Paddy O'Donovan leads way as Effin ease past South Liberties in Limerick premier intermediate championship

“A SHAKY start to the second half but that second goal got us back moving again. That's two wins in a row, a great recovery after dropping three points in the first rounds so you'd have to be very happy with this performance.”

After watching his side move into the top half of the Lyons of Limerick Premier intermediate hurling qualifying table, Effin manager Adrian Barrett was saluting their resilience as they outlasted South Liberties to emerge comfortable 2-22 to 1-18 winners in their fourth round clash in Bruff on Friday evening.

There wasn't a huge amount separating the sides in a contest that saw twenty-six scores come from placed balls but, once the winners grabbed their first goal coming up to the quarter mark, they were always dictating the pace thereafter.

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Although they were pegged back by 'Liberties' finding the net after the break, Effin never allowed themselves to be overtaken and, once they re-established control in the middle third, they were able to spray the ball forward and draw enough fouls to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

This defeat, their third out of four, not only leaves 'Liberties' depending on other results to keep their hopes alive of returning to senior ranks at the first attempt, but has also left them stuck in a battle to avoid a possible second successive relegation.

Once again their finishing came back to haunt them and they just hadn't enough scoring options to take advantage of those periods when they more than held their own around the middle.

Effin burst out of the traps for Fergal O'Connor and Cillian O'Riordan to shoot them into the lead with points, before Liberties first foray into enemey territory drew a foul for Ken Byrnes to punish. After Paddy O'Donovan answered with a pointed free, Byrnes outdid him by sending over two at the other end to tie up the scores.

However, the Garrienderk club were getting the upper hand in the middle third, creating the openings for an O'Riordan point and then drove home their dominance when the prolific O'Donovan scorched in from the right and laid off to Ruairí O'Connor to drill to the net.

Still depending on getting the ball quickly into their inside forwards, the Knockea side pulled another foul for Byrnes to punish before O'Donovan's free and O'Connor's point extended the margin to five coming up to the quarter mark.

However, with Barry Nash now imposing himself in the middle, 'Souths' edged back through another Byrnes free and Brian Garry getting their first score from play.

After Ewan Dillon replied with a score, a huge Byrnes pointed free and further score from Nash edged them even closer.

However, these scores were answered by O'Donovan's pointed free and one from Nickie Quaid before another O'Donovan free cancelled out Nash's score from a tight angle to leave Effin leading 1-10 to 0-9 at the break.

Liberties made an instant mark on the second half when Byrnes ran onto Shane Brosnahan's delivery on the edge of the square and picked his spot beyond the reach of Ryan O'Neill's despairing hurley.

However, with parity seemingly just within sight, Liberties were caught for two fouls at the back which O'Donovan punished and were fortunate to see Fergal O'Connor's rasper come back off the crossbar before Conor Kearney's pull on the rebound flashed just over for a point.

Making most of their escape and getting the sliotar quickly out from their own half, they had the margin back again to the minumum with points from Garry, John Hickey and Nash as their opponents sent three attempts at a reply wide.

However, the gap moved out again when Effin rediscovered their range through Enda Kelly's point from play and O'Donovan from a free.

After Byrnes and O'Donovan traded points, Nash's majestic sideline cut sailing between the posts raised the volume of the Liberties' supporters going into the final quarter .

However, just two minutes later, they were silenced when O'Donovan raced through the challenges along end line and laid off for O'Riordan to belt home Effin's second goal.

Back to square one despite all their efforts, South Liberties reserves of energy were dwindling, drawing two fouls which O'Donovan punished.

Byrnes and O'Donovan twice swapped frees. Soon after another Byrnes pointed free was followed by Nash's long range point, with the scores being matched by O'Donovan sending over the final two frees of the hour.

SCORERS: EFFIN: Paddy O'Donovan 0-13 (13 frees), Cillian O;Riordan 1-2, Ruairí O'Connor 1-1, Ewan Dillon 0-2, Fergal O'Connor, Enda Kelly, Nickie Quaid, Conor Kearney 0-1 each; SOUTH LIBERTIES: Ken Byrnes 1-10 (0-10 frees), Barry Nash 0-5 (1 sideline cut, 1 free), Brian Garry 0-2, John Hickey 0-1.

EFFIN: Ryan O'Neill; Robert Cagney, Alan Byrne, Mark Mullins; Aaron Moffat Nickie Quaid, Seán Canning; Cillian O'Riordan, Fergal O'Connor; Brian Clifford, Paddy O'Donovan, Ewan Dillon; Tommy Quaid, Conor Kearney,Ruairí O'Connor. SUBS: Enda Kelly for Brian Clifford (40 minutes), Frankie Herr for Ruairí O'Connor (47 minutes).

SOUTH LIBERTIES: Ben Garry; Tony Carroll, Eoin Quilty, Alex Keyes; Shane Kilcoyne, Eoghan Godfrey, Brendan Aherne; Barry Nash, John Hickey; Seán Holland, David Garry, Shane Brosnahan; Shane O'Neill, Brian Garry, Ken Byrnes. SUBS: Ben O'Donoghue for Eoin Quilty (36 minutes), Ben Compton for Shane O'Neill (47 minutes), Enda Meaney for Tony Carroll (50 minutes), Darragh Godfrey for Shane Brosnahan (54 minutes).

REFEREE: Jonathan Hayes (St Senan's).