Patrickswell and evergreen Barry Foley win Limerick junior hurling league final against Tournafulla

PATRICKSWELL defeated Tournafulla 1-15 to 0-16 in the Limerick Junior A Hurling League Final this Saturday evening.

In a game that was level eight times, including at half-time, a late surge of scores drew the City Division club level and then into the lead to win the competition for the first time since 1999.

With eighteen of the scores coming from placed balls, the fortunes of the game rested for long periods on the free-taking of Eoin Harmon for the winners and of Eoin Collins and Anthony Harnett for the losers but it was decided in the end by the Well claiming the only goal of the hour with their first score and then Cian Gorman picking off three points from play in the final quarter as his side made their burst for the line.

Also helping them out in a contest that looked like heading for extra time with the thickening mist reducing the mid-summer visibility was the experience of Barry Foley helping their evergreen defence see out Tour's injury-time efforts to bounce back. Foley, who played in the 1996 All-Ireland SHC final with Limerick against Wexford, has lined out with his club's junior side in recent seasons. Foley won seven Limerick SHC titles across an adult club career which started in 1993.

Tour exploded out of the traps as Michael Collins and Jamie Dore put them two ahead within 30-seconds of the throw-in but they were immediately pulled back after The Well's first attack when Kieran Long ran onto Shane Hannon's pass to drill to the corner of Liam Keogh's net.

However, the Sliabh Luachra side continued to dominate the early minutes as Collins equalised and, after Harmon converting a free in reply, Collins pointed again and was followed by a monster Harnett free from deep in his own half just after Adam Carrig had denied his whip on goal.

Another Hannon free tied up the scores again before Collins struck twice from placed balls and Tour remained two ahead as Collins's sideline cut answered Harmon's free. However another pair of fouls punished by Harmon had the sides level and, after Keogh blocked Long's attempt at bagging a second goal, there was nothing to separate them at the break as Dore and Tom McCarthy were both answered in turn by Gorman to leave the score at 0-10 to 1-7.

The Well had the livelier restart, drawing two quick frees or Harmon to convert before Tour rediscovered their shape and, by the three-quarter mark, had regained their advantage through a trio of Collins frees. After Gorman's equaliser, they had a chance to had the chance of the breakthrough but Tom Nolan stopped Dore's effort on the line and, even though Collins sent over the resulting '65', the City Division side finding that extra dart of energy going into the home straight and regained the lead through Gorman and Harmon's free.

A last show of defiance drew two long frees for Harnett to put Tour ahead for the last time but, by this stage, their tank was draining, the Well kept up the effort, Harmon equalised off a free before Hannon left them leading going into the three added minutes during which a last gasp Tour effort was held at bay by a wall of experience and, when the limes were eventually the clearance drew a quickly-taken free for Gorman to collect off and close the scoring.

SCORERS: PATRICKSWELL: Eoin Harmon 0-9 (8 frees), Cian Gorman 0-5, Kieran Long 1-0, Shane Hannon 0-1. TOURNAFULLA: Eoin Collins 0-9 (5 frees, 1 sideline cut, 1 '65'), Anthony Harnett 0-3 (3 frees), Jamie Dore 0-2, Michael Collins and Tom McCarthy 0-1 each.

PATRICKSWELL: Adam Carrig; Tom Nolan, Barry Foley, Ian Kelleher; Calvin Carroll, James Carrig, Barry Carey; Eoin Harmon, Nigel Foley; Josh Carey, Gavin Carey, Kieran Long; Seanie O'Brien, Cian Gorman, Shane Hannon. SUBS: Johnny McMahon for Seanie O'Brien (injured, 20 minutes), Liam Fitzgerald for Kieran Long (48 minutes), Billy Earls for Gavin Carey (60 minutes).

TOURNAFULLA: Liam Keogh; Mikey Finnegan, Jamie Lenihan, Zac Ryan; John Curtin, Eoin Moroney, Jack Sheahan; Aryn Foley, Eoin McMahon; Tom McCarthy, James Brouder, Jamie Dore; Eoin Collins, Anthony Harnett, Michael Collins. SUBS: Mikey Mahony for John Curtin, injured (20 minutes), Conor Flynn for Aryn Foley (41 minutes), Jeremiah Moroney for Zac Ryan (51 minutes), Jamie Mahony for Michael Collins (61 minutes).

REFEREE: TG Ryan (Blackrock).