By: Kevin Corrigan
Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship Group 2 round 5
Bracknagh 0-17
Clonbullogue 2-11
A goal from sub Sean Foran put Clonbullogue 2-11 to 0-15 ahead in the 57th minute and they were still two points up when Bracknagh got a soft free well out on the right. It was in hit and hope territory but with a player of the quality of Peter Cunningham in their ranks, it was much more than this for Bracknagh and he duly delivered.
However, Clonbullogue were the only side smiling at the end as they stay ahead of Bracknagh on scoring difference. With no clear result, Clara were the big winners as it took the pressure off their following game against Durrow – it meant that only a nine point defeat would deny them a quarter-final place while Bracknagh required a thirteen point win for Durrow to keep them out of the relegation play off.
The big thing for both sides here was to stay out of the relegation play off and Clonbullogue will be delighted to have secured their senior status. They were without injured county player Jack McEvoy and attacking lynchpin Ruari O’Neill and this year was all about consolidation after an awful first season in senior ranks in 2025.
They are not good enoough for knockout football at the moment and this results concludes a very solid year’s work by Clonbullogue.
Bracknagh were lucky with that free but were unlucky when Peter Cunningham hit the post with a brilliant two point shot from way out minutes earlier. That may have won the day for Bracknagh in a game of incredibly tight margins.
These two parish rivals served up an ugly, fractious derby last year but thankfully there was none of that messing here. They went out and played football and even though it was only in the second half when it sprang to life, thanks mainly to the quality of the outstanding player on each team, Keith O’Neill and Peter Cunningham, the game didn’t leave any sour taste and both sides walk away with heads held high.
The first half was a fairly uneventful affair wuith Bracknagh leading by 0-5 to 0-4 at the break. There was little in the way of excitement or real intensity with a Peter Cunningham free giving Bracknagh a 0-5 to 0-2 lead after 21 minutes.
Both sides missed too much in the first half. Bracknagh had seven wides, some of them very poor and Clonbullogue were little better with five. Clonbullogue did improve coming up to half time with a Jamie Guing ’45’ and point from play leaving them only a point behind at the break.
The quality improved in the second half with Keith O’Neill quickly putting Clonbullogue ahead with a super two point free and lovely point from play. Peter Cunningham provided carbon copies of those scores as Bracknagh went ahead by 0-11 to 0-9 after 41 minutes.
An excellent Keith O’Neill goal in the 44th minute gave Clonbullogue the lead. He tapped and went from a free and picked a hole in a forest of players for a top quality score. Cunningham led Bracknagh’s revival, getting four points, including a great two pointer to put Bracknagh 0-15 to 1-9 up in the 49th minute.
Jamie Guing and Sean Foran pointed to reduce the gap to a point and Clonbullogue went for it. Ronan O’Neill turned down a tap over point when drawing a great save from Keith Keogh but Joe Foran hit the net in the 57th minute. Cunningham’s free rescued a face saving draw for Bracknagh but their heads were the only ones down at the final whistle.
Bracknagh’s Conor Melia and Clonbullogue’s Jamie Guing also deserve mention as they got some crucial scores.
MATCH ANALYSIS
THE SCORERS
Bracknagh: Peter Cunningham 0-11 (3 x 2pf, 1 x 2p, 1f), Conor Melia 0-4 (2 x 2p), Mikey Cunningham and Sean Wyer 0-1 each.
Clonbullogue: Keith O’Neill 1-4 (1 x 2pf), Sean Foran 1-1, Jamie Guing 0-5 (1 x 2pf), Tommy Dempsey 0-1.
THE TEAMS
BRACKNAGH: Keith Keogh; Adam Kelly, Anthony Cunningham, David Costello; Sean Dempsey, Fionn Dempsey, Charlie Keogh; Mark Dunne, Colm Cunningham; Conor Melia, Eoghan Geoghegan, Jason Dempsey; Sean Wyer, Peter Cunningham, Mikey Cunningham. Subs – Colin Broderick for Dunne (59m),Eoin Hyland for Jason Dempsey (63m).
CLONBULLOGUE: Cian Corcoran; Sean Moran, Jamie Quinn, Eoghan McEvoy; David Dempsey, Ian Curry, Ryan Dempsey; Harry Judge, Peter Bennett; Eoghan Kinsella, Keith O’Neill, Daryl Quinn; Ronan O’Neill, Jamie Guing, Tommy Dempsey. Subs – Shane O’Brien for Tommy Dempsey (37m), Sean Foran for Daryl Quinn (46m), Oisin Dempey for O’Neill (62m),
Referee – Fergal Smyth (Kilclonfert)
STATISTICS
Wides: Bracknagh – 10 (7 in first half); Clonbullogue – 7 (5 in first half).
Yellow cards: 0
Black cards: 0
Red cards: 0
By Offaly Secretary Sun 30th Aug
