'It just bobbled in': Kilmallock clinch Limerick title with late, freak Mulcahy goal
Kilmallock captain Graeme Mulcahy, right and Tom Savage. Pic: Tom Beary/Sportsfile
Fortune favoured the brave in TUS Gaelic Grounds as 36-year-old Graeme Mulcahy’s freakish goal confirmed a deserving 13th Limerick SHC title for Kilmallock.
Captain Mulcahy had been typically tigerish throughout. Minutes before his defining score in additional time, he had combined cleverly with Micheál Houlihan to tee up Shane O’Brien for a point.
There was only the minimum between the sides in the third minute of additional time when his mishit point attempt into the breeze foiled Jerome Boylan and Shane Dowling as Oisín O’Reilly attempted to touch it beyond them. It wasn’t needed – the spin on the ball fooled them all.
“I think it could have been Peter Casey breathing down my neck and I didn't strike it well at all,” admitted a smiling Mulcahy. “Peter said to me in jest, ‘Did enough’.
“I don't know what happened. It seemed to go in over Oisín, his man and Shane. And even from there probably with the conditions I thought it might hold up, but it just bobbled in.”
Na Piarsaigh’s Will Henn replied with a pointed free but time had elapsed on the holders. They seemed to be the only team in the first quarter but spent the majority of the second half chasing the underdogs.
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A virtuoso Shane O’Brien goal initiated by his puck-out grab in the first minute of the second half had sent Kilmallock into a five-point lead. It was needed with the wind advantage Na Piarsaigh were going to enjoy. Ronan Lynch certainly availed of it with three long-range placed balls as Na Piarsaigh ate into the deficit.
There were two points in the difference in the 52nd minute when William O’Donoghue stole a Kilmallock puck-out from substitute Conor Staunton. Goalkeeper Conor Hanley-Clarke managed to get a touch on the Limerick midfielder’s strike but not enough to keep it out.
Na Piarsaigh’s lead lasted seconds as the O’Reilly brothers combined to put Oisín in for a ground stroke goal. The game was alive now and Casey’s goal chance was put out for a 65 by Hanley-Clarke.
Lynch sent over the placed ball to level the final once more only for Oisín O’Reilly to win a free converted by Pierce Connery. Casey then pulled a shot wide, O’Brien made no mistake at the other end. Henn responded with a free and another after Mulcahy’s major but nothing more was forthcoming from the city men.
A half-time row involving management and players had been more spirited than some of the hurling that preceded it. Kilmallock outscored Na Piarsaigh 0-9 to 0-2 in the second quarter having been outplayed early on. Conor Boylan helped himself to three points in the first 15 minutes.
His marker Jackie Dwane had his hands full but the tyro powered into the game and was ahead on points in their duel by the interval as were some of his defensive colleagues.
Na Piarsaigh led 0-5 to no score before O’Brien opened Kilmallock’s accounts in the 10th minute. The Caherdavin side were far more physical and earning the dividends.
They also had two looks at a goal. Hanley-Clarke denied a Keith Dempsey attempt in the seventh minute and Robbie Egan stopped Kevin Downes with the follow-up attempt.
Downes, after his man-of-the-match display in the semi-final win over Doon, was in from the off but was finding fellow veteran Egan a sticky marker. Aaron Costello was ruled out with injury and replaced by Gearóid Enright who was providing an alternative target to O’Brien.
Kilmallock steadied themselves with five points in eight minutes as Na Piarsaigh’s scores dried up.
After Keith Dempsey pointed a second free in the 20th minute, Phelim O’Reilly sent over a quick brace prior to Hanley-Clarke arrowing over the first of two long-range free to square the game Casey adjusted himself well to take his second point in the 25th minute but the remainder of the half went the way of The Balbec.
“Once we started to turn them over and play ball into Shane and Gearóid into the corners, we got a few scores,” Mulcahy said. “It settled us a bit, and then you saw the real fight in that second quarter – that real Kilmallock fight that wasn’t there.
“It was hard to stay ahead in the second half with the conditions, but we seemed to do that. And just as Na Piarsaigh got a goal, through Will O’Donoghue, we seemed to go down the other end and just rob another goal!”
Na Piarsaigh’s indiscipline was costing them plenty towards the end of the first half – Pierce Connery fired over three frees, Enright and O’Brien earning a couple of them. Hanley-Clarke’s additional time free sailed beautifully on the breeze and gave Kilmallock a worthy 0-12 to 0-9 cushion.
The question was would the advantage be enough. O’Brien’s excellent goal was key in protecting it, Mulcahy acknowledged. “If we didn’t get that goal and they pull it back level or go a point ahead early in that second half, Jesus you’re really up against it. That gave us a bit of breathing space.”
P. Connery (0-8, frees); S. O’Brien (1-2); G. Mulcahy (1-1); O. O’Reilly (1-0); P. O’Reilly, C. Hanley-Clarke (frees) (0-2 each); K. Hayes, M. O’Loughlin. S. Quirke, M. Houlihan (0-1 each).
P. Casey, R. Lynch (3 frees, 2 65s) (0-5 each); C. Boylan, K. Dempsey (frees), W. Henn (frees) (0-3 each); W. O’Donoghue (1-0); M. Foley (0-2); D. Dempsey (0-1).
C. Hanley-Clarke; K. Hayes, J. Dwane, R. Egan; M. O’Loughlin, C. O’Connor, R. Hanley; M. Houlihan, S. Quirke; P. Connery, G. Mulcahy (c), P. O’Reilly; G. Enright, S. O’Brien, O. O’Reilly.
C. Staunton for S. Quirke (46); P. O’Brien for G. Enright (55); K. O’Donnell for M. O’Loughlin (59).
S. Dowling; J. Boylan (c), V. Harrington, R. Lynch; E. McEvoy, M. Casey, M. Foley; W. O’Donoghue, J. Finn; K. Dempsey, P. Casey, D. Dempsey; K. Downes, C. Boylan, J.J. Carey.
W. Henn for K. Downes (39); J. Fitzgerald for K. Dempsey (46); A. Breen for J.J. Carey (52); T. Grimes for J. Finn (59).
J. O’Halloran (Bruree).
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