Ice-cool Cusack pays tribute to captain fantastic
Three titles in 20 years for Bracken
Pictures: Aidan Dullaghan.
Man-of-the-Match
Ronan Grufferty’s second-half display edged him into contention, while Andrew Mooney, Keith Boylan and Ian Cusack were all superb for Emmets. Ciaran Sheridan, Niall Sharkey and Tr evor O’Brien impressed for Glyde, but Butler (pictured below receiving the award from Peter and Debbie Kierans) was ‘on it’ from the star t, setting on the tone for a passionate Emmets’ display, and when they needed him most he was hand to kick the winner.
Stats
WIDES: Glen Emmets 6 (3 in first-half) Glyde Rangers 6 (2 in first-half)
FREES: Glen Emmets 16; Glyde 13
45: Glen Emmets 2; Glyde 0
YELLOW: D Conlon (30), D Devaney (44), I Cusack (33)
BLACK: None
RED: None
Talking point
21 SundaySunday waswas Glyde’sGlyde’s firstfirst defeatdefeat ofof thethe campaigncampaign afterafter 2020 winswins andand oneone drawdraw fromfrom ratio outings - but were the Tallanstown men tested enough this season? Emmets’ win was much lower, but they survived in Division 2. Nationally and locally, league status has never been more important, as Glyde will hope to experience in 2018. Carr, Stephen Healy, Andrew Mooney 0-1; Mark Garvey, Ronan Grufferty 0-3 (1f); David Bracken 0-2, Ian Cusack 1-1, James Buttler 0-4 (1f); Damien Grimes, Sean Byrne 0-1, Keelan O’Neill. Subs: Evin English for T Grimes (36), Ketih Lynch f K O’Neill (60),
GLYDE RANGERS: David Brennan; or Conor McCullagh, Cein Sheridan, Fiachra Sheridan; Gerard Farrell, Mark O’Brien, Aaron Devlin; Ciaran Sheridan 0-1, David Devaney; Niall Sharkey 0-3, Conor Sheridan 0-2, Dion Conlon 0-2; Trevor O’Brien 0-4 (2f), Brian Duffy 0-2f, Gavin Duffy. Subs: Barry Sharkey for M O’Brien (43).
REFEREE: Colm McCullough. HE started his senior career with a Junior Championship success in 1997 and 20 years on David Bracken found himself in the winners enclosure for the third time on Sunday.
This one was just as sweet as the previous two, if not sweeter, as Emmets appear to locked on an upward trajectory.
‘I won it first in ‘97 so this is 20 years later and I feel every one of those 20 years. But it’s always great to take a cup home. We said at the start of the year we’d aim to consolidate in Division 2 and reach a championship final and we’ve done that and surpassed it.’
Sheer hard work was the key to success according to the former Louth man, who could barely stand for the post match presentation and speeches.
‘It was similar to the Dunleer game, we just didn’t stop and kept going. Fair play to Glyde they really put it up to us. We thought at half-time we had them rattled but they came back at us and it was actually a great game to play in. It was tough and honest and we’re just delighted to come out on GLEN Emmets goal hero Ian Cusack insisted that seeing their captain fantastic Tom Grimes departing for hospital gave them another reason to leave nothing on the field.
‘It probably spurred us on when we saw Tom going off. He’s the man we look to in tight games like this, so we wanted to do it for him and finish it out.’
Grimes marshals a reliable back six, but to a man they stood tall in the closing stages to repel Glyde rangers.
‘The backs did everything to put them off and close them out and we knew we had the level of fitness you need to see out games like this. In most games this year we’ve produced a strong second-half finish and it came good today for us again.
‘We’be learned our lessons over the years and in Division 2 you certainly get harsh lessons if you don’t perform, so that did stand to us in the end.
‘WE said before the semi-final that it’s about the performance and getting out the other end. It wasn’t too pretty in the end, we were hanging on, but we did the job.’
Recalling his all-important goal, it was a case of nothing ventured nothing gained for the number 11 and Lady Luck was on his side.
‘I just saw the gap opening up and went for it. It took a deflection alright but in finals it doesn’t matter how you get the result and lucky enough it went in.’
There was nothing lucky about James Butler’s winning point, top.
‘We went in at half-time thinking we were on top, but it’s a championship final and I’ve played in enough of them to know that nothing is a given. You have to keep working and we got our reward in the end.’
The pain of previous defeats seemed to spur Emmets on in the closing stages, but Bracken knew they had to see it out to the end even after James Butler nudged them ahead in stoppage time.
‘We brought subs on who’d played in championship finals before so that’s a big plus. however, and Cusack paid tribute to the man-of-the-match.
‘James is so cool under pressure. If he gets anywhere within 40 yards, it’s great to just know it’s going over the bar.’
After some agonising near misses Emmets seemed as relieved as they were overjoyed and Cusack knows from experience that it’s not easy to take the hard knocks and keep coming back.
‘It’s hard to do, but they say you have to lose one to win one. But to be honest, the defeats are only in the back of the mind because you want to focus on the here and now and what you can control in the moment. There’s no point looking back. But it does rankle with you and you want to put it right.’
Emmets were forced to ‘put it right’ without their Louth star Conor Grimes this summer, but Cusack said no-one was sitting around feeling sorry for themselves after the big full forward departed for Ne Zealand.
‘This is very much a team and there were lads who stepped up this year who were unfortunate not to be in the starting team last year. That’s what a squad is for and that’s testament to the whole squad and the lads who come in and do their bit when the moment comes.’
Ian admitted that they’ll revel in the glory for some time, but insisted it’s no more than their supporters deserve.
‘It’s great for the village and they can enjoy a better quality of football next year. They deserve it after following us all over the county.’ We used the ball well and we ground it out and that’s what we were here for.
‘It’s not just the fifteen that start or the subs that came on, it’s about every single man who trained all year because they contributed just as much and they deserve every bit of this.
‘We knew it was nowhere near over after James’ [Butler] point. We knew we’d have to keep working and that’s how it happened, they pushed us all the way.’