Brackens hit their stride to dispatch Sarsfields and march into last eight

FBD Insurance Senior Football Championship - Group 2 - Round 3

JK Brackens 2-17

Thurles Sarsfields 0-7

It was all too easy for JK Brackens in round three of Group 2 of the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship as they chalked up their second win with a sixteen-point defeat of Thurles Sarsfields, to claim their place in the quarter-finals as runners-up in the group.

Expectations were high beforehand that last year’s intermediate champions, Sarsfields, could run the Templemore lads close and a keen tussle was in prospect, but on the day JK Brackens dominated from start to finish. The game was played on their terms and, while the winning margin did not do justice to the Thurles effort, the merit of the Brackens win was never in question.

With a win each behind them, the stakes were high for both clubs. JK Brackens are regulars in the knockout stages of the championship while Sarsfields were hoping to build on last year’s success, followed up by their initial win over Ballyporeen, but in a one-sided encounter, the Templemore lads looked streets ahead of their rivals.

Indeed, Jamie Ormond’s goal for Brackens after fifteen minutes, when he smartly rounded off an excellent five-man move, closed the game off as a contest, sending them 1-5 to 0-1 clear. Jack Kennedy had the first of his three two-pointers in that opening period, which saw Sarsfields under severe pressure on their kick-out and struggling to get a foothold in the game.

The Thurles approach was laboured and never troubled the JK Brackens' defence and, when half-time arrived with Brackens ahead 1-7 to 0-3, all the indications were that there was only going to be one winner. Brackens' teamwork and movement was far ahead of their rivals.

An early Ronan O’Brien point on resuming gave Sarsfields heart, but then Jack Kennedy pointed three frees for Brackens, one a two-pointer, for a 1-11 to 0-4 advantage going into the last quarter. Sarsfields were relying heavily on the individual efforts of county men Paddy Creedon and Kieran Costello to pressurise the opposition.

Creedon kicked a sweet two-pointer after 57 minutes, but Brackens finished with a flourish. Adrian Bourke netted off the kick-out of a Jack Kennedy two-pointer for Brackens; Paddy Cadell kicked a two-pointer and his brother Conor also had a point, as the Brackens ran riot, scoring 1-5 in the closing minutes.

After the disappointment of a poor opening round in which they lost to Kilsheelan, JK Brackens will be happy that their title hopes are back on track. They will be particularly pleased with this showing, their best of the competition, and coming at the right time before the really serious business of the championship gets under way.

Fielding what was near their strongest fifteen, they held all the aces here, with Jack Kennedy kicking three two-pointers in a ten-point man of the match performance, and Paddy Cadell kicking one.

They dominated in most sectors of the field, Conor Cadell, Jamie Ormond, Ned Delaney, Eanna McBride and Lorcan Roche all making big contributions to the win.

Sarsfields will be disappointed at the manner of the defeat as much as the defeat itself. This, their poorest display for some time, was lacking in energy and initiative, with individual efforts not backed by team support.

Paddy Creedon and Kieran Costello did their utmost to carry the fight to the Templemore boys, while Conor Fogarty, Conor Stapleton, Paddy Stakelum, Ronan O’Brien and Henry Fitzgibbon also worked hard.

Sarsfields will be satisfied that they had retained their senior status, the objective at the start of the year. With a Cusack Cup semi-final coming up as third-placed in the group, they still have a trophy to play for but will want to put this display behind them as quickly as possible.

Scorers: JK Brackens: Jack Kennedy (0-10, 0-4f, 2x2ptf), J Ormond 1-1, Paddy Cadell (0-3, 1x2pt), Adrian Bourke 1-0, Ned Walshe, Ned Delaney, Conor Cadell all 0-1 each.

Thurles Sarsfields: Paddy Creedon (0-2, 1x2pt), James Armstrong, Aidan Ryan, Ronan O’Brien, David Bourke all 0-1 each, Liam McCormack 0-1f.

JK Brackens: Brian Roche; Michael Cahill, Tom Murphy, Jack Nevin; Ned Delaney, Cathal Scully, Eanna McBride; Lorcan Roche, Paddy Cadell; Jordan Moloney, Jack Kennedy, Conor Cadell; Ned Walshe, Shane Doyle, Jamie Ormond.

Subs used: Adrian Bourke for L Roche (50 mins), Cian Broderick for Ormond (52 mins), James Corcoran for Doyle (54 mins).

Thurles Sarsfields: Lorcan Cummins; Conor Fogarty, Cathal Hayes, Conor Stapleton; Michael Cahill, Henry Fogarty, Paddy Stakelum; Kieran Costello, James Armstrong; Aidan Ryan, Paddy Creedon, Ronan O’Brien; Kevin Bracken, Liam McCormack, Henry Fitzgibbon.

Subs used: David Burke for Bracken (47 mins), Michael Stakelum for Ryan (48 mins).

Referee: Willie Fitzharris (Kilsheelan Kilcash)