Wasteful Ballylooby/Castlegrace lose out to JK Brackens in Tipperary County Junior Football Final

JK Brackens 0-7 Ballylooby/Castlegrace 0-6

A series of missed chances proved very costly for Ballylooby/Castlegrace in Saturday's Tipperary County Junior A Football Championship Final at Leahy Park, Cashel, when they suffered a single-point defeat by JK Brackens.

The South team had enough chances and possession to have secured a reasonably comfortable victory. Instead, their inability to convert all that possession into scores let JK Brackens off the hook, as the Mid side held on for a narrow victory.

Ballylooby will reflect on their twelve wides (compared to four for Brackens) and wonder how they let this game slip from their grasp. In the closing stages they pushed forward relentlessly but couldn't find the scores that would either have sent the game to extra time or sealed the win.

They set themselves up for a grandstand finish when Pierce Murphy, Danny Morgan and Conor Lonergan were involved in the move that ended with substitute Brian Fitzgerald scoring, to leave them just a point in arrears with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

It was all Ballylooby at stage, and they were virtually camped in the Brackens half of the field in the closing stages, which included four minutes of additional time. However hard they tried, though, they failed to score again, despite forcing three late frees.

Credit is also due to Brackens, who worked so hard to preserve their slender advantage with Jack Prout, Michael O'Meara, Michael Lynagh and captain James Bergin all immense in defence.

A Dean McEnroe free (awarded for a foul on Michael O'Meara) a quarter of an hour from the finish was Brackens' final score, and from there to the final whistle it was a case of all hands on deck as they successfully frustrated Ballylooby's attempts to score.

The scores were tied at 0-3 each at the midway stage, and Brackens laid the foundation for victory with their strong start to the new half. A pair of Dean McEnroe frees had them ahead by 0-5 to 0-3 by the 34th minute. This was the first time that more than a point had separated the sides and Brackens fought hard to hold onto that advantage until the final whistle.

Willie Dunne's free kept Ballylooby in touch before Dylan Moloney restored Brackens' two-points lead when he exchanged passes with Michael O'Meara.

Another accurate Willie Dunne free gave Ballylooby supporters hope, but those two Dunne frees and Brian Fitzgerald's point from play were the only time that they disturbed the scoreboard in the second half.

Ballylooby made hard work of beating Portroe in the semi-final, and leaving their shooting boots behind when they reached the county final meant there was only going to be one outcome. They were also out of luck when Willie Dunne's effort at a point from a free, awarded when Barry Cooney was fouled, struck a post with ten minutes remaining.

Ballylooby's approach play was always decent; the stumbling block was when they tried to apply the finishing touch.

Luke Murphy, who had a tremendous second half; Conor Lonergan and James Morgan orchestrated much of the play while Pierce Murphy, Danny Morgan, Willie Dunne and Michael Murphy were other willing workers.

Kieran O'Donnell was a rock in defence while Brian Fitzgerald gave them a real shot in the arm when he was introduced midway through the second half.

They applied plenty of pressure too in the opening half, but failed to make it count, kicking seven wides, and five more on the turnover.

Above - Nick Keane of JK Brackens (left) and Ballylooby's Pierce Murphy in action during the County Junior A Football Championship Final 

Ballylooby were on top from the throw-in but missed a succession of chances early on. Those opportunities included a goal chance for Barry Cooney, who had a ground shot well saved by Brackens goalie James Farrelly after a mix-up in the defence.

A minute later Ballylooby 'keeper Sean Lonergan punched away an awkward delivery from Andrew Ormond and the opening score of the contest finally arrived from Brackens' Dylan Moloney in the 14th minute, after Nick Keane and Dean McEnroe had provided the assists.

Ballylooby had a deserved equaliser four minutes later when Danny Morgan and Michael Murphy created the opening for David O'Halloran's point.

Less than a minute later, Luke Murphy gave Ballylooby the lead for the only time in the game. However they couldn't push on and build on the lead and Brackens were on level terms again when Andrew Ormond hit the target in the 26th minute.

Brackens were back in front a couple of minutes before the break when Brian Kennedy scored after he had accepted Dylan Moloney's pass and skipped past a challenge.

It was no surprise that a closely-fought contest was all square at the break, when Willie Dunne kicked the final point of the half. That move had started with a great surge by Kieran O'Donnell from defence before being continued by Michael Murphy and Ger Beary.

Brackens rode their luck at times but they made the most of their limited opportunities and refused to crumble in the face of intense Ballylooby pressure late in the game.

The pacy Andrew Ormond was a constant thorn in Ballylooby's defence while Dylan Moloney and Dean McEnroe also made important contributions to their victory. 

JK Brackens - James Farrelly, James Bergin (captain), Michael Lynagh, David Ryan, Michael O'Meara, Keith Kennedy, Jack Prout, Brendan Guider, Dylan Moloney (0-2), Nick Keane, Paudie Bourke, Dean McEnroe (0-3 frees), Andrew Ormond (0-1), Brian Kennedy (0-1) and Jack Kennedy.

Substitutes - Steven Quinlan for Nick Keane (38 minutes), Stephen Owens for Brian Kennedy (46 minutes) and Kevin Mulryan for Jack Kennedy (57 minutes).

Ballylooby/Castlegrace - Sean Lonergan, James Morgan, Kieran O'Donnell, Brendan Walsh, David O'Halloran (0-1), Luke Murphy (0-1), Brian O'Donnell, Danny Morgan, Conor Lonergan, Paddy Kenneally, Michael Murphy, Pierce Murphy, Barry Cooney, Willie Dunne (0-3, 2 frees) and Ger Beary.

Substitute - Brian Fitzgerald (0-1) for Ger Beary (46 minutes).

Referee - Padraig Skeffington (Cashel King Cormacs).