Brosna are simply better when it mattered most against Churchill

COUNTY PREMIER JFC GROUP 2 ROUND 2 Churchill 1-11 Brosna 2-16

WITH Ballymacelligott considered a safe bet qualify from Group 2, the meeting of Churchill and Brosna was always going to be the crunch fixture in determining what club would secure that second quarter-final place. And although Churchill lost their opening fixture to Ballymac, and Brosna, as expected, accounted for St Michaels/Foilmore, it was all pretty much on the line for both teams in Churchill last Sunday, even though the home side’s need for a win was much more pressing. They absolutely had to win, Brosna, on the other hand, could have lost and still had a fighting chance of reaching the last eight.

When the teams met in the only county league game either played in 2020 they left Brosna with a draw and a point, and this rematch saw both with a point to prove, to themselves as much as anyone else.

Churchill, arguably, left a win behind them in Blennerville the previous week when a first half red card for their main scoring forward, Ivan Parker, left his team mates too much to do against a gnarly and more patient Ballymacelligott. The broad consensus was that the St Brendan’s District club would absorb all those harsh lessons, and use home advantage to edge another real tight contest.

And when Churchill raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead - with Parker converting two frees and landing a point from play - it seemed the hosts might have it a little easier than expected.

But Brosna still carry a strong whiff of the team that won the County Junior title in 2014 and completed a Munster and All-Ireland double over the winter of 2014/15. Indeed, 10 of those who started in that All-Ireland final win in February 2015 were on the pitch when Dermot Hughes threw in the ball last Sunday, and in the end that experience told against a young, inexperienced Churchill.

Dave Curtin was a towering midfielder six years ago; at the weekend he was in the Brosnan goal, effecting a couple of brilliant saves to deny Thomas Lenihan in the fourth minute, and Cillian Fitzgerald in the 24th minute, though Jason Mortimer did bundle the breaking ball to the Brosna net.

Brosna actually led before the Churchill goal, having first wiped out that five-point deficit through points from Paul Walsh, Mike Finnegan and Adam Barry, all of whom were a constant and painful thorn in the side of the home side’s defence.

At 0-6 apiece, Brosna took the lead when Conor Lane reacted best to a loose ball after Barry had cut through the home defence, with Lane taking the ball around Eoghan O’Brien to make it 1-6 to 0-6 to the visitors.

Within two minutes Mortimer was raising a green flag at the other end, despite Curtin’s best efforts, but Brosna scored three of the five points scored before half time to lead 1-9 to 1-8 at the interval in a fair reflection of a spirited contest.

Within 10 seconds of the restart Thomas Lenihan popped over an equalising point, and when Walsh (free) and Joe Linehan exchanged scores in the next three minutes the crowd settled in for another tight-rope tussle. It never materialised.

It would be another 23 minutes before Churchill would raise another flag, by which time - the 57th minute - Brosna led 1-15 to 1-10, helped by three Tom McGoldrick points in as many minutes.

Any hope of a late Churchill rally was scuppered when Ciaran Carmody was sin-binned two minutes after coming on as a sub, and in added-on time Walsh coolly swished his penalty kick past O’Brien to send Brosna to the quarter-finals with a game to spare. CHURCHILL: Eoghan O’Brien, Cian Donnellan, Peadar Stack, JJ Prior, Sean Hamilton, Paul Linehan, Gary Rolls, Jack Dolan, Cillian Fitzgerald (0-2), Jason Mortimer (1-0), Thomas Lenihan (0-1), Joe Linehan (0-1), Sean Donnellan (0-1), Ivan Parker (0-5, 4f), Liam O’Donnell (0-1). Subs: Daniel Greaney for J Dolan (44), Fiachra Griffin for G Rolls (46), Ger McCarthy for J Linehan (54), Cathal Rogers for Prior (57), Ciaran Carmody for P Linehan (57).

BROSNA: Dave Curtin, Peter Curtin, Shane Fitzmaurice, Maurice O’Keeffe, Thomas Fitzgerald (1-0), Timmy Finnegan, Flor McAuliffe, Eamon Kiely, Kieran O’Donnell, Dee McAuliffe, Paul Walsh 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), Conor Lane (1-0), Adam Barry (0-3), Mike Finnegan (0-3), Tom McGoldrick 0-3 (1f). Subs: Gerard Nash for P Curtin (37), Shane Curtin for C Lane (59)

REFEREE: Dermot Hughes (Listowel Emmets)

Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin Kerry manager Peter Keane (second from right), who lives in the Listry parish, watches the Kerry Petroleum County Premier Junior Football Championship game between Listry and Keel in Listry on Sunday.