Heartbreak for Cahir as JK Brackens take honours with powerful finish

Cahir ......................... 1.13

JK Brackens ------------- 3-9

South minor football champions Cahir suffered heartbreak in the county decider at New Inn on Saturday when they lost control of the game in the closing minutes allowing JK Brackens back in to secure their first ever minor county A title.

In a pulsating contest Cahir were in a very strong position, three points up with six minutes left , but the game turned when JK Brackens midfielder Nick Keane deceived the Cahir defence with a speculative shot that sailed into the roof of the net .

That strike levelled matters and JK Brackens, who struggled to keep pace with Cahir in the second half scoring just two points to Cahir's five up to that goal, were now the team playing with more confidence and desire sensing an historic victory.

A shell shocked Cahir still had the chances to salvage something from this exciting clash. David Clifford with a free for Cahir and JK Brackens centre back Eanna McBride  swapped points to leave the teams level with three minutes left.

Andrew Ormonde,which a resolute  Cahir defence had managed to quell up to this point with Jake Kiely and Eoghan Kelly excelling, managed to pick off a crucial score to edge Brackens ahead.

Cahir responded but squandered two chances to force this absorbing final to extra time.They will rue taking the wrong options in front of goal when awarded two frees.Different freetakers both opted to take quick short frees and those decisions backfired as the JK Brackens defence were alive to the danger.

The first free was straight in front of goal and within distance while the second involved a more difficult angle and was slightly further out but still within distance.On the second one Cahir were punished when a breakway resulted in Andrew Ormonde getting on the end of a lighting fast transition and he popped over another point to put his team two up.

There was no time left for Cahir and when referee Paddy Russell blew the final whistle the JK Brackens supporters swarmed the pitch to celebrate an historic victory.

Cahir were devastated, a glorious opportunity to secure a prestigious minor A football title for the club , had slipped away from them.

They had taken the game by storm when full forward Sean Murphy had bundled in a goal in the opening minute when the jittery JK Brackens defence failed to avail of a number of chances to clear their lines.

That goal set up Cahir, the excellent Nicholas Reidy scored the fist of his three points in the game and Sean Murphy and David Clifford added frees with Brackens staying in the game with scores from Andrew Ormonde and Eanna McBride.

That four point Cahir lead however was obliterated with a brace of Brackens goasl scored in a three minute spell .Eanna McBride and James Corcoran exchanged passes to rip through the Cahir defence and Corcoran applied a sweet finish to an outstanding move picking his spot with a beautifully executed finish.

Minutes later Brackens again stormed through the Cahir defence with another free flowing move which resulted in Eanna McBride being taken down in front of goal.Shane Egan stepped up to take the penalty and he made no mistake from the spot.

Cahir to their credit responded outscoring Brackens in the last ten minutes of the half by four points to two to level matters at the break the pick of their scores coming from the boot of centre back Tommy McDonagh in time added on at the end of the first half.They were unlucky not to register another goal with efforts from Stephen Grogan and Dylan Fitzgerald blocked by tenacious defenders.

Cahir had scored the last three points of the first half to get on level terms before the break and they managed to score the first three points of the second half to put themselves in a strong position.The points came from a Sean Murphy free, and points from play from Jake Fitzgerald and Kevin Grogan and when Eoghan Kelly blocked a Michael Egan effort on the goalline to deny Brackens what looked like a certain goal it looked like it was going to be Cahirs day.

Cahir suffered a blow when defender Darragh Heffernan was shown a black card.

The teams swapped points on two occaions and Cahir were still held onto a three point lead with six minutes left in the game.

Then Nick Keane struck for that wonder goal and the whole momentum of the game had changed in a flash,swinging very much in Brackens favour.

Brackens now looked the most likely to succeed .Brackens sharpshooter Andrew Ormonde gave his team the lead and Cahir will regret not going for an equaliser from the two frees they were awarded in the closing minutes with just a point between the teams. Ormonde then stepped up to push Brackens two clear and the game was over for a devastated Cahir team. The decision to go short on both occasions had cost Cahir dearly

Cahir -

Killian Halpin,Darragh Heffernan, Christopher McDonagh,Eoin Wyse, Francie Delaney,Tommy McDonagh,Eoghan Kelly,Dylan Fitzgerald,Stephen Grogan,David Clifford,Jake Fitzgerald,Nicholas Reidy,Jake Kiely,Sean Murphy,Kevin Grogan.

Subs - Mark Casey for Jake Fitzgerald,Tommy Magner for Darragh Heffernan(black card)

Scorers - Sean Murphy 1.4,Nicholas Reidy 0.3, David Clifford 0.2,Tommy McDonagh,Jake Fitzgerald,Franciie Delaney and Kevin Grogan 0.1 each.

JK Brackens

Shane Sweeney,Martin Bergin,Jack Prout,Patrick Moloney,Ciaran Buyrne,Eanna McBride,Conor Cadell,Nick Keane,Shane Doyle,James Corcoran,Andrew Ormone,Tadhg Nolan,Lorcan Roche Stephen Cahill, Michael Egan.

Scorers - Shane Doyle 1-2,Andrew Ormonde 0.3,James Corcoran 1.0,Eanna McBride 0.2,Michael Egan 0.1,Nick Keane 1.1,

Subs - Darragh Doyle for Stephen Cahill.