Limerick SFC: Monaleen set up date with Adare

The last four champions are still in the race for the Limerick senior football championship title.

Monaleen and Ballylanders completed the semi-final line-up with weekend wins. Holders Adare now play 2016 champions Monaleen, while 2015 champions Newcastle West play 2014 champions Ballylanders.

Monaleen progressed with a 3-13 to 2-9 win over St Kierans. The city side had an early Shane Cusack goal but St Kieran’s were ahead approaching the 20th minute after Seamus Mangan and Liam Kennedy goals. But six successive points had Monaleen 1-8 to 2-3 ahead at the interval. St Kieran’s went 20-minutes without a score but Sean McSweeney frees kept them in touch and as the final whistle approached, they trailed by three points. Evan O’Neill scored Monaleen’s third goal in injury-time to confirm their semi-final place.

Ballylanders needed a dramatic injury-time goal from Jimmy Barry-Murphy to reach the last four with a 2-16 to 4-8 win over Ballysteen. Ballylanders were 10 points clear entering the final quarter but Ballysteen scored three goals to edge ahead in injury time. Up the field went Ballylanders and Murphy hit back with the winning goal.

Ballylanders led 1-10 to 1-6 at the break. It was 0-7 to 0-1 to the eventual winners after 12 minutes with Danny Frewen leading the way, while a Pakie Moran goal from a penalty came in reply. The lead was out to 1-16 to 1-6 midway through the second half. Then Frewen was red-carded and Ballysteen fired goals in the 19th, 22nd, and 29th minutes of the half from Sean Whelan, Maurice Somers and Danny Neville. When Pakie Moran pointed in injury time, Ballysteen led for the first time and looked to have snatched an unlikely win. But Murphy was to be the Ballylanders hero.