*Darren O’Neill. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
A first county senior football final appearance since 2014 awaits Éire Óg following a polished display to keep St Breckan’s at arm’s length in Cusack Park on Saturday evening.
Éire Óg 0-11
St Breckans 0-05
Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis
Their swarm defence and equally collectively strong counter-attacking style required a lot of hard work and discipline which the Townies had in abundance to stifle their fancied opponents and effectively control matters for the full hour.
The defensive triumvirate of Aaron Fitzgerald, Ciaran Russell and Éinne O’Connor and the relentless work-rate of Darren O’Neill, Aidan McGrath and David McNamara complemented the clinical edge of chief marksmen Gavin Cooney and Mark McInerney as the Ennis side hit the ground running to lead by four by the water break and only extended that advantage at every subsequent interval to ease to victory.
Being their second successive semi-final, much was expected from St Breckan’s but they never reached the heights of previous displays or even last year’s penultimate stage clash against Cratloe. Perhaps they simply weren’t allowed however as a more experienced, determined and physically imposing Éire Óg took the game to their opponents from the outset with the first four points inside eleven minutes.
A brace from Aidan McGrath was sandwiched by points for Gavin Cooney and McInerney before Padraig Kelly finally opened St Breckan’s account in the 12th minute.
An Einne O’Connor point that came off the inside of the upright ensured a 0-5 to 0-1 lead for Éire Óg by the opening water break. However, the recess didn’t appear to make any difference to a lacklustre St Breckan’s as they remained subdued for much of the second quarter as well.
Instead, Éire Óg might have grabbed a goal immediately on the resumption when David Reidy’s delivery was caught by Cooney who offloaded to the overlapping Mark McInerney to clip an effort just over the crossbar while their never-say-die work ethic was summed up in the 24th minute when Darren O’Neill chased down three defenders before finally turning over possession as Einne O’Connor won a free that Cooney converted at 0-7 to 0-1.
St Breckan’s did finally gather some momentum just before the break when JoeMcGann and Cathal Guerin grabbed quick fire points. However, they passed up chances to further their ambitions and it was Gavin Cooney that would duly punish at the other end in injury-time to secure an 0-8 to 0-3 half-time cushion.
An additional pair of Cooney frees on the restart put three scores between the sides, a sufficient match-winning tally as it turned out after St Breckan’s incremental frustrations led to indiscipline and it was only after a twenty minute barren patch that the Lisdoonvara-Doolin based side finally broke their second half duck at 0-10 to 0-4 by the turn of the final quarter.
Surprisingly for a side that raided for three goals against Miltown last time out, there would be no backlash or even the sniff of a goal chance for an underwhelming St Breckan’s side that simple had to concede second best to an Éire Óg side that harbour legitimate ambitions of a senior hurling and football double, ironically not seen since Cratloe beat them in the football decider in 2014.
Scorers for Éire Óg: Gavin Cooney (0-5, 3f); Mark McInerney (0-3); Aidan McGrath (0-2); Einne O’Connor (0-1)
Scorers for St Breckan’s: Padraig Kelly (0-2, 1f); Joe McGann, Cathal Guerin, Dale Masterson (0-1 each)
Éire Óg
1: Nathan Murray
4: Ronan Lanigan
3: Aaron Fitzgerald
2: Manus Doherty
7: Ciaran Russell
6: Conall Ó hÁiniféin
5: Einne O’Connor
8: Darren O’Neill
9: David McNamara
12: Niall McMahon
20: David Reidy
10: Aidan McGrath
15: Mark McInerney
14: Gavin Cooney
13: Philip Talty
Substitutions
11: Ikem Ugwueru for McMahon (41)
28: Dara Walsh for McGrath (46)
19: Tadhg Connellan for Talty (51)
22: Conor O’Halloran for McInerney (57)
26: Darren O’Brien for Reidy (60)
St Breckan’s
1: Tristan O’Callaghan
4: Conor Burke
6: Jack Sheedy
2: Patrick Doherty
3: Dale Masterson
7: Alan Sweeney
10: Rowan Danaher
8: Liam Tierney
12: Padraig Kelly
21: Denis O’Callaghan
14: Joe McGann
9: Maccon Byrne
13: Jamie Stack
11: Cathal Guerin
15: Aiden Davidson
Substitutions
23: Cian Burke for D. O’Callaghan (HT)
20: Micheál Flanagan for Tierney (40)
18: Colm O’Brien for Danaher (43)
19: Eoin Guerin for Stack (43)
Referee: Niall Quinn (St Joseph’s Miltown)
