Fourth time lucky as four-goal Effin overcome Blackrock to reach Limerick PIHC final
WE'RE EFFIN DELIGHTED: Nickie Quaid starred as Effin reached to Limerick PIHC final. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Following a trio of semi-final defeats Effin finally reached Limerick’s Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship final, as goals from Frankie Herr (2), Pierse O’Kelly and Ruairi O’Connor eased them to victory over south rivals Blackrock.
Effin are looking for a return to Senior having been relegated in 2015 – and south rivals Garryspillane will stand in their way at the Gaelic Grounds in a fortnight’s time.
It is now six wins on the trot, despite a late goal from Paudie Leahy which was little consolation for the Rockies, who had scraped into the semi-finals, having won just three times in seven outings.
They, however, will have been thrilled to reach this stage, having flirted with relegation, although their performance at a windswept Kilmallock was far from their best.
Aided by a huge end-to-end wind, the Kilfinane-Ardpatrick side were quick on the board and scored five of the first six points. Jimmy Quilty, Marty Farrell and Paudie Leahy were all accurate from range, while Cillian O’Riordan replied for Effin.
Eventually awarded man-of-the-match, Nickie Quaid was superb at centre-back and defied the breeze by landing a free from half-way. However, by the 20th minute, it was Blackrock who led 0-8 to 0-2.
Marty Farrell and Colm O’Keeffe shared the free-taking duties and things looked optimistic but eventually Adrian Barrett’s side showed why they finished top of the group phase.
Fergal O’Connor, Ewan Dillion and then Frankie Herr’s first goal tightened the scoreboard. His close-range finish matching the build-up which saw Effin work the ball accurately and low through the lines.
By half-time it was 0-10 to 1-5, with Quaid cancelling out a Leahy effort late on. Certainly, Effin would have been thrilled with the scoreboard, with the tireless Conor Kearney typifying their work rate which fuelled their belief for the second half.
Indeed a goal less than 20 seconds after the resumption ensured Effin were firm favourites to take the win. Winning the throw-in, a speculative shot from Pierse O’Kelly was batted to the net by Herr for a second – and a first lead for the men in white and green.
Colm O’Keeffe and Leahy both replied with frees but the final 25 minutes saw Blackrock register just two more scores.
Instead, Herr (free), Kearney and Fergal O’Connor raised white flags. Their third goal, on 41 minutes arrived from O’Kelly – who caught a pass from Ewan Dillon who could easily have taken a simple point.
It was curtains for Blackrock when they were turned over for a fourth goal on 48 minutes. Ruairi O’Connor raced clear and netted – he replaced Patrick O’Donovan – the Limerick panellist, who missed the clash due to a hamstring issue.
Trailing by eleven, Paudie Leahy buried a 20-metre free, before narrowly hitting two more openings wide in the dying embers.
Garryspillane will provide the opposition. They had a nail biting 1-12 to 1-11 victory over 2024 Intermediate winners, Croagh Kilfinny.
Leading virtually from start to finish, it took a Sheehan at either end to get them over the line.
Calum netted a goal shortly after Dave Lynch saw his free go all the way to the net while Adam pulled off a brace of saves including one in stoppage time to deny the west side.
Despite playing the closing stages with fourteen men, James Hall's men rallied to within a point but couldn't level in the six additional minutes while aided by a strong wind. The Bouncers were defeated in the final twelve months ago, by Newcastle West.
Elsewhere, in a relegation play-off at the grade, South Liberties suffered a second successive relegation. Having dropped from senior 12 months ago, the Souths were defeated 1-21 to 0-11 by Glenroe.
The club were unable to build on a senior semi-final appearance in 2022, having won just a handful of championship games since.
F Herr (2-1, 1f), T Quaid (0-4, 3fs, 0-1 '65), F O'Connor (0-3), P O' Kelly, R O'Connor (1-0 each), N Quaid (0-2, 2fs), C O'Riordan, V Kearney, E Dillon (0-1 each).
P Leahy (1-4, 1-2fs); C O'Keefe (0-4, 4fs); M Farrell (1f), J Quilty (0-2 each), C Considine (0-1).
R O’Neill, R Cagney, A Byrne, M Mullins, A Moffatt, N Quaid, S Canning; F O’Connor, C O’Riordan; B Clifford, R O’Connor, E Dillon; P O'Kelly, C Kearney, E Dillon.
T Quaid for Herr (42); E Kelly for R O’Connor (49); C Doherty for Clifford (49); M Rea for Canning (57).
D Moloney; S Hennessy, Richie McCarthy, S Lyons, M Farrell, K Ahern, I O'Brien, K Quilty, A Gilligan; S O'Neill, C Ensor, C Considine; P Leahy, C O'Keefe, C Gilligan.
S Philpot for C Gilligan (42); L Walsh for O’Brien (inj – 45); R O’Shaughnessy for A Gilligan (47); B O’Shaughnessy for Considine (58).
K Guina (Feoghanagh Castlemahon).
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