Fr Casey's score dramatic late win over Monaleen in Limerick senior football championship

FR CASEY'S secured an invaluable win over Monaleen following an enthralling 0-16 to 0-15 victory in the Irish Wire Products County Senior Football Championship round three clash at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale on Tuesday evening.

With the very last kick of the game, Eliah Riordan held his nerve to slot over a free and clinch the points for the Abbeyfeale men.

Last year’s county finalists are now firmly back in contention for the knockout stages as a result of this win, while Monaleen, who had won their opening two games, remain well-placed to prpgress to the knock-out stages despite the narrow defeat.

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Fr Casey’s got off to the perfect start when Mark McCarthy split the posts inside the opening minute. Conal Ó Duinn soon responded for Monaleen with a composed score four minutes later. Dylan Quirke and Mark Torpey then traded points to leave the sides level at 0-2 apiece by the 10th minute.

Jack Canny almost rattled the net for the Castletroy side when a marauding run ended with his effort cannoning off the upright.

That near-miss seemed to spark Fr Casey’s into life, and the Abbeyfeale men seized momentum with four unanswered points in a dominant spell. Daniel Daly, Rory O’Brien, Ronan Quirke and McCarthy all found the target to push them 0-6 to 0-2 ahead by the quarter-hour mark.

Monaleen, however, responded with real class. Conall Ó Duinn and Tadhg Ó Síochru clipped over neat scores before Alan Nicolas struck a superb effort worth two points to draw the sides level at 0-6 apiece by the 25th minute.

However, Fr Casey's Adrian Enright then kicked a quickfire brace in the final 90 seconds of the half to give the eight-time county champions a two-point cushion at the interval.

The blistering pace continued after the restart as both sides went score for score. Jack Canny reduced the deficit to a single point within a minute of the throw-in, only for Daniel Daly to immediately cancel it out at the other end.

Limerick players Tadhg Ó Síochru and Ó Duinn kept Monaleen ticking while Shane Dolan landed a brace.

Casey’s kept their nose ahead throughout thanks to Daly and Rory O’Brien, leaving the scoreboard finely poised at 0-13 to 0-11 in favour of the Abbeyfeale men with a quarter of an hour to play.

Shane Dolan again cut the gap to the minimum for the city side, but Fr Casey’s looked to have found another gear as Ronan Quirke and Enright pushed them 0-15 to 0-12 clear with six minutes remaining.

Yet the six-time champions showed their trademark resilience. Jack Canny struck a superb two-pointer to drag Monaleen back within touching distance, and Tadhg Ó Síochru’s 59th minute free levelled matters just as the game ticked towards stoppage time.

With the spoils seemingly set to be shared, Casey’s were awarded a free just inside the two-point arc. Up stepped Eliah Riordan, who showed nerves of steel to split the posts with the final kick of the contest and snatch a thrilling win, thus reigniting the Abbeyfeale men’s championship hopes.

SCORERS: Fr Casey's: Ronan Quirke 0-4 (1f), Adrian Enright 0-3, Daniel Daly 0-3, Rory O’Brien 0-2, Mark McCarthy 0-2, Dylan Quirke 0-1, Eliah Riordan 0-1. Monaleen: Shane Dolan 0-3 (1f), Tadgh O'Siochru 0-3 (2f), Conal O'Duinn 0-3, Jack Canny 0-3 (1 2p), Alan Nicolas 0-2 (1 2P), Mark Torpey 0-1.

FR CASEY'S: Shane O’Connell, John Riordan, Fiachra Cotter, Culann Quigley, Michael Kilbridge, Sean Kilbridge, Mark McCarthy, Eliah Riordan, Diarmuid Buckley, Adrian Enright, Daniel Daly, Rory O’Brien, Dylan Quirke, David Ward, Ronan Quirke. SUBS: Danny McCarthy for Dylan Quirke (47 mins), Sam Quigley for John Riordan (49 mins), Martin Scannell for Ronan Quirke (55 mins), Adam Fitzgerald for Rory O’Brien (56mins), Matthew O’Connor for Fiachra Cotter (59 mins)

MONALEEN: Dermot Dineen, Jack Doyle, Ger Clancy, Andrew Kearney, Conal O’Duinn, Darragh Kennedy, Padraig Quinn, Niall Loughran, Steven Kiely, Jack Canny, Tadgh O’Siochru, Robbie Widger, Alan Nicholas, Mark Torpey, Shane Dolan. SUBS: Paul Canny for Robbie Widger (46 mins), Harry McDonald for Mark Torpey (49 mins), Aaron Kennedy for Padraig Quinn (55 mins), Barry Griffin for Alan Nicolas (55 mins).

REFEREE: Kieran Guina (Feohanagh/Castlemahon)