David Clifford's Sem retain Frewen Cup title with thrilling victory over Clonakilty

Darragh Keane scored 2-3 for St Brendan's Killarney whose management team is led by Kerry footballer David Clifford

Kerry footballer and St Brendan's College Killarney coach David Clifford after his side's victory in the Frewen Cup final. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Frewen Cup final: St Brendan’s College Killarney 3-7 (3-0-7) Clonakilty Community College 0-15 (0-2-11)

St Brendan's College Killarney won a dramatic Frewen Cup final with a one-point victory over Clonakilty Community School. 

The game had a thrilling conclusion with the Kerry side leading by a point in the first minute of injury time. St Brendan's counter attacked with Cian Stack sending Darragh Keane through on goal. He was bundled over but a penalty claim was turned down. 

Clonakilty launched one last attack with Riley O’Donovan gaining possession and he decided that a two-point attempt to win the game was on. But as the ball dropped under the crossbar, St Brendan's keeper James Murphy (outstanding all game) held the ball firmly and cleared that danger and that was that.

St Brendan's just about deserved to retain the Frewen Cup thanks to the three goals they scored and a wasteful Clonakilty side in the opening half.

Both sides were slow to settle with Keane kicking two early points as Clonakilty were guilty of dropping the ball short into Murphy’s grasp.

Keane and Cian Hegarty added points for St Brendan's before Conrad Murphy opened Clonakilty’s account in the fifteenth minute.

The turning point of the opening half came in the 18th minute when St Brendan’s midfielder Jake Coffey was taken down for a penalty, and Keane sent the keeper the wrong way.

Points from Cillian O’Donoghue and Jack Culloty pushed the Sem 1-6 to 0-2, but on the stroke of half-time Clon keeper Rory Twohig kicked over a two-point free that saw St Brendan's lead 1-6 to 0-4 at half-time. Clonakilty created 10 first-half scoring chances but only took three and that was a stat that proved costly.

St Brendan's College Killarney defeated Clonakilty Community School in a topsy-turvy Frewen Cup final. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Whatever Clonakilty mentors said to their troops at half-time must have worked as they exploded from the blocks on resumption and kicked the next seven points on the trot with the Sem failing to score. 

Riley O’Donovan started and finished the run with points in between from Tadgh O’Brien, Tom Whooley (3), and Olan White as Clonakilty swept 0-11 to 1-6 in front and St Brendan’s needed to respond.

That they did as Sam Scroope sent Culloty through and turning and twisting defenders, he drilled the ball low to the Clonakilty net.

O’Donoghue quickly added a point and suddenly the Sem were back in the game as they reclaimed the lead 2-7 to 0-11 at the end of the third quarter.

But Clonakilty powered by midfielders Murphy and O’Brien regained the initiative. Murphy got through on goal only for James Murphy to tip his thunderous drive over for a point. Man of the match Keane (nephew of Peter and Ray) somehow squirmed his way through a forest of Clon defenders to bury the ball in the Cork side's net.

Suddenly St Brendan's had a four-point lead, but a Whooley point and a monstrous O’Donovan two-pointer reduced the deficit to a point. Then came that dramatic ending when O’Donovan’s two-pointer dropped agonisingly short. The Sem escaped to victory to the delight of their management team led by David Clifford.

Scorers for St Brendan's College: D Keane (2-3, 1-0 pen, 1f), J Culloty (1-1), C O’Donoghue (0-2), C Hegarty (0-1).

Scorers for Clonakilty CC: R O’Donovan  (0-5, 1tp), T Whooley (0-4, 1f), R Twohig (0-2 tpf), C Murphy (0-2), T O’Brien and O White (0-1 each) 

ST BRENDAN'S COLLEGE: J. Murphy (Killarney Legion), K. Kelly (Dr. Crokes), R. Guerin (Glenflesk), R O’Brien ( Killarney Legion); C. Clifford (Dr. Crokes), C. Stack (Kilcummin), C. Lynch (Dr. Crokes); D. Cronin (Firies), J Coffey ( Killarney Legion); M. Looney (Killarney Legion), S. Scroope (Killarney Legion), C O’Donoghue ( Listry); C. Hegarty (Killarney Legion), J. Culloty (Killarney Legion), D. Keane (Kilcummin).

Subs: T O’Donoghue (Spa) for K Kelly (44) L O’Mahony (Kilcummin) for C Hegarty (50), E Hennigan (Dr Crokes) for J Coffey (53), J O’Connor (Kilcummin) for D Cronin (inj 60) 

CLONAKILTY CC: R Twohig (Kilmeen); D Donovan (Clonakilty), E Knowles (Clonakilty), P Haughney (St James); A Hunt (Ibane Gaels), H O’Donovan (Kilmeen), F O’Donovan (Clonakilty); C Murphy (Ibane Gaels), T O’Brien (Kilmeen); D Keohane ( St James), R O’Donovan ( Ibane Gaels),C Collins ( Ibane Gaels); J Twomey (Ballinascarthy), T Whooley ( Clonakilty), C Delis (Clonakilty).

Subs: L Rohan (Clonakilty) for D Keohane (h/t), O White (Clonakilty ) for A Hunt (h/t), C Moore (Carbery Rangers) for J Twomey (inj 52) 

Referee: S Carey (Limerick)