Mungret St Paul's repel Monaleen comeback to book Limerick senior football semi-final spot

MUNGRET St Paul’s prevailed 1-12 to 1-10 in the most testing conditions, to secure their place in the Irish Wire Products Limerick senior football championship semi-finals, after an enthralling clash with cross-city rivals, Monaleen at Clarina on Sunday afternoon.

Played in persistent drizzle, and with a strong breeze blowing straight down the Clarina pitch, this contest could have been ruined by the conditions. Instead, a contest that hardly relented with a late saved penalty, as well as a couple of misses from Monaleen scuppering their hopes of coming from nine points down to win.

The contest finished with Mungret St Paul's having just twelve men on the field, with Jack McCarthy, Jack Somers and Ciaran Uwatse all receiving black cards for contributing to a melee, while Monaleen lost Darragh Kennedy in the same skirmish.

READ NEXT: Tenacious Newcastle West power past Inagh-Kilnamona in Munster senior club camogie championship

However, they held on, with Ronan McElligott’s penalty save from fellow Limerick panellist, Conal Ó Duinn, before Monaleen did hit the net a minute later, through Jack Canny.

However, they couldn’t find another score, and Mungret St Paul’s won a first Limerick SFC knockout game for more than twenty years.

Wind assisted, Mungret forged 1-7 to 0-2 ahead by half-time with Killian Ryan breaking the stalemate with a fourteenth minute goal, after a neat necklace of handpasses, with Brendan Giltenane supplying the final pass, close to goal.

Tadhg Ó Siochrú picked off the opening Monaleen score, via a 13m free, but they were struggling to score into such a strong breeze.

Scores from Diarmaid Hynes, a monster two-pointer, another from Darragh O’Hagan and a Giltenane free opened daylight. Ryan finished off after Jason Hassett’s run while Frank Corcoran curled over off his left. By half-time, Donnacha Ó Dalaigh was the other scorer for Eddie Cosgrave, who handpassed over.

The drama was only beginning in the second half, with Mungret pulling another point clear thanks to Shane Barry.

Ó Duinn, Tadhg Ó Siochru and then a monster Ó Dálaigh two-pointer gave Monaleen belief. They were within a goal, when Darragh Ó Síochru landed an orange flag, on 41 minutes.

However, three scores from Mungret showed how defiant they were in pursuit of the last four. Barry, with a score from play and a free, scored either side of O’Hagan.

There was time for more, Limerick hurler Ó Dálaigh kicked another double, before the penalty drama and the black-card scenario unfolded. Crucially, in stoppage time, sub Liam Harrington kicked a score, before Canny’s low finish set up a grand stand finish.

But two wides, both from Ó Dálaigh, as well as a few other wasted openings, meant it was another season of ‘what-ifs’ for Monaleen.

Champions Adare are next for Mungret St. Paul’s, bidding for a first senior final since 2001.

SCORERS: Mungret St Pauls: Killian Ryan 1-1; Shane Barry 0-3 (2f); Darragh O’Hagan 0-3 (1 2p); Diarmaid Hynes 0-2 (2p); Brendan Giltenane 0-1 (free); Frank Corcoran 0-1; Liam Harrington 0-1. Monaleen: Donnacha Ó Dálaigh 0-5 (2 2tp); Darragh Ó Siochru 0-2 (tp); Tadhg Ó Siochru 0-2 (2f); Conal Ó Duinn 0-1.

MUNGRET ST PAUL'S: Ronan McElligott; Jason Hassett, Robert Hegarty, Ciaran Uwatse; Frank Corcoran, Oisin Moss, James Garvey; Killian Ryan, Darragh O’Hagan; Diarmaid Hynes, Darragh O’Sullivan, Jack McCarthy; Shane Barry, John Hutton, Brendan Giltenane. Subs: Jack Somers for K Ryan (inj - half-time); Darragh Bridgeman for Hynes (inj – 33 minutes); Liam Harrington for Corcoran (60 minutes) Conor Ó Longaigh for Garvey (63 minutes).

MONALEEN: Dermott Dineen; Conor Carew, Ger Clancy, Andrew Kearney; Peter Hempenstall, Darragh Kennedy, Luke Murphy; Niall Loughran, Steven Kiely; Conal Ó Duinn, Tadhg Ó Síochru, Darragh Ó Síochru; Alan Nicholas, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Jack Canny. Subs: Jack Doyle for Clancy (inj 22 minutes); Lorcan Lyons for Hempenstall (37 minutes); Paul Canny for Murphy (46 minutes).

REFEREE: Timmy McGrath (Oola)