Iain Corbett hat-trick of goals powers Newcastle West past Kildimo-Pallaskenry in Limerick SFC

TITLE chasing Newcastle West made light work of a young and understrength Kildimo-Pallaskenry in the Irish Wire Products Limerick Senior Football Championship. 

Inter-county man Iain Corbett’s hat-trick of goals powered them to a second win of the campaign in Rathkeale this Friday evening. It finished 4-8 to 0-4.

The winners were far from their brilliant best, but they didn’t need to be, as they put Kildimo-Pallaskenry to the sword with a trio of first half goals.

Short Kyle Hayes and Tony McCarthy through injury, Declan Nash’s charges failed to score in a second period and only split the posts three times during the contest, including Peter Nash’s two-pointer. 

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This was a repeat of the SHC meeting seven days earlier, also played in Rathkeale – which finished in a draw.

For Newcastle West, they look to make light work of this group, and have now gotten off to the best possible start, having edged Mungret in round one and now focus on St. Kieran’s in early September.

The lively Lee Woulfe opened the scoring after seven minutes, before Ciaran Galvin registered what would prove to be the only score from play for the men in blue over the hour.

Disaster soon struck as Corbett punished slopped defensive handling, and raced through after a turnover to blast to the top corner.

There was a second goal just fifty seconds later as Corbett spotted the run of Brian O’Sullivan and he hacked to the net at the second attempt.

Suddenly a six-point lead looked daunting and despite a Nash free, things weren’t coming easy for the men from the N69.

Eoin Hurley was afforded too much space and he landed a two-pointer, before inter-county star Nash replied with a free off the deck, also from outside the arc.

By half-time, it was 3-4 to 0-4 when a second goal from Corbett, almost mirroring the first in terms of its placement into the corner, arrived on 28 minutes.

There was to be a wasteful second half for the Magpies, who added eight wides to bring that statistic to 14 by the final whistle.

However, they did have scores from Brian Hurley, off his left foot, before Corbett completed his hat-trick. A first of his adult career, Eoin Hurley handpassed across the square allowing the 32-year-old the easy task of palming to the net.

A fractured closing period had few highlights, with Eoin Hurley and Thomas Quilligan (both frees) adding to the scoring before Woulfe brought the winning margin to an impressive sixteen with the final score.

With Liam Weir enjoying his holidays abroad, he will be delighted to welcome another victory upon his return – while in contrast, Declan Nash will have to rally his charges, ahead of another busy period in both hurling and football.

SCORERS: NEWCASTLE WEST: Iain Corbett 3-0; Brian Sullivan 1-0; Eoin Hurley (1tp, 1 free) 0-3, Lee Woulfe and Thomas Quilligan (2frees) 0-2 each; Brian Hurley 0-1 each. KILDIMO-PALLASKENRY: Peter Nash 0-3 (1 free, 1 tpf); Ciaran Galvin 0-1.

NEWCASTLE WEST: Mike Quilligan; Evan Sheehan, Michael Cremin, Brian O’Sullivan; Lee Woulfe, Seamus Hurley, Aaron Neville; Sean Murphy, Mike McMahon; Todd Donovan, Brian Hurley, Thomas Quilligan; Brian Foley, Iain Corbett (C), Eoin Hurley. SUBS: Ruadhan O’Connor for Seamus Hurley, Mike O’Keeffe for Todd Donovan (both 40 mins); Niall McAuliffe for Brian Foley (45 mins); Darren O’Doherty for Mike McMahon (50 mins).

KILDIMO-PALLASKENRY: Kevin Walsh; Eddie McLoughlin, James Ranahan, Shane O’Sullivan; Cian O’Sullivan, Ethan Browne, Ciaran Barry; Davy Fitzgerald, Cathal Downes; José Azzopardi, Peter Nash, Ciaran McMahon; Seánie Hartigan, Ciaran Galvin, Sean Kavanagh. SUBS: Jack Mullane for Ethan Browne (20mins); Paudie Hartigan for Sean Kavanagh (28mins); Garry Sheehan for Ciaran Galvin (40mins); Cian Arthur for Ciaran McMahon (50 mins).

REFEREE: Jonathan Hayes (St Senans).