Jamie Stack finds a teammate as Darragh McDonagh closes in. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
TRAILING by five points entering the final five minutes of the contest, St Breckans managed to salvage a draw with St Joseph’s Miltown to ensure they pipped their West Clare opponents via scoring difference to qualify for the Clare SFC quarter-finals.
St Breckans 1-18
St Joseph’s Miltown 3-12
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis
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Two Jamie Stack two pointers and a Colm O’Brien equaliser saw St Breckans hit 0-5 without reply to claim a share of the spoils and more importantly for them a place in the quarter-finals, the result sees St Joseph’s Miltown end up in the preliminary quarter-finals as they let victory slip from their grasp.
Miltown were on course for their first championship win over St Breckans since 2017 but the North Clare outfit had other ideas and should have arguably won the game with Jack Sheedy opting not to shoot for a score and instead offloaded to O’Brien in a worse angle and his effort tailed wide at the death.
Such a scenario seemed unlikely with Miltown holding a commanding six point interval advantage and this remained the margin with forty seven minutes on the clock after Cormac Murray collected his hat-trick.
Murray had the first score of the game, Darragh McDonagh finding him with a pass which he struck to the net on seventy three seconds. Colm O’Brien had a chance to respond with a major at the other end but St Breckans raised the green flag on their second attack, Micheál Flanagan raiding for goal.
Cleary was the provider for Murray’s second goal, he won possession from a kickout and supplied the ball directly to the full-forward on sixteen minutes.
Eoin Cleary with a two pointer extended Miltown’s lead to seven points by the sounding of the half-time whistle.
Breckans received a lift on the restart when Jamie Stack kicked his first two pointer, followed by a well-taken effort from substitute Eoin Byrne.
Battling qualities continued to show from the Spa with Stack landing four two pointers throughout the course of the second half.
Their scoring difference proved to be the difference in deciding that St Breckans claim the coveted quarter-final berth.
MORE TO FOLLOW
Scorers St Breckans: J Stack (0-13 3TPf 4f 1TP), M Flanagan (1-0), P Kelly (0-2 1f), E Byrne (0-1), E Guerin (0-1), C O’Brien (0-1).
Scorers St Joseph’s Miltown: C Murray (3-2), E Cleary (0-8 2TP 3f), E Lineen (0-1 1f), M Murray (0-1).
St Breckans:
16: Tristan O’Callaghan
4: Ronan Fitzpatrick
3: Conor Burke
2: Patrick Doherty
14: Alan Sweeney
10: Jack Sheedy
5: Rowan Danaher
9: Pádraig Kelly
8: Micheál Flanagan
21: Denis O’Callaghan
15: Eoin Guerin
7: Pádraig O’Dwyer
19: Shane Fitzpatrick
11: Jamie Stack
20: Colm O’Brien
Subs:
6: Maccon Byrne for Burke (19) (inj)
30: Eoin Byrne for Flanagan (HT)
28: Robert O’Connell for D O’Callaghan (47)
17: Cathal Morgan for Guerin (54)
St Joseph’s Miltown:
1: Ger Malone
4: Cormac Devitt
3: Seanie Malone
2: Euan Reidy
5: Seán Neylon
6: Gordon Kelly
7: Stephen Murphy
11: Darragh McDonagh
9: Conor Cleary
12: Cian Mahony
8: Micheál Murray
10: Paul Frawley
13: Eoin Cleary
14: Cormac Murray
15: Euan Lineen.
Subs:
30: Enda O’Gorman for Reidy (8) (inj)
28: Ralph Whelehan for Mahony (36)
27: Eoin Devanney for Lineen (40)
24: Jamesie O’Connor for Murphy (52)
Referee: John O’Connell (Cooraclare)
