Newcastle West start defence of Limerick SFC title with hard-fought win over Fr Caseys

NEWCASTLE West's bid for three Limerick SFC titles in a row began on a positive note after they came back to earn a 3-7 to 1-11 win over Fr Caseys in Tournafulla.

Second half goals from Eoin Hurley and Sean Murphy saw Jimmy Lee's side reverse a four-point half time deficit to earn a two point winning margin.

Caseys led by 0-9 to 1-2 at the break but the youthful Abbeyfeale outfit were unable to match their first half performance after the break.

The Magpies had a first minute chance to open their account with a goal after Bryan Nix's long delivery was broken into the path of Hurley by Mike McMahon but he was denied by a fine Shane O'Connell save.

Thomas Quilligan then gave Newcastle West the lead with an excellent score, before they had another goal chance but Iain Corbett was denied by another O'Connell stop.

Caseys soon clicked into gear with well taken points from Oisin Woulfe, Dylan Quirke and Donagh Kelly seeing them into a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage.

Daniel Daly added another but Newcastle West were soon back on level terms when Emmet Rigter broke through on goal and fired a powerful shot into the roof of the net.

The Abbeyfeale side could have wilted after the concession of the goal but responded with points from Kelly, Martin Scannell and Dylan Quirke seeing them back to a three-point lead.

A second classy score from Daly made that margin at four and then Caseys had a goal shot but Woulfe hit the post and Sean Quigley's shot at goal from the rebound was saved by Ruadhan O'Connor. 

Kelly landed a third point of the half to see Casey's five points to the good but a Rigter effort for Newcastle West saw the half time score at 0-9 to 1-1 in favour of Fr Caseys.

Quilligan started the second half scoring as well and then Newcastle West squared the game for a third time when Nix won a turnover on the Caseys '45. The ball was worked in quickly and Hurley slotted the ball past the onrushing O'Connell.

That was soon followed up by a third goal for the Magpies. Quilligan intercepted a kick-out and the ball was sent to Murphy and he hit the top corner to see his side into a 3-3 to 0-9 advantage.

However, Caseys were soon back on level terms via an Eoghan O'Connell penalty and the game was in the melting pot with 13 minutes remaining.

Former Treaty United striker Martin Coughlan then put Caseys in front with his first touch but Hurley soon had the game level for a fifth time.

Both sides spurned chances before Corbett nailed a beauty with the outside of his right boot on the hour and Hurley landed two further frees, either side of Scannell placed ball, saw the champions off to a winning start. 

Scorers - Newcastle West: Eoin Hurley 1-3 (0-3 frees), Emmet Rigter 1-1, Sean Murphy 1-0, Thomas Quilligan 0-2 (0-1 free), Iain Corbett 0-1.

Scorers - Fr Caseys: Eoghan O'Connell 1-0 (1-0 pen), Donagh Kelly 0-3, Dylan Quirke (0-1 free) and Martin Scannell (0-1 free) and Daniel Daly 0-2 each, Oisin Woulfe and Martin Coughlan 0-1 each. 

NEWCASTLE WEST: Mike Quilligan; Mike O'Keeffe, Darren Doherty, Michael Cremin; Ruadhan O'Connor, Iain Corbett, Aaron Neville; Emmet Rigter, Sean Murphy; Shane Stack, James Kelly, Bryan Nix; Eoin Hurley, Mike McMahon, Thomas Quilligan.

SUBS: Steven Brosnan for T Quilligan (55 mins).

FR CASEYS: Shane O'Connell; Diarmuid Buckley, Eoin Joy, Michael Kilbridge; Sean Kilbridge, Mark McCarthy, Culann Quigley; Daniel Daly, Sean Quigley; Oisin Woulfe, Martin Scannell, John Riordan; Eoghan O'Connell, Donagh Kelly, Dylan Quirke.

SUBS: Cathal Harnett for Joy (36 mins, inj), Martin Coughlan for Riordan (48 mins, inj), David Ward for Woulfe (57 mins), Eoin Kelly for D Kelly (57 mins).

REFEREE: Jonathan Hayes (St Senans).