Kilmallock edge past Mungret St Paul's in Limerick Senior Hurling Championship

KILLMALLOCK recorded their first win of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship after they defeated Mungret St Paul's by one point in Bruff on Friday evening.

Shane O'Brien was superb for the victors, the Mary I student scored 1-5 from the full forward line. Pierce Connery and Micheal Houlihan were other performers that stood out for Kilmallock. Patrick Begley and Brian Barry were immense in the Mungret St Paul's half back line.

It was an enthralling contest and the game ebbed and flowed throughout the 60 minutes. 

Kilmallock raced into a six point lead after seven minutes. Their first score came after one minute when Graeme Mulcahy and Phelim O'Reilly set up Limerick senior hurler Shane O'Brien for a goal and O'Brien rattled the sliotar into the back of the net. 

Three further points from Shane O'Brien and Micheal Houlihan had Kilmallock in a strong position.

Mungret St Paul's regrouped and began to get into their flow when Brian Begley landed a score from distance which was followed up with by a neat finish from Fintan Fitzgerald and three further placed balls from Paul O'Brien had them trailing by the minimium after 18 minutes. 

Kerry hurler Niall Mulcahy levelled matters on 18 minutes making it 1-3 to 0-6.

Kevin O'Donnell and Brian Barry traded scores to have the sides level for the second time. Graeme Mulcahy, Shane O'Brien and Pierce Connery were all on target to push Kilmallock 1-7 to 0-7 ahead on 23 minutes. 

Soon after that, Micheal Houlihan and Paul O'Brien swapped frees in a three minute period. 

Paul O'Brien was proving accurate from the placed ball and O'Brien had last year's winners of Group Two in the Senior Hurling Championship trailing 1-9 to 0-11 at the break. 

Straight after the interval, Mungret St Pauls midfielder Barry Duff had the sides back on level terms. On 36 minutes, Shane O'Brien put Kilmallock 1-10 to 0-12 ahead.

Brian Begley's side went into the lead for the first time when Cian O'Halloran played a fantastic pass across to Niall Mulcahy and Mulcahy cooly slotted the sliotar past Barry Hennessy to have the City based side leading 1-13 to 1-11. 

The 2021 county champions showed great composure, Graeme Mulcahy, Shane O'Brien, Pierce Connery and Phelim O'Reilly put them back into the lead. 

O'Brien responded through another placed ball to narrow the gap to one point on 43 minutes. Limerick senior hurler Oisin O'Reilly and Pierce Connery extended Kilmallock's lead back out to three points on the third quarter mark. 

O'Brien was keeeping Mungret St Paul's within touching distance but that was quickly followed up by a fantastic effort from the lively Kilmallock wing forward Pierce Connery from a difficult angle. 

A great down run down the centre from Fintan Fitzgerald, another free from Paul O'Brien and a long range point from substitute Darragh O'Hagan had the sides level once again on 58 minutes. 

It was anyone's game but Limerick teammates Shane O'Brien and Oisin O'Reilly sealed a narrow one point victory for Peter Queally's side. 

Paul O'Brien did hit back late on but Mungret St Paul's could never force a draw in the end. 

It was a much needed win for Kilmallock and the South Limerick side will look to build on this, while it has been heartbreak for Mungret St Paul's to lose two games in two weeks by one point. 

SCORERS: 

KILMALLOCK: Shane O'Brien 1-5, Micheal Houlihan 0-4 (0-2 frees), Pierce Connery 0-4, Phelim O'Reilly and Graeme Mulcahy and Oisin O'Reilly 0-2 each Kevin O'Donnell 0-1.

MUNGRET ST PAUL'S: Paul O'Brien (0-11, 0-10 frees), Niall Mulcahy 1-1, Fintan Fitzgerald 0-3,  Brian Barry, 0-2 each Barry Duff and Darragh O'Hagan 0-1 each

KILMALLOCK: Barry Hennessy (Captain), Cillian Hayes, Stephen Quirke, Liam English, Paddy O'Loughlin, Kevin O'Donnell, Aaron Costello, David Woulfe, Conor Staunton, Pierce Connery, Phelim O'Reilly, Oisin O'Reilly, Shane O'Brien, Micheal Houlihan, Graeme Mulcahy.

SUBS: Gavin O'Mahony for Quirke (Half-Time), Conor Hanley Clarke for Woulfe (56 minutes), Robbie Egan for Connery (58 minutes). 

MUNGRET ST PAUL'S: Conor O'Brien, Billy Molyneaux, Matt O'Sullivan, Liam Harrington, Brian Barry, Patrick Begley (Captain), Eoin O'Doherty, Barry Duff, Rory Duff, Shane Barry, Fintan Fitzgerald, Brian O'Meara, Conor O'Halloran, Niall Mulcahy, Paul O'Brien. 

SUBS: Liam Lynch for O'Doherty (36 minutes), Sean Duff for Shane Barry (40 minutes), Jack McCarthy for Harrington (51 minutes), Darragh O'Hagan for Rory Duff (56 minutes). 

REFEREE: Donnacha O'Callaghan (Feohanagh)