Knocknagree go all the way to Munster title

THIS season’s Junior A Football Championship possessed its fair share of absorbing encounters but ultimately county honours belonged to a stylish Knocknagree. They had dominated the domestic championship for a few years yet hopes of creating an impression in the county faltered.

Still Knocknagree were maturing, all about taking from a defeat and learn from them, coming back better and stronger. That again applied to Knocknagree during 2017, a blip occurred on a double defeat to Boherbue in both Duhallow League and Championship Finals.

However with two teams going forward from each division into the county series, Knocknagree remained involved and their aspirations were fixed on bigger prizes. Duhallow winners Boherbue fell to Iveleary, Knocknagree having returned to winning ways by despatching Delaneys and Buttevant enjoyed key breaks to shade Iveleary in a thrilling semi final.

That placed Knocknagree into a decider that ultimately delivered glory at the expense of Erins Own.

No disputing the merits of Knocknagree’s triumph, on the day, they emerged the better balanced and more composed side and crucially held far more scoring options up in attack. At half time, it looked testing for Erins Own and not much better at the three quarter stage on trailing by eleven points yet they never lost belief to cut the arrears to only four points.

An unfazed Knocknagree accepted the challenge and stormed back, Matthew Dilworth and Danny Cooper pointed before Anthony O’Connor unselflessly offloaded the ball for John F Daly to finish into an empty net to put the icing on the cake.

Not only did Knocknagree realise a county ambition, they progressed to halt Kerry’s domination in the Munster JAFC campaign to land provincial honours. That’s a repeat of Canovee’s triumph in 2007 as attention now focuses on the All Ireland series.