Lynch and Gillane on song as Patrickswell ignite Limerick challenge

Patrick Kirby also landed 1-6 for 'Well

Cian Lynch, Patrickswell, putting Patrick Begley, Mungret St Paul's under pressure in the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship, Group 1 R3

Limerick SHC: Patrickswell 2-28 Mungret St Pauls 1-12 

Patrickswell ignited their Limerick Senior Hurling Championship challenge with a 2-28 to 1-12 victory over Mungret St Pauls in Claughaun.

Ciarán Carey’s side had lost their opening two fixtures in the championship to Na Piarsaigh and Doon respectively but were in scintillating form against a Mungret side that have now lost all three games since promotion to Senior A.

Most of the damage was done by an on-form ‘Well full forward line with Patrick Kirby landing 1-6 while Kevin and Thomas O’Brien accounted for another six points. An outstanding Cian Lynch chipped in with 1-3 from play.

Patrickwell wasted no time in using the strong breeze to their aid. A Jason Gillane puckout to Kirby and he got the ball into his hand under pressure and found the net from close range.

Diarmuid Bynres, Patrickswll, under pressure from Billy Molyneaux, Mungret St Paul's in the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship, Group 1 R3

The Gillane brothers then combined with Aaron landing his first of the game that Lynch immediately added to and Patrickswell now led 1-3 to 0-1 after eight minutes.

Kevin O’Brien then got in on the act with his second score before a Paul O’Brien free brought Mungret back into the game.

However, it was only a brief respite for Brian Begley’s men as two from Aaron Gillane and one from Mark Carmody stretched the Patrickswell advantage to eight.

Two O’Brien frees kept Mungret ticking over but their task became momentous when Lynch notched the second goal on 21 minutes.

He brilliantly combined with Tom O’Brien to open up the Mungret defence and hit the target on the rebound after an initial fine save by Conor O’Brien.

Kirby then fired over two in a row and Diarmaid Byrnes landed an excellent strike from play to put 11 between the teams with five left in the opening stanza.

Fintan Fitzgerald and Rory Duff gave Mungret a chink of light but that was immediately snuffed out with efforts from Lynch and Byrnes seeing Patrickswell 2-13 to 0-7 up at the break.

There was some hope of a comeback early in the second half when the lively Conor O’Halloran snuck in for a goal but it was one way traffic after that with Mungret only landing just five points in the final 28 minutes.

Tom O’Brien (2), Kirby and Jack Kelleher kept the scoreboard operator busy with Lynch pulling the strings at centre forward.

The lead was at 13 heading into the final 10 minutes but ‘The Well’ continued to turn the screw with Gillane and Kevin O’Brien in imperious form up front.

Carey will also be happy with the impact of his bench as Eoin Harmon and John Kirby both raised white flags in the closing stages of the 19-point victory.

Scorers for Patrickswell: P Kirby 1-6, C Lynch 1-3, A Gillane 0-7 (4f), K O’Brien 0-4, D Byrnes (1f) and T O’Brien 0-2 each, M Carmody, J Kelleher, E Harmon and J Kirby 0-1 each.

Scorers for Mungret St Pauls: C O’Halloran 1-2, P O’Brien 0-5 (3f), N Mulcahy, R Duff, F Fitzgerald, L Lynch and D O’Hagan 0-1 each.

PATRICKSWELL: J Gillane: K Lynch, C Fitzgerald, J Flynn; M Carmody, N Foley, E Fitzgerald; D Byrnes, J Murray; A Gillane, C Lynch, J Kelleher; P Kirby, K O’Brien, T O’Brien.

Subs: J Carrig for Carmody (45), J Kirby for Murray (46), C O’Gorman for T O’Brien (52), E Harmon for K O’Brien (56).

MUNGRET ST PAULS: C O’Brien; B Molyneaux, M O’Sullivan, L Harrington; B Barry, P Begley, B O’Meara; B Duff, R Duff; D O’Hagan, F Fitzgerald, L Lynch; C O’Halloran, N Mulcahy, P O’Brien.

Subs: S Duff for O’Hagan (46), E O’Doherty for Harrington (52), S Barry for Lynch (52).

Referee: D O'Callaghan (Feohanagh-Castlemahon).