Late Lorcan Lyons point sends Monaleen into Limerick SHC semi-finals

Andrew La Touche Cosgrave of Monaleen in action. Pic: Tom Beary

Limerick SHC quarter-final: Monaleen 0-21 Mungret St Paul's 1-17 

Lorcan Lyons’s 90-metre additional time point was the difference between the teams in this entertaining Limerick SHC quarter-final.

Mungret St Paul’s couldn’t build on their fine first-half which they won 1-12 to 0-7 and converted just five second-half points as a Monaleen attack that had been dormant erupted.

Monaleen had reeled in Mungret by the 58th minute and Dara Ferland put them ahead for the first time in the game in the closing seconds of normal time. Goalscorer Killian Begley cancelled it out but then Lyons landed his booming score. One fit to win any game never mind confirming Monaleen's first ever semi-final appearance.

Twice, Mungret led by 10 points in the first half but their undoing was 18 minutes without a score after Barry Duff’s early second half point. In that time, Monaleen strung together seven points and their foothold in the game was secure.

But for a couple of frees, Clare senior coach and Tipperary native Shane Hassett was on song from placed balls, while Donnacha Ó Dalaigh and Andrew La Touche Cosgrave came alive.

Brian O’Meara pierced the wind to end Mungret’s barren patch only for Ferland and Lyons to hit back. Tit-for-tat scores followed as Mungret held onto their advantage but Ó Dalaigh levelled the game with his fourth point after his fellow county panelist Mark Fitzgerald had brought them to within a point.

The initiative was all theirs despite Begley's response to Ferland's effort and Lyons' monstrous score was a fitting effort. After sorting some teething problems with their puck-out, Mungret settled into this game and Brian Barry was their chief archer. Six times from the open stand side, he struck from distance towards the city end goalposts and five times he was on target.

The margin was one in the eighth minute when Ó Dalaigh had a shot kept out by Mungret goalkeeper Conor O’Brien and Ferland’s follow-up was smothered.

Mungret sent over the next three scores and their hounding of the Monaleen defence was a major asset in the first half. They stretched 0-9 to 0-4 ahead when Fintan Fitzgerald posted just as it seemed Lyons had made a great tackle on Rory Gleeson.

It was the second point in a fine 1-4 burst for Mungret. Their 19th minute goal followed another brace of scores from Barry. Monaleen’s Eoghan O’Driscoll was turned over, Mungret worked the ball down the Mackey Stand side and the ball was laid off to Begley to complete the move.

Conor O’Brien kept out another Liam Lynch attempt for the net seconds later. Backed by the breeze, Mungret’s scoring opportunities for the half climbed over the 20 mark but they hadn’t much to rue at that point.

Monaleen finished the half with three of the last four points, two of those were Hassett frees, but they were slim pickings in a half when so many of them were passengers. In the second half, they grabbed the keys.

Scorers for Monaleen: S. Hassett (0-9, 7 frees); D. Ó Dalaigh (0-4); A. La Touche Cosgrave, R. Lyons (0-2 each); L. McHale, D. Ferland, M. Fitzgerald (0-1 each).

Scorers for Mungret St Paul’s: B. Barry (0-5); K. Begley (1-1); L. Lynch (frees), B. Duff, F. Fitzgerald (0-2 each); M. O’Brien, C. Moloney, R. Duff, B. O’Meara, R. O’Callaghan (0-1 each).

MONALEEN: J. Power; N. Clancy, M. Fitzgerald, B. Canny; R. Lyons, D. Langan, L. Lyons; L. Murphy, L. McHale; E. O’Driscoll, D. Ó Dalaigh, A. La Touche Cosgrave; D. Ferland, S. Hassett, J. Fitzgerald.

Subs: B. Hayes for L. McHale (39); E. Maher for L. Murphy (57).

MUNGRET ST PAUL’S: C. O’Brien; E. O’Doherty, M. O’Sullivan, S. Duff; R. O’Callaghan, B. O’Meara, B. Barry; C. Moloney, R. Duff; M. O’Brien, F. Fitzgerald, B. Duff; K. Begley, R. Gleeson, L. Lynch.

Subs: N. Mulcahy for M. O’Brien, P. O’Brien for R. Gleeson (both 47).

Referee: J. O’Halloran (Bruree).