored just twice between the 12th and 61st minutes, and failed to score for the last twenty minutes of the second half until an injury time pointed free from Sean O’Meara.

That was never going to be enough against a Brackens side that surprised many with their performances in last year’s championship, despite suffering a heavy defeat to Clonmel Commercials in the final, and soccer supremo Keegan appears to be keeping that momentum continuing this year.

Yet despite taking the lead through Dean McEnroe after just forty seconds, the Mid side failed to press on and it was Grangemockler who showed the best form in the first quarter.

Brackens were careless from frees in those opening stages. A free in front of the posts was wasted when instead of taking the point, Jack Kennedy tried to find a forward with a pass and the ball tailed off wide; then following a foul on Jordan Moloney, Kennedy saw his kick come back off the upright; and finally, a third Kennedy free kicked low into the danger area rebounded off the post.

Those three spurned chances could have proven costly as the South side upped their tempo. Manus McFadden was much more accurate when he drew the sides level from a free in the fourth minute, and they took the lead for the first time when Sean O’Meara converted a free following a brilliant run from Darragh Shelly.

Grangemockler were now on a roll with Manus McFadden, Leon Kennedy, Darragh Shelly and Michael Meaney showing up well. They extended their lead with a great score from Paudie O’Shea and put three between the sides, 0-4 to 0-1, when Ben Comerford set up McFadden for a fine score.

Brackens looked rattled by the onslaught but regained their composure to draw level by the 22nd minute. Eanna McBride kicked a lovely point and following wides at both ends, from Dean McEnroe and Leon Kennedy, a foul on Adrian Bourke saw Jack Kennedy convert a free, and he followed up with a point from play from a superb Brackens movement.

Two minutes before the break Brackens regained a lead that they were never again to lose, when Paddy Cadell kicked a wonderful point. And they still had time to extend the lead to three points, 0-7 to 0-4 by the interval, with points from McEnroe and Kennedy in injury time.

Brackens were close to getting the game’s only goal early in the second half but sharp defending from Grangemockler saw the ball cleared off the line. However, by the fifth minute of the half they had gone four points clear when Jack Kennedy was fouled as he was taking a shot, and he pointed the free himself.

A good score six minutes later from Leon Kennedy brought the margin back to three points, 0-8 to 0-5, but that was Grangemockler's last score from play, with Sean O’Meara’s injury time point from a free their only other return of the half.

However, Grangemockler battled bravely for the remainder of the game and that will give them encouragement for the other two games in the group. They continued to press but came up against a resolute Brackens defence, in which Paddy Cadell excelled.

Dean McEnroe kicked a quick response to Leon Kennedy’s point, and then a Jack Kennedy free made it 0-10 to 0-5 entering the final quarter. Then in the space of a minute, Jack Kennedy pointed another free and Shane Doyle shot just wide of Tom Kennedy’s goal when put through after a great move.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic but wayward shooting let Grangemockler down. Good pressure earned a free but McFadden was off target, and then Ben Comerford was wide from play. And even after Brackens substitute Jamie Ormond extended the lead two minutes from time, the South side maintained the pressure. 

Substitute Lorcan Magorrian’s goal-bound shot produced a brilliant save from Cian Sheedy, and when Brackens fouled in the follow-up, Sean O’Meara pointed the free in one of the last plays of the game.

That will give Grangemockler confidence going forward. Short key players, they battled to the end and might have got closer but for some wrong options and stray passes in the closing stages. In players such as Manus McFadden, Leon Kennedy, Darragh Shelly, Michael Meaney and Sean O’Meara, they have the players to help them bounce back.

But on the day they couldn’t match the strength and senior experience of JK Brackens, who will look to go one better than last season. Paddy Cadell was outstanding for them, with big games also from Tom Murphy, Jordan Moloney, Dean McEnroe, Jack Kennedy and Conor Cadell.

JK Brackens: Cian Sheedy, Luke Ormonde, Tom Murphy, Jamie Bergin, Stephen Cahill, Paddy Cadell 0-1; Jordan Moloney, Adrian Bourke, Eanna McBride 0-1; Shane Doyle, Cathal Scully, Conor Cadell, James Corcoran, Jack Kennedy 0-6, 4 frees; Dean McEnroe 0-3, 1 free.

Subs: Jamie Ormond 0-1 for James Corcoran, Lydon Fairbrother for Shane Doyle, Michael Cahill for Adrian Bourke.

Grangemockler/Ballyneale: Tom Kennedy, James Daly, Conor Hahessy, Sean Daly, Manus McFadden 0-2, 1 free; Leon Kennedy 0-1; Darragh Shelly, Michael Meaney, Ben Comerford, Sean O’Meara 0-2 frees; Thomas Regan, Paudie O’Shea 0-1; Tom Brett, Alex Millea, Michael Meagher.

Subs: Tom Cody for Tom Brett, Lorcan Magorrian for Michael Meagher.

Referee: Tom Loughnane (Gortnahoe-Glengoole).