Patrickswell 1-17
Na Piarsaigh 0-15
John Fallon reports from LIT Gaelic Grounds
PATRICKSWELL DESERVEDLY CLAIMED their 20th Limerick SHC title when they were too strong for a Na Piarsaigh side bidding to win it for the third year in-a-row.
But the champions, while managing to draw level in the second-half after trailing by six points, never really got going.
Ciaran Carey’s men went almost 25 minutes without scoring but regrouped in the final quarter to win their first crown since 2016 and move top of the roll of honour in Limerick ahead of Ahane.
Patrickswell led by double scores at the break and were good value for their 1-9 to 0-6 lead against the reigning champions in a lack-lustre opening half.
Josh Considine with a bullet to the roof of the net pic.twitter.com/2CHer0Nbqy
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 6, 2019
The sides were level three times in the opening eleven minutes but Patrickswell pulled away when Tom O’Brien and Josh Considine landed good points, with Cian Lynch impressive at midfield and Diarmuid Byrnes dominant at centre-back.
Then Jack Kelleher set Considine away and the midfielder dispatched a superb shot to the top right corner of the net to open up a 1-5 to 0-3 lead after 15 minutes.
Na Piarsaigh responded with a couple of frees from Will Henn but Patrickswell, boosted by the availability of county star Aaron Gillane who was doubtful with a facial injury, hit the next four points.
Gillane got his third free, Kelleher struck two and Andrew Carroll also found the range.
Kevin Downes escaped with a yellow card for a high challenge on Patrickswell corner-back Tom Nolan before Ronan Lynch landed a point from distance for Na Piarsaigh to reduce to the margin to six at the interval.
A third free from Henn and two more points from play by Peter Casey saw Na Piarsaigh cut the gap to three within five minutes of the restart.
Patrickswell hit six wides without scoring in the third quarter on a benign afternoon and Na Pairsaigh reduced the gap to the minimum with points from Adrian Breen and impressive substitute Alan Dempsey to leave it at 1-9 to 0-11.
Then Peter Casey’s fifth point of the game from play levelled the sides with just over 12 minutes remaining.
Diarmuid Byrnes edged Patrickswell back in front with a point from distance and Gillane added a free before Casey’s sixth point cut the gap to the minimum again.
But Patrickswell pulled away in the closing stages with county stars Lynch and Byrnes leading the way as they outscored the champions by 0-6 to 0-2 in the closing six minutes to claim the title.
Laoch na hImeartha Cian Lynch!
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) October 6, 2019
Maith an bhfear!@patrickswellgaa @GAA_BEO @LimerickCLG @Limerick_Leader pic.twitter.com/C4r4OU8ok5
Scorers for Patrickswell: Aaron Gillane 0-6 (6f), Josh Considine 1-2, Cian Lynch 0-3, Jack Kelleher 0-2, Diarmuid Byrnes 0-2 (1f), Andrew Carroll 0-1, Tom O’Brien 0-1.
Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: Peter Casey 0-7 (1f), Will Henn 0-3 (3f), Adrian Breen 0-2, Ronan Lynch 0-1, David Dempsey 0-1, Alan Dempsey 0-1 (f).
Patrickswell
1.Brian Murray
2. Seanie O’Brien
3. Nigel Foley
4. Tom Nolan
7. Paudie Maher
6. Diarmuid Byrnes
5. Mark Carmody
8. Josh Considine
9. Cian Lynch
10. Jack Kelleher
11. Kevin O’Brien
12. Andrew Carroll
13. Aaron Gillane
14. Jason Gillane
15. Tom O’Brien
Substitutes:
19. Paul O’Brien for Carroll (half-time)
18. John Flynn for O’Brien (55)
20. Calvin Carroll for J Gillane (57)
Na Piarsaigh
1.Podge Kennedy
4. Kieran Kennedy
3. Mike Casey
2. Niall Buckley
5. Mike Foley
6. Ronan Lynch
7. Tommie Grimes
8. Conor Houlihan
9. Will O’Donoghue
10. Conor Boylan
15. Peter Casey
12. David Dempsey
14. Will Henn
11. Kevin Downes
13. Adrian Breen
Substitutes:
19. Alan Dempsey for Houlihan (29)
17. Kevin Ryan for K Kennedy (55)
Referee: John O’Halloran (Bruree)
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