Tipperary SHC round-up: Fairbrother on fire as revitalised JK Brackens make it two wins from two
JK Brackens scored 6-26 beating Templederry there a fortnight ago and they hit 2-26 on Saturday, dismantling Clonoulty Rossmore with the performance of the Tipperary senior hurling championship so far. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
JK Brackens must love playing in Borrisoleigh.
They scored 6-26 beating Templederry there a fortnight ago and they hit 2-26 on Saturday, dismantling Clonoulty Rossmore with the performance of the Tipperary senior hurling championship so far.
The men from the west were favourites having drawn with county champions Kiladangan in the first round but they didn’t replicate that form with Brackens rising their game again.
Lyndon Fairbrother was sensational, scoring 2-10 but they had any number of stars, particularly in the forward line where brothers Jamie and Andrew Ormonde went to town with nine from play between them.
The Templemore-based outfit led by nine at the break, kicking onto a fifteen point advantage on the three quarter hour mark.
Clonoulty Rossmore rallied with four late goals from Jack Ryan (three) and sub Jimmy Maher but Brackens had all the answers, responding with a trademark sideline from Shane Doyle while Paddy Cadell and youngster Mikey Cahill also came into their own when the pressure came on.
They held their composure during that mini-scare, seeing it out convincingly for a 2-26 to 4-14 win in the end.
Brackens had to win a relegation final to remain in the senior ranks last year but they’ll have no such worries this time around, flying high at the top of the group with bigger aims down the line.
Toomevars were similarly impressive in the second leg of the double-header in Borrisoleigh, defeating Drom and Inch with five in hand for a finish, 1-24 to 1-19.
An early goal from Adam Hall helped them into a ten point lead at the break and while Drom and Inch ate into the advantage, powered on by the influential Podge Campion and a goal from Mike Fitzpatrick, Ken Dunne’s greyhounds were good value for the win.
Darragh McCarthy impressed for them with twelve points, four from play, with Mark McCarthy and Conor O’Farrell also outstanding.
Late goals from Roscrea’s Shane Fletcher and Darragh Tynan made for a grandstand finish with Mullinahone in Holycross but the men from the south held on to win by 1-26 to 2-20.
Lining out as a goalkeeper, Tipperary great Eoin Kelly is still impacting games on the scoreboard with his penalty putting them in the driving seat just after half-time. A masterclass from fellow former county man Sean Curran extended their advantage to eight with just three minutes to go.
But Roscrea rallied, setting up a frantic finale as they hunted down an equalising goal in the dying moments. Mullinahone and Kelly stood firm and having lost last time out to Moycarkey Borris, Roscrea’s focus will now turn to avoiding relegation.
It’s the same story for Lorrha who suffered a huge 7-28 to 3-7 beating at the hands of Nenagh Éire Óg in Cloughjordan. Jake Morris top scored for Nenagh with 4-5 on a night when Ben West also made hay.
Thurles Sarsfields made it two wins from two with a 3-20 to 2-13 win over mid-rivals Moycarkey Borris. Mossy McCormack got them off to a perfect start with a brilliant individual goal after two minutes. Darragh Stakelum followed it up with another only a minute later and Moycarkey were up against it from there.
County champions Kiladangan were similarly ruthless against Templederry on Sunday, racing into an unassailable 2-21 to 1-7 lead by half-time. Billy Seymour was on fire scoring 1-13, 1-6 from play and while Colm Murray raised a green flag for Templederry, like Lorrha and Roscrea, they are now in survival mode.
Conor Byrne and Paul Flynn (two) scored further goals for the reigning champs in what ended up being a 4-31 to 2-17 victory.
Ciaran Connolly was the key man for Loughmore-Castleiney, scoring four from play from midfield in their seven-point win over Holycross Ballycahill. John McGrath was also a constant threat for Eamonn Kelly’s side, winning frees and passing the ball around with typical composure in their 0-21 to 0-14 win.
A single point was all that separated Kilruane MacDonaghs and Borris-Ileigh in Dolla on Friday evening with the Magpies coming from behind to win.
Borris-Ileigh looked to be well on their way when Dan McCormack’s second point put them four up with ten to go but Thomas Williams side finished stronger with man-of-the-match Thomas Cleary coming into his own down the home stretch. Two-time All-Ireland winner Niall O’Meara scored a brilliant goal in their 1-18 to 1-17 victory.
An injury-time goal from Sean Ryan helped Éire Óg Annacarty snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Gortnahoe Glengoole in the Premier Intermediate grade where Killenaule, and Upperchurch Drombane recorded convincing wins over Sean Treacy’s and Silvermines respectively.
St Mary’s and Burgess was a tighter affair with the men from Clonmel coming out on top, 1-18 to 2-12. Cashel King Cormacs got the better of Moyne Templetuohy with a strong second half showing on Sunday with Clonakenny overcoming Newport as Thurles Sarsfields' second team beat newly promoted Boherlahan-Dualla by six points.
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