*James Coakley celebrates at the final whistle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BANNER’S rollercoaster season “keeps rattling on” with the might of the Clifford brothers awaiting them as their prize for reaching a first Munster club intermediate football semi-final.
Trailing in Sunday’s quarter-final to Brickey Rangers until Thomas Meenaghan scored his second goal on forty four minutes, the Ennis side never looked back from here and remained in the ascendancy to seal their progression to the last four in Munster’s second tier.
According to Banner manager, Shane Mernagh “it was one hell of a game”. He said, “Our journey keeps going and keeps rattling on, I didn’t think it might happen at some stages in that game the way it was flowing, it was hectic in the last few minutes and it was nerve wracking. We were behind by the point at half time, we didn’t click right enough but we started to click and Thomas Meenaghan getting the goal was a momentous moment, it gave us a real buzz that we’re here. In the first half, we hung on well enough, opportunities came and our shooting was a bit off in the first half, the game opened up for us in the second half and we looked way better. We had to hang on a little bit in the end but we knew that, they had a three or four point advantage to get back, once we didn’t concede a goal we would be okay. It was a heart-stopping game, Brickey Rangers are a really nice outfit with some really nice forwards, they are hard to handle, they had us under pressure in the full-back line in the first half which we had to rectify”.
Down a point at half time, the sides have been level twice in the opening half but eight missed chances prevented the Banner from nudging in front. “Shot selection was wrong, we had six drop short in the first half which is classed as a turnover and they got two scores off them, not alone that but we were losing breaking ball too on our own kickout which is bad. That was giving a platform to Brickey Rangers to counteract us, the message at half time was to try correct our own kickout scenario and be a bit more patient on the ball, we knew going down the hill that the field opens up here, this top goal can become easily congested so we knew it could open up for us in the second half and that our fitness would come because that would be a thing for us all year, we kept battling.
“The lads got cracking goals, great movements and James Coakley came in as a sweeper helping the full-back line, he had seven turnovers in the second half alone which is mad really. Mark Cleary in goals made a penalty save but his save after was more impressive when he got his fingertips to it, all those things change momentum and it drove us on. I’m so happy for the players, they have a lot of mileage done in the legs this year, they’ve to go again”.
Opting to play towards the thirteenth green of the Woodstock for the second half was their approach. “We knew coming into the game that they like sitting around the arc, they are very defensive. This field naturally allows the lower part of the field to open up, for whatever reason I don’t know. We wanted to give Tommy Meenaghan space, for Cian O’Connor to get on dropping ball and get one on one, they left themselves a bit open, we were delighted with that, they played a double sweeper in the first half and then one in the second half for one reason which helped us. We’re overjoyed, it was a good battle with Brickey Rangers, a great day for the Banner, our supporters here, a lot of work went on from the Executive led by Finbarr Coakley in setting up the place, I’m so happy, it is a great day because it’s not often you get a Munster club match on your home turf, it is a great day for everyone involved, we’re delighted to get over the line because the players have a lot of hard work gone in and they got their reward”.
Next up is a trip to Kerry whey face Fossa on November 22nd where two of the top players in the game, David and Paudie Clifford will be in opposition. “People will be talking about it all week, we’re there now, we’ve a big game now with Fossa and the Cliffords, he is the best player in the country but we won’t fear them, we’ll go down with optimism, we’ll focus on ourselves and them too, you have to get the ball to Clifford too so we have to stop that scenario, they have Paudie too. It is fifteen on fifteen, we’re going down to the Kingdom of Kerry and we’ll try play our best, we will give it a good rattle, we won’t be going down just hoping”.
