5-Star Loughmore sink Brackens

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Football Championship Quarter Final

Loughmore/Castleiney 5-1-11 (28)

JK Brackens 1-2-9 (16)

Report: Michael Dundon at St Michael’s Park, Holycross

Three goals in the opening eleven minutes provided the platform for Loughmore/Castleiney to coast through to the County Senior Football semi-final as they handed a drubbing to neighbours JK Brackens in Sunday’s quarter final.

Champions in 2024, Loughmore/Castleiney have not been as formidable this year as in previous times but they showed their quality and character to rebound from their premature exit from the hurling championship with a display that simply ripped their rivals apart. They scored five goals, but could have had another three, in the process displaying a hunger and energy that suggests they will take beating.

With a hurling semi-final next weekend, JK Brackens chose not to risk a number of players who were carrying knocks with Shane Doyle, Lyndon Fairbrother, and James Corcoran not starting and Ned Walsh cried off after pulling up during the warm-up. It was far from ideal preparation for so important a game and against opposition of the calibre of Loughmore/Castleiney, they duly paid the penalty.

As early as the seventh minute, Loughmore showed they meant business as Brian McGrath rapped home their first goal for a 1-1 to 0-2 lead. Two minutes later, Liam McGrath showed great strength and persistence to ride off a couple of tackles before tucking the ball neatly into the Brackens net.

Eanna McBride’s lofted effort ended in the Loughmore net in the tenth minute to stop the rot but the shape of the game was being dictated by Loughmore now ahead 2-1 to 1-2

The goals kept coming. John McGrath netted in the eleventh minute after good work by Liam McGrath and Philip O’Connell. Leading 3-1 to 1-2, anything other than a Loughmore win was hard to envisage at this stage, with three quarters of the game still to play.

The second quarter was not quite as open but at half-time Loughmore led 3-6 to 1-6 and JK Brackens had a tough road ahead of them if they were to keep their championship ambitions alive.

Two early points for JK Brackens from Dean McEnroe and a John Kennedy free hinted at a Templemore resurgence but, in the 36th minute, Liam McGrath used all his experience to create the space for himself to fire home Loughmore’s fourth goal.

Definitely no way back for JK Brackens now, and their misery was compounded when Joey Quinn ran through for the winners’ fifth goal after 48 minutes and a 5-9 to 1-11 lead.

The final whistle was surely a relief for Templemore lads who have suffered greatly at the hands of their rivals over the years.

This was Loughmore/Castleiney’s best display of the campaign. The few weeks’ break since their elimination from the hurling championship have been put to good use honing their football skills under manager Greg Ramsbottom’s guidance and they are clearly a force to be reckoned with.

Eoin O’Connell has taken the attacking defender’s role to a new level, a development that owes much to the players around him. The McGrath influence continues to be pronounced with Liam having a particularly fine game. Tommy Maher, Darragh McCahey, Joey Quinn, and Ciaran Connolly, when introduced, were others to figure prominently.

It was a difficult day for JK Brackens. Particularly tough to take was the manner in which they went under. Even allowing for their absentees, it was one of their poorest outings of the year but, with the hurling semi-final at the weekend they have no choice but to put this setback behind them, using it as a motivation for their hurling challenge.

The Cadell brothers, Dean McEnroe, Eanna McBride and Cathal Scully saw plenty of the ball but they never really recovered from Loughmore’s opening three-goal salvo.

TEAMS – Loughmore/Castleiney: Shane Hennessy (6); Lorcan Egan (6), Eoin O’Connell (9), Willie Eviston (6); Tomas McGrath (6), Tommy Maher (7), Philip O’Connell (6); Noel McGrath (7), Brian McGrath (7); Eamon Connolly (6), Aidan McGrath (6), Darragh McCahey (7); John McGrath (6), Liam McGrath (7), Joey Quinn (6).

Subs: Ciaran Connolly (6) for Connolly (36); Ed Meagher (6) for Eviston (47); Ciaran McGrath (6) for P O’Connell (50); John Ryan (6) for Egan (51); Liam Treacy (NR) for A McGrath (55).

JK Brackens: Brian Roche (6); Michael Cahill (6), Tom Murphy (6), Jack Nevin (6); Ned Delaney (6), Cathal Scully (6), Eanna McBride (7); Lorcan Roche (7), Paddy Cadell (7); Jordan Moloney (6), Jack Kennedy (6), Conor Cadell (6); Jamie Ormond (6), Adian Bourke (6), Dean McEnroe (7).

Subs: Mikey Delaney (6) for Ormond (HT); James Corcoran (6) for Moloney (44); Cian Broderick (6) for Bourke (52); Ned Delaney (6) for Cahill (54).

Referee: Willie Fitzharris (Father Sheehy’s).