Mungret St Paul's ease past St Kieran's as both sides reach Limerick senior football quarter-finals

MUNGRET-ST PAUL'S secured their place in the Irish Wire Products County Senior Football Championship quarter-finals with a comfortable 3-12 to 0-7 win over St Kierans in a one-sided affair in near-perfect conditions in Askeaton on Saturday afternoon.

Joining them in the knock-out stages will be opponents St Kieran's, however, who despite the heavy defeat, later qualified for the quarter-finals after Galtee Gaels defeated Kildimo-Pallaskenry in their delayed final group stage game in Hospital.

After a slow and nervy start from both sides, which saw Mungret St Pauls notch the game’s first score in the 13th minute, Kevin O’Hagan’s charges took a stronghold in the second quarter to take a comfortable 12-point lead – 3-5 to 0-2 – into the half time break.

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The city side extended their lead by two points in the second to run out easy 14-point winners.

Mungret’s goals all came in the 15 minutes before the interval with a well-taken Brendan Giltenane penalty midway through the opening half setting the men in red and white on their way. Goals by Shane Barry and James Killian in the 26th and 30th minute respectively ensured a mountain to climb for St Kierans going into the second half.

The game started slow with solid defending and patient build up play from both sides ensuring the scoreboard remained untouched until two minutes shy of midway through the opening half hour.

Mungret St Pauls should have opened the scoring with eight minutes gone on the clock, but Brendan Giltenane could only watch on as his curling effort hit the post after a superb ball in the St Kierans’ defence behind by Darragh O’Sullivan caused all sort of trouble – a sign of things to come.

O’Hagan’s men had the majority of the ball at this stage and with the men from Coolcappagh on the backfoot, Mungret had scored 1-4 without response before St Kierans’ got off the marker thanks to an Adam Lacey free five minutes before half time.

The result looked like it was only going one way after a three minute spell of total domination from Mungret, which saw a Giltenane penalty, after Shane Barry was brought down in front of goal, and points from Barry and Killian Ryan, put daylight between the two sides.

Just as it looked like St Kierans would mount a comeback – after Lacey’s 25th minute free and a Daly handpassed point moments later – Mungret completely put the result beyond doubt with two late first half goals – the first from Shane Barry three minutes before the break, before a superb James Killian goal put 12 between the sides with the last kick of the opening half.

With Limerick manager Jimmy Lee keeping a watchful eye on proceedings, Darragh O’Sullivan’s impressed yet again. His vision created Mungret’s third goal as a superb defence-splitting pass found John Hutton in space before the team captain set up Killian in front of goal.

Mungret started the second half with intent with Hutton (free), O’Sullivan, and substitutes Darragh Bridgeman and Jack Somers, Liam Harrington putting 16 between the sides midway through the final half hour.

A late John Hayes two-pointer – a wonderful outside of the boot effort – was too little too late for St Kierans who finished the game with 14 men after Kevin Meade saw red after two late yellow cards.

SCORERS: Mungret St Pauls: James Killian, Brendan Giltenane (penalty), Shane Barry 1-1 each, James Hutton (2f), Darragh Bridgeman 0-2 each, Killian Ryan, Tom Lloyd, Liam Harrington, Jack Somers, Darragh O’Sullivan 0-1 each. St Kierans: Alan Daly (1f), John Hayes (2p) 0-2 each, Darragh Treacy, Adam Lacey (free), Kevin Meade 0-1 each.

MUNGRET ST PAULS: Ronan McElligott; Jason Hassett, Robert Hegarty, Ciaran Uwatse; James Garvey, Oisin Moss, Tom Lloyd: Killian Ryan, Jack McCarthy; Diarmaid Hynes, Darragh O'Sullivan, James Killian; Shane Barry, John Hutton (capt.), Brendan Giltenane. Subs: Frank Corcoran for Hegarty, Darragh Bridgeman for Lloyd, Jack Somers for McCarthy, Liam Harrington for Hynes (all 35 mins), Conor O’ Longaigh for Uwatse (48 mins), Tom Llyod for O’Sullivan (50 mins, head injury substitute).

ST KIERAN'S: Donie Nolan; Mossie Shine, Shane Fitzgerald, Mike Shanahan; Mikey Long, Brendan McCarthy, Sean Long; Darragh Treacy (Capt), Liam Kennedy; Adam Lacey, John Hayes, Sean Ryan; Alan Daly, Eoin McEnery, Kevin Meade. Subs: Jack O’Sullivan for Lacey (25 mins), Seamus Mangan for Ryan, Aaron Heffernan for Shanahan (both half-time), Anthony Mullins for Sean Long (35 mins), Conor McMahon for Mikey Long (42 mins).

REFEREE: Kieran Guina (Feohanagh/Castlemahon)