Murphy’s goal makes the difference for Freemount

Freemount 1-9 Millstreet 0-9

It ensured Freemount their first title since 2001, leaving Millstreet looking for their first win since 1963, and over the hour the result was about right.

Played in an almost constant downpour which made it very difficult for both sets of players, it was the physical presence of the Freemount players that wore down the lighter Millstreet side.

All the drama of this disappointing final was crammed into the six minutes of injury time.

Freemount were clinging to their goal lead as Millstreet threw everything at them in search of an equalising goal.

There was hardly a whimper until the 62nd minute when tempers boiled over, resulting in a player from each side, Brendan Broderick of Freemount and Millstreet’s Dave Barrett, receiving straight red cards for fighting.

When played resumed Millstreet were thrown a lifeline when Brendan Quirke won a penalty but Donagh McCarthy’s effort was saved by Freemount ‘keeper John Brennan and the game was over on the puck-out.

Indeed man-of-the-match Brennan was the hero for Freemount. Showing marvelous composure between the posts, he made a magnificent save late in the first half from Brian Sheehan.

Had Sheehan found the net it would have left the sides tied at half time, but the winners were well worth their 0-7 to 0-4 lead at the break, principally because of the excellence of team captain Donie Broderick. An All-Ireland minor medal winner with the county in 1998, Broderick roamed all over the field to great effect, and apart from scoring two points himself, played a part in the other five.

Broderick wasn’t quite as effective in the second half after picking up a thigh injury, but he had a hand in Murphy’s goal when he knocked the sliotar into the midfielder’s path and Murphy billowed the net from close range to put his side four points clear.

Millstreet had gone into the game having beaten their opponents in an earlier round and had high hopes of bridging that 42-year gap.

However they were almost totally dependent on Kevin McCarthy for scores. He accounted for eight of his side’s tally, seven of them from frees, which meant they could manage only two points from play over the 66 minutes.

There was nothing to choose between the sides for most of the first half and they were level twice before Donie Broderick’s influence at centre forward began to tell and Freemount led 0-7 to 0-4 at the break.

Kevin McCarthy’s accuracy from frees had the deficit down to the minimum two minutes into the second half and there were some anxious faces on the Freemount sideline as the lively Millstreet threatened to take control.

However, the decisive moment came two minutes later when a clearly injured Donie Broderick, who had been switched to corner forward, broke the sliotar down to Mike Murphy, who crashed hone a great goal.

It was a body blow for Millstreet, but they kept plugging away and as the rain finally stopped and the sun came out, they increased the pressure on the Freemount defence but hit three wides in a row, two of them by McCarthy, which were to prove extremely costly.

Deep into injury time the persistent pressure finally yielded that penalty but Brennan blocked Donagh McCarthy’s effort and Millstreet must wait at least another year to get their hands on the John Joe Brosnan Perpetual Cup.

The winners will now play Fr O’Neills, the Imokilly champions, in the county championship.

Scorers for Freemount: M Murphy 1-0; D Broderick, D Murphy, M Enright, F Broderick (0-1 free, 0-1 65) 0-2 each; K Broderick 0-1.

Millstreet: K McCarthy 0-8 (0-7 frees); B Quirke 0-1.

FREEMOUNT: J Brennan; J Broderick, M O’Regan, M Curtin; B Carroll, L O’Flynn, P Collins; A Balantyne, M Murphy; G Withers, K Broderick, D Murphy; M Enright, F Broderick, D Broderick.

Subs: M O’Regan for J Broderick; B Broderick for G Withers.

MILLSTREET: F Corcoran; T Kiely, S Lyons, G McCarthy; D Kiely, Stephen Barrett, D McCarthy; Seanie Barrett, D Barrett; K McCarthy, D O’Connor, B Sheahan; J Lehane, B Quirke, T O’Connor.

Referee: C Lane (Banteer).