Clare GAA: St Breckan's into first senior final in 27 years

FINAL BOUND: St Breckan's Jack Sheedy and St Josephs Milltown Malbay's Cian O'Mahoney and Oisin Looney in action. Pic: Eamon Ward

Clare SFC semi-final

St Breckan’s 1-12 St Joseph’s Miltown 0-14 (AET) 

It was never going to be easy and St Breckan’s didn’t make it easy on themselves, but when the need was at its greatest they came up with the decisive scores in extra-time from top-scorer Joe McGann to reach a first county senior final in 27 years.

Mid-way through the second half of this slow-burning epic they looked to be coasting, as armed with a five-point they were playing with the swagger of a team confident of bridging that near three-decade gap.

They’d been on the front foot throughout, landing the opening three scores from McGann and Jamie Stack (2) to get off to a flier, while deep in first-half injury time came the tonic of the only goal of the game just as St Joseph’s looked to have turned the tide with brilliant points from play by Darragh McDonagh and Cormac Murray to trail by just one.

A sweeping St Breckan’s move ended up with Stack being upended by Gordon Kelly for a penalty that McGann blasted home for a 1-5 to 0-4 interval lead that had them on the high road.

Stack should have stretched this healthy advantage to six in the 43rd minute, but after he pulled an effort wide St Joseph’s seemed energised and reeled off five points in a row from the inspirational Cleary twins to draw level. Eoin made a huge impact off the bench, while Conor was ever-present and popped up again deep in injury time for another levelling point after Stack had briefly edged St Breckan’s back in front, as it finished 1-8 to 0-11.

In extra-time a point by Murray just 36 seconds in gave St Joseph’s the lead for the first time, while a minute later he doubled that advantage and it seemed as if St Breckans’ afternoon was turning into a nightmare.

It didn’t because they found more, getting back on term thanks to points by Stack and a Padraig Kelly free, before Eoin Cleary and McGann then traded points to leave matters at 1-11 to 0-14 at half-time.

There were chances on both sides in the second half, but it was McGann who edged St Breckan’s back in front before Eoin Cleary missed a long-range free that would have brought it to penalties.

Scorers for St Breckan’s: J McGann (1-4, 1-0 pen, 1m), J Stack (0-5, 3f), P Kelly (0-3f).

Scorers for St Joseph’s Miltown: C Murray (0-5, 1m), E Cleary (0-5, 3f, 1m), C Cleary (0-3, 2f), D McDonagh (0-1).

St Breckan’s: M O’Donnell; Conor Burke, R Considine, P Doherty; C O’Brien, Cian Burke, J Sheedy; P Kelly, L Tierney; M Byrne, J McGann, A Sweeney; J Stack, S Fitzpatrick, R Danagher. 

Subs: C Guerin for Fitzpatrick (53), P O’Dwyer for Considine (57), E Guerin for Danagher (60), R Danagher for Byrne (70), E O’Brien for Curtin (73), S Fitzpatrick for Tierney (77), C Shannon for Guerin (79).

St Joseph’s Miltown: S O’Brien; E O’Brien, S Malone, G Kelly; G Burke, J O’Connor, C Flanagan; O Looney, D McDonagh; K Malone, C O’Mahoney, C Cleary; B Curtin, C Murray, S Neylon. 

Subs: G Curtin for Burke (30), E Cleary for O’Connor (Half-Time), A McGuane for Neylon (45), P Frawley for O’Mahoney (52), E O’Gorman for O’Brien (59), C O’ Mahoney for Frawley (60), P Frawley for K Malone (70).

Referee: J O’Connell (Cooraclare)