Kildimo-Pallaskenry secure precious win over St Kieran's in Limerick senior football championship

KILDIMO-PALLASKENRY secured a crucial second win in the group phase of this year’s Irish Wire Products Limerick senior football championship after cruising to a 2-14 to 0-10 victory over St Kierans on a warm autumnal Saturday in Askeaton.

The result secures Kildimo-Pallaskenry's plaace in senior football ranks for next season, while the side is also in the running to make the quarter-finals of the championship, currently sitting in fourth-placed in Group 2, one place behind third-placed St Kieran's who remain well-placed to reach the knock-out stages ahead of the final series of group games. 

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Shane Fitzgerald went on a roaming run forward from his full back posting to open the scoring for St. Kieran’s after two minutes of play of Saturday's game. Eoin McEnery then cut in off the left to double his side’s lead two minutes later.

Paudi Hartigan hit a lovely shot off his left to get Kildimo-Pallaskenry on the scoreboard for the first time. After a few stagnant periods of possession from both sides, Peter Nash brought the sides level in the 13th minute.

Cathal Downes then burst through the core of the St Kieran’s defence to split the posts and give his side the lead for the first time. Nash then chipped over a free before Mike Shanahan’s shot slapped off the right side of the upright to squeeze over.

Seanie Hartigan displayed some quick feet to evade pressure before hitting a nice effort from the outside of his right boot.

Nash then hand-passed an instinctive ball over his left shoulder which sent Downes blazing towards the St. Kieran’s goal. Despite three men chasing him, Downes dispatched his effort into the bottom left corner of the net.

Tony McCarthy stretched the lead to six points after 26 minutes before Downes was granted the freedom of Askeaton to land a two point effort.

Adam Lacey salvaged a vital score for St. Kieran’s to close out the opening half as Kildimo-Pallaskenry led 1-8 to 0-4 at the change of ends. 

A brace of exquisite two-point frees from the right boot of John Hayes trimmed the deficit back to just three points in the early stages of the second half. Jose Azzopardi responded for Kildimo-Pallaskenry before Nash popped over his second free of the afternoon.

A pair of forced turnovers in the St. Kieran’s half yielded two scores from Downes and Seanie Hartigan. Kildimo-Pallaskenry began to assert their dominance in the tie, dragging the St Kieran’s defence apart which was evident through a brilliant score from Paudie Hartigan on 48 minutes.

Nash then bolted through the middle to slot over. Two minutes later Nash received an expert foot pass from Downes, eventually finding himself in the St Kieran’s penalty area before keeping his cool to slot home a game clinching goal.

With a result way beyond reach, John Hayes tapped over two frees in the closing minutes. However, it was Kildimo-
Pallaskenry who claimed the vital two points on offer on a final scoreline of 2-14 to 0-10.

SCORERS: Kildimo-Pallaskenry: Peter Nash (0-2 frees), Cathal Downes (0-1 2pt) 1-4 each, Seanie Hartigan, Paudi Hartigan 0-2 each, Jose Azzopardi, Tony McCarthy 0-1 each. St Kieran’s: John Hayes 0-6 (0-2 2pt frees, 0-2 frees), Shane Fitzgerald, Mike Shanahan, Eoin McEnery, Adam Lacey 0-1 each.

KILDIMO-PALLASKENRY: Evan Cosidine, Eddie McLoughlin, Jack Mullane, Cian O’Sullivan, Davy Fitzgerald, Tony McCarthy, Jose Azzopardi, Ciaran Barry, Cathal Downes, Ciaran McMahon, Peter Nash, Seanie Hartigan, Ciaran Galvin, Ryan Kelly, Paudi Hartigan. Subs: Shane O’Sullivan for Ciaran Barry (44 mins), Gary Sheehan for Ciaran Galvin (46 mins), Ross Allen for Ryan Kelly (54 mins), Ethan Browne for Jose Azzopardi, Cian Arthur for Ciaran McMahon (57 mins).

ST KIERAN'S: Donie Nolan, Aaron Heffernan, Shane Fitzgerald, Mike Shanahan, Mikey Long, Brendan McCarthy, Lorcan Murphy, Darragh Treacy, Liam Kennedy, Adam Lacey, John Hayes, Sean Ryan, Eoin McEnery, Conor McMahon, Kevin Meade.
Subs: Seamus Mangan for Conor McMahon (HT), Dylan Moloney for Adam Lacey (44 mins), Anthony Mullins for Shane Fitzgerald (49 mins), Jack O’Sullivan for Kevin Meade (51 mins), Cormac Mann for Mikey Long (54 mins).

REFEREE: Alan Kehoe (ABK Desmonds).