Portarlington area Offaly GAA county champs shocked by Cats in Leinster

While Laois senior champions Portarlington are still alive in Leinster their Offaly near neighbours Bracknagh were dumped out of the Provincial Intermediate Football Championship by a Kilkenny Gaelic Footbal club.

Bracknagh, winners of the Offaly Senior “B” Football Championship were favourites and hungry to make progress in this competition when they came up against Kilkenny senior football champs, Mullinavat who were crowned county champs five months ago.

Bracknagh dominated the opening half but their 1-4 to 0-2 half-time advantage was scant reward for their play and they were made pay for a number of misses when Mullinavat turned the tide in the second half.

Mullinavat captain Michael Malone kickstarted the Kilkenny side’s revival when scoring a fantastic individual goal at the start of the second half and they then completed the comeback when subs Padraic Gahan and Oisin Knox scored a goal and a point respectively.

It was another superb against the odds success for Mullinavat and after their glorious Leinster Intermediate run in 2019 that saw them reach the final, they will be hopeful of another busy few weeks.

Bracknagh were well fancied coming into the game and all looked to be going to plan when Stefan Geoghegan knocked over the first two points from play.

Mullinavat responded with their first point via Michael Malone in the 8th minute but just two minutes later they were on the backfoot when Bracknagh got the opening goal of the game.

The goal arrived when Peter Cunningham caught a long delivery inside and with Mikey Cunningham alongside him, Peter offloaded for Mikey to plam to the net.

Mullinavat then replied with a John Walsh free but despite hitting eight first half wides, the visitors kicked the last two points of the half as Robin Galbrith and Mikey Cunningham both found the target.

Geoghegan and Ian Duggan exchanged points at the beginning of the second half before the tie was turned on it’s head when Mick Malone goaled Mullinavat in the 36th minute.

Malone’s effort left only two between the teams and it soon became one after a Tom Aylward score.

Peter and Mikey Cunningham both pointed in the 45th and 47th minutes for Bracknagh – it looked like those scores would get them home but remarkably they wouldn’s score again in the final 10 minutes.

As a result Mullinavat rallied and after Ian Duggan converted his second free, they struck for goal when Padraic Gahan kicked a shot to the net after being set up by Liam Fennelly and Oisin Knox.

Knox then kicked the insurance score in stoppage time as Mullinavat claimed a big victory.

FINAL SCORE

Mullinavat (Kilkenny) 2-6
Bracknagh 1-7

Scorers:

Mullinavat- Michael Malone (1-1), Padraic Gahan (1-0), Ian Duggan (0-2, two frees), John Walsh (0-1, one free), Tom Aylward, Oisin Knox (0-1 each)

Bracknagh- Mikey Cunningham (1-2), Stefan Geoghegan (0-3), Robin Galbrith, Peter Cunningham (0-1 each).

The teams

Mullinavat- Killian Dunphy; Joe Fennelly, Simon Aylward, Mikey Jones; Shane Kelly, Ger Malone, John Walsh; James Culleton, Tom Aylward; Adam Mansfield, Michael Malone, Conor Duggan; Ian Duggan, Liam Fennelly, Brian Phelan. Subs- Oisin Knox for Phelan h-t, Padraig Dempsey for C.Duggan 43 mins, Padraic Gahan for Jones 45 mins, Peter McDonald for Culleton 61 mins.

Bracknagh- Keith Keogh; David Costello, Jim Hendy, Fionn Dempsey; Anthony Cunningham, Ciaran Donnelly, Adam Kelly; Stefan Geoghegan, Mark Dunne; Darren Kelly, Joe Costello, Eoghan Geoghegan; Robin Galbrith, Peter Cunningham, Michael Cunningham. Subs- Edward Mather for D.Kelly 23 mins.

Referee- Stephen Fagan (Wicklow).