Final V Brú Na nDéise (Luimneach)

Skellig Rangers 0-11- Bruff 0-7

Midfielders Stephen and Aidan O’Sullivan and ace attacker Sean Courtney produced superb displays as Skellig Rangers beat Bruff in the final of the Munster Junior Football championship in Mallow.

The Limerick champions put it up to their Kerry counterparts, especially in the first half, and the sides were level on five occasions before Skellig Rangers went in at the break ahead by 0-6 to 0-5.

Bruff had a golden chance to forge ahead in the 24th minute when they were awarded a penalty after John O’Sullivan was fouled. Andy O’Neill fired the resultant spot-kick high and wide.

It proved to be a costly miss and in the second half the odds started to stack up against Bruff. Firstly Limerick senior John Cooke had to cry off injured in the 41st minute and two minutes later they were reduced to 14 men, when centre-back Dean Madden was dismissed.

Those incidents, coupled with the increasing dominance of the Skellig Rangers midfield duo, turned the game. By the close of the third quarter they had gone

0-9 to 0-6 in front, which was a crucial lead considering the tight nature of the game prior to that. Further points by Chris O’Driscoll and Courtney gave Skellig Rangers a five-point advantage entering the closing moments and their win was sealed.

Scorers — Skellig Rangers: S Courtney 0-4, B Casey (0-2f), B Hickey, Stephen O’Sullivan 0-2 each, C O’Driscoll 0-1. Bruff: A O’Neill 0-3 (0-2f), T Burke 0-2, J Cooke, P Kelly 0-1 each.

SKELLIG RANGERS — M Brennan; B O’Sullivan, W O’Sullivan, C Martin; K Martin, C O’Sullivan, Seamus O’Sullivan; A O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Sullivan; J O’Driscoll, B Hickey, B Driscoll; S Courtney, C O’Driscoll, B Casey. Subs: B O’Driscoll for J O’Driscoll (50), B O’Sullivan for Seamus O’Sullivan (60), D O’Sullivan for Casey (60), D Keating for McGill (62).

BRUFF — S Kiely; N Hourigan, R Kirby, L Smith; A O’Sullivan, D Madden, R Hourigan; J Cooke, P Browne; C Madden, B Cotter, J O’Sullivan; A O’Neill, N Brosnan, T Burke. Subs: P Moloney for Cooke (inj) (41), P Kelly for O’Sullivan (50), M Hehir for N Hourigan (51), G Ryan for Cotter (56).