Patrickswell 2-25
Kilmallock 2-15
Tom Clancy reports from the TUS Gaelic Grounds
PATRICKSWELL QUALIFIED for yet another Limerick SHC final thanks to a superb 10-point victory over favourites Kilmallock at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
Hurler of the Year elect Aaron Gillane rifled over 1-12 including a typically superb second-half goal as they built on a seven-point interval advantage.
Fintan O’Connor will be seething with the loss, as his side turned in one of their poorest displays of the season, only scoring one point from play in an off-colour opening stanza.
In all, the Well had the greater threat, and with 10 different scorers, they were worthy winners having shared the load.
They led 0-8 to 0-3 after 20 minutes as Man-of-the-Match Diarmaid Brynes landed from distance, as did Evan Fitzgerald and Jordan Higgins.
Cian Lynch, lining out at centre-forward had an influence but the Kilmallock forward unit were stifled far too easily.
A Killian Hayes lobbed point was the only green effort from play at the interval, as the blue and gold led 0-12 to 0-5. There was a mini fightback from the Balbec, but when Gillane set up John Kirby for the opening goal on the 40-minute mark, the gap was eight.
Robbie Hanley found the net twice in the closing quarter after abandoning his centre-back role.
Gillane extinguished any hope of a late Kilmallock fightback, claiming a Byrnes delivery before typically dispatching the ball low to the net. He worked well with Kevin O’Brien, John Kirby and inter-county star Cian Lynch on the afternoon.
This was clearly the best display of the campaign for Eamonn Kelly’s men. The 20-time winners will face back-to-back chasing Na Piarsaigh, who inched beyond Doon thanks to a penalty shootout victory on Saturday. The Well defeated the Caherdavin side in the opening round way back in August.
The final is set for Saturday 13 October, with TG4 set to provide live coverage.
Scorers for Kilmallock: Micheál Houlihan 0-7 (0-5 frees; 0-1 ‘65); Robbie Hanley 2-0; Shane O’Brien, Kevin O’Donnell, Paddy O’Loughlin (both frees) 0-2 each; Killian Hayes, Oisin O’Reilly 0-1 each.
Scorers for Patrickswell: Aaron Gillane 1-12 (0-8 frees); Cian Lynch, Diarmaid Byrnes (0-2 frees) 0-3 each; John Kirby 1-1; Jordan Higgins, Evan Fitzgerald, Cian Fitzgerald; Kevin O’Brien, Tom O’Brien, Patrick Kirby 0-1 each.
Kilmallock: 1. Barry Hennessy; 3. Dan Joy, 4. Liam English; 5. Kevin O’Donnell, 2. Aaron Costello; 6. Robbie Hanley, 7. Paddy O’Loughlin; 8. Phelim O’Reilly (C); 9. Killian Hayes; 10. Micheál Houlihan, 15. Oisin O’Reilly, 11. Graeme Mulchay, 12. Gavin O’Mahony; 13. Shane O’Brien, 14. Robbie Egan.
Subs: 20. David Woulfe for O O’Reilly (Blood – 29 – 31); 23. Conor Hanley Clarke for Egan (38); 20. David Woulfe for Hayes (42); 21. Conor Staunton for Houlihan (60)
Patrickswell: 1. Jason Gillane; 3. Mark Carmody, 4. John Flynn; 12. Cian Fitzgerald; 19. Kelvin Lynch, 5. Evan Fitzgerald, Diarmaid Byrnes; 17. Josh Considine; 9. Jack Kelleher, 13. John Kirby; 15. Tom O’Brien, 8. Cian Lynch, 12. Jordan Higgins; 14. Aaron Gillane, 11. Kevin O’Brien.
Subs: Seanie O’Brien for Considine (Inj – 22); 18. Patrick Kirby for Higgins (43); 23. Tom Nolan for S. O’Brien (47); 21. Calvin Carroll for Kelleher (55); 2. James Carrig for Evan Fitzgerald (59).
Referee: John O’Halloran (Bruree)