Tralee fend off brave Brendan’s fightback
Earlier the Green looked to be heading for a comfortable victory when they led by six points at the three-quarter stage after playing superb football in gale-force winds but they were forced to live on their nerves after David Brosnan slipped home a goal to add to points by Ruairi Mangan and Cian Tobin.
Mangan’s point came from a penalty in the 53rd minute which he drove far too high. Had he goaled, it might have given his side momentum to win the game.
With the game in injury time, Brendan’s wasted three great chances to tie the match, but Mangan’s effort dropped into the ‘keeper’s hands, while David O’Leary and James O’Donoghue were off target with their kicks from 20 metres out.
It would have been rough justice on Tralee. They were by far the better side.
Team captain Brian Costello was superb at centre back, Stephen Browne and Barry Shanahan won the crucial midfield battle while up front Brendan Dillon, the tenacious Alan O’Donoghue and Barry John Walsh troubled the Brendan’s defence all afternoon.
Joint Tralee coach John O’Keeffe was ecstatic at his side’s triumph over his old alma mater. “I’m hugely relieved because it looked as if we had blown the game,” he said.
“I knew that the game wasn’t over even though we had a good lead. You have to give Brendan’s every credit. They refused to throw in the towel.
“We won the game in the 10 minutes after half time. Our support play was excellent and some of the points into the difficult cross wind were magnificent. This was a great team effort and they will get better the longer they stay in the championship.”
Tralee played with the elements in the first half and needed a good half-time lead if they were to survive. Ten minutes in they had 0-6 on the board with Brendan Dillon kicking half of them.
However they were rocked by a Brendan’s goal scored by Ruairi Mangan after a great run by James O’Donoghue. From there to the break, the Sem bossed possession as the Tralee challenge wilted and Mangan rounded off an excellent passing movement with a point to leave the Green 0-8 to 1-2 ahead at half time — a lead that didn’t appear sufficient.
Whatever was said to the Tralee lads at the break had the desired effect. The introduction of Barry John Keane was a master stroke as the Green took the game by the scruff of the neck to tack on five points, Keane scoring three of them, to lead 0-13 to 1-3 after 40 minutes.
The Green weren’t to score for the remainder of the game, but it was going to take a great effort on the part of Brendan’s to pull this game out of the fire. James O’Donoghue began their fightback with a point in the 45th minute and they were thrown a lifeline when the same player was pulled back in the area. Ruairi Mangan fired the penalty over the bar.
Brendan’s continued to pour forward. Two points were added before a subdued Jamie Doolan put David Brosnan in for a goal which left a point between the sides with three minutes of normal time left.
Three more minutes were added for injuries, and a draw looked inevitable, but a combination of great defending by Gary Rolls and Bryan Costello, coupled with those three misses chances combined to give the Green their first title since 2000.
B. Dillon 0-5; BJ Keane 0-3; A. O’Donoghue 0-2; B. Shanahan, P. Culloty, BJ Walsh 0-1 each. R. Mangan 1-1; D. Brosnan 1-0; C. Tobin 0-2; J. Doolan (free), J. O’Donoghue (free) 0-1 each.
K. O’Shea; D. O’Sulivan, L. Kissane, G. Rolls; D. McElligott, B. Costello, S. Higgins; S. Browne, B. Shanahan; R. O’Callaghan, B. Dillon, P. Hurley; A. O’Donoghue, P. Culloty, BJ Walsh.
Subs: S. O’Carroll for Hurley; BJ Keane for O’Callaghan; D. O’Neill for Kissane.
B. Kelly; F. Fitzgerald, B. Russell, J. O’Mahony; J. Lyne, J. Bartlett, D. O’Sullivan; K. O’Regan, K. Breen; J. O’Donoghue, D. O’Leary, D. Brosnan; C. Tobin, R. Mangan, J. Doolan.
Subs: P. O’Connor for O’Regan; E. Kelly for O’Sullivan.
P. Lyons (Killorglin).
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