Monaleen hit form to earn Limerick SHC win over South Liberties

MONALEEN earned their first win of the 2023 Bons Secours Hospital Limerick SHC by seeing off South Liberties on a 2-24 to 0-14 scoreline at Caherconlish.

Limerick panelist Donnacha Ó Dálaigh was a constant thorn in the Liberties side and finished the game with 0-6 from play, while Lorcan Lyons dominated from centre back.

Luke Murphy and Mark Field scored a goal in either half for the city side that were well worthy of the victory.

Monaleen raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead with eight minutes on the clock thanks to scores from Joe Fitzgerald, Ó Dálaigh, Lochlann McHale and two from La Touche Cosgrave.

Tom Ryan, Barry Cooney and Barry Nash efforts got Liberties back into the game and there was just two between the sides when Monaleen nabbed the first goal on 22 minutes.

Murphy caught Jamie Power's long puck out and created a bit of space before firing in a low shot passed the reach of Liberties keeper Paul Butler.

Monaleen kicked on from there to earn a 1-12 to 0-8 half time advantage.

La Touche Cosgrave, Eoghan O'Driscoll and Ó Dálaigh got the first three scores of the second half for Monaleen with Nash responding for Liberties.

Cooney and Brian Garry then pointed for Brian Foley's charges to reduced the gap to seven but Monaleen always had another kick in them when Liberties put on pressure.

Lochlann McHale, two from Fitzgerald and a Lorcan Lyons long range effort kept the pressure and a second goal courtesy of Field saw the score at 2-20 to 0-13 with 54 minutes on the clock.

Ó Dálaigh, Ben Crowe, Murphy and Fitzgerald finished the scoring off in the closing stages to see Monaleen home to an emphatic 16-point winning margin.  

Scorers - Monaleen: Donnacha Ó Dálaigh and Andrew La Touche Cosgrave (0-4 frees) 0-6 each, Joe Fitzgerald 0-5 (0-3 frees), Luke Murphy 1-1, Mark Field 1-0, Lochlann McHale 0-3, Eoghan O'Driscoll, Lorcan Lyons and Ben Crowe 0-1 each.

Scorers - South Liberties: Barry Cooney 0-8 (0-7 frees), Barry Nash 0-2 (0-2 frees), Tom Ryan (0-1 s/l), David Garry, Brian Garry and Roan O'Mahony 0-1 each.

MONALEEN: Jamie Power, Simon Griffin, Bryan Canny, Ronan Lyons; Darragh Langan, Lorcan Lyons, Leo Morrison; Joe Fitzgerald, Lochlann McHale; Dan Power, David Moloney, Eoghan O'Driscoll; Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Andrew La Touche Cosgrave, Luke Murphy; Subs: Mark Field for Moloney (42 mins), Ben Crowe for La Touche Cosgrave (48 mins), Mark O'Dwyer for Ó Dálaigh (59 mins).

SOUTH LIBERTIES: Paul Butler; Ben O'Donoghue, Eoin Quility, Enda Meaney; David Garry, Barry Nash, John Hickey; Shane Brosnahan, Shane Kilcoyne; Darragh Godfrey, Barry Cooney, Jack Fitzpatrick; Tom Ryan, Brian Garry, Ken Byrnes; Subs: Matthew Gaule for Meaney (31 mins, inj), Brendan McSweeney for Brosnahan (38 mins), Ben Compton for Fitzpatrick (43 mins), Barry Walsh for Godfrey (52 mins), Roan O'Mahony for Byrnes (52 mins).

REFEREE: David Deady (Bruree)