Limerick SHC round-up: Wins for Kilmallock and Na Piarsaigh

Kilmallock got their defence off to a good start. There were also wins for Na Piarsaigh, South Liberties, Ballybrown and Mungret. While Adare and Ahane played out a draw

Sun, 31 Jul, 2022 - 15:20

Jerome O’Connell

Champions Kilmallock hit the ground running in their Bon Secours Limerick SHC title defence.

Last year Kilmallock were beaten by 10-points in round one but regrouped to lift the Daly Cup title.

This weekend, the south Limerick side had a big 2-23 to 2-9 round one victory over Patrickswell in a repeat of last year’s county final.

Without the injured Cian Lynch, The Well actually made the better start and were 2-1 to 0-1 ahead after six minutes - Thomas O’Brien and Jordan Higgins with their early goals.

But that was as good as it got for Patrickswell.

The remainder of the first half saw Kilmallock out-score their opponents, 0-11 to 0-2.

Kilmallock had six players on John Kiely’s Inter-county winning panel and Graeme Mulcahy, Oisin O’Reilly, Micheal Houlihan and Robbie Hanley were all on the scoresheet as Kilmallock went to the half time dressing room 0-12 to 2-3 ahead.

In the second half Limerick U20 players Shane O’Brien and Conor Hanley Clarke sealed the impressive win with goals.

There was also a repeat of the 2020 final in round one action - Na Piarsaigh meeting Doon in Claughaun.

Doon were six points ahead half way through the second half but Na Piarsaigh rallied with the final seven scores, including two goals, to snatch a five point victory; 2-20 to 1-18.

A first minute Dean Coleman goal had Doon 1-7 to 0-5 ahead just after the midpoint of the first half with Kevin Downes frees keeping Na Piarsaigh ticking over.

Darragh O’Donovan and Pat Ryan were among the Doon scorers but in the final 10-minutes of the first half, Na Piarsaigh then outscored Doon 6-1 to level the game by half time; 1-8 to 0-11.

Doon then regained the initiative with the first half scores of the second half - including one from centre back Richie English.

On 52-minutes, a Barry Murphy free had Doon 1-18 to 0-15 ahead.

A David Dempsey goal helped Na Piarsaigh level and an injury time Conor Boylan goal sealed the win.

In the third game in Group One, Adare and Ahane finished level; 1-15 each.

Tom Morrissey helped himself to 1-9 for Ahane, while Adare had 1-4 from Willie Griffin and 0-3 from David O’Mahony, who scored the levelling point in injury time.

In Group Two, there were wins for South Liberties, Ballybrown and Mungret.

Ballybrown were 1-19 to 0-13 winners over Blackrock.

It was 0-10 to 0-7 at half time in Ballygran.

Colin Coughlan and Aidan O’Connor were both on the mark for the winners in that opening half.

Jimmy Quilty, Martin Farrell and Ruari O’Shaughnessy were on the mark for The Rockies.

Just inside the 10-minute mark of the second half, Ross Kenney goaled for Ballybrown to move them 1-12 to 0-9 ahead and they pushed forward to the winning line.

In Doon, an early goal proved the difference throughout the meeting of South LIberties and Garryspillane.

Liberties were 1-6 to 0-8 ahead at half time and edging victory; 1-18 to 0-20.

In Clarina, Mungret marked an absence of over 30 years from the senior championship with a 1-16 to 1-3 win over Kildimo-Pallaskenry. Paul O’Brien hit 1-10 for the winners with 1-4 for Kyle Hayes for Kildimo-Pallaskenry.