Adare book place in Limerick Senior Hurling Championship quarter-finals after dramatic victory over Newcastle West

ADARE defeated Newcastle West 2-17 to 1-18 in round five of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship in Mick Neville Park on Saturday afternoon to book their place into the quarter-finals of the championship. 

After failing to qualify out of group two last year, Adare have bounced back excellently to secure their place into the knockout stages of the championship. Newcastle West will be frustrated after dominating the majoirty of this contest and they outworked their opponents in the first half. Derry McMahon's side have retained their senior status after earning promotion from premier intermediate last year.

Adare showed tremendous character to keep battling away especially when it looked as if this game was going away from them. In the last five minutes of the second half, Adare outscored Newcastle West 1-4 to 0-2 and ultimately John Fitzgibbon's goal from the penalty proved to be the difference between the sides. Fitzgibbon and Patrick Kearney were in impressive scoring form hitting 1-13 between them for the winners. 

Adare will now play Ahane, Kilmallock or Doon in the Limerick SHC quarter-finals next weekend. 

With the aid of the breeze, the Magpies hit the ground running. Direct deliveries into their inside forward line paid dividends as Eoin Hurley, Mike McMahon, Ethan Hurley, Bryan Nix, and Con Hayes all found the target. By the tenth minute, they led 0-6 to 0-1, and with Brian Hurley, Con Hayes, and goalkeeper Mike Quilligan adding further scores, Newcastle West stretched their advantage to 0-10 to 0-2 on 23 minutes. 

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Adare were struggling to break down the Newcastle West defence until Patrick Kearney stopped an 11-minute scoring drought. The introduction of veteran Willie Griffin added energy, but Newcastle West struck for the game’s opening goal just before the break when Ethan Hurley’s long delivery carried into the net. Two late frees from Kearney reduced the damage, yet Newcastle West still held a 1-10 to 0-6 half-time cushion, despite racking up eight wides.

Substitute Brendan O’Connor ignited Adare’s revival straight after the restart, finishing clinically to the net. Patrick Kearney and David O’Mahony quickly added points to cut the deficit to one. Newcastle West responded through McMahon and Hayes, but Adare kept in touch, Kearney continuing to punish fouls from placed balls as he racked up  his seventh points in total.

Mike McMahon and Con Hayes gave Newcastle West some breathing space as the Magpies were now three to the good. Adare managed to make it a one point game once again when Patrick Kearney added two more placed balls and the former Limerick minor hurler now had 0-7 to his name. 

Frees courtesy of Mike Quilligan and Cathal Hayes began to settle things down for Newcastle West. The lively Con Hayes who was part of the Limerick senior hurling pre-season squad and Hayes was one of the standout performers in Mick Neville Park and he had now landed his fourth point from play. On 55 minutes, Con Hayes' fifth point sent Newcastle West 1-17 to 1-14 ahead. On 54 minutes, Adare were awarded a penalty after Brendan O'Connor was fouled inside the small square and John Fitzgibbon's strike went over the bar from the penalty spot.

Mark Foley's side committed bodies forward and they threw the kitchen sink at their oppenents. Adare were then rewarded for their efforts. Late on, Limerick senior hurler Declan Hannon was forced off through injury. 

After failing to convert an earlier penalty, John Fitzgibbon expertly fired the sliotar to the net, only for his effort to be controversially ruled out when referee John O’Halloran deemed goalkeeper Mike Quilligan had been fouled in the build-up. Newcastle West then appeared to have sealed victory as Mike Dee pushed them 1-18 to 1-16 ahead deep into injury time.

But Adare weren’t finished. Jody Hannon clipped over an inspirational point before a late high ball caused havoc in the Newcastle West square. Brendan O’Connor was fouled, and this time Fitzgibbon made no mistake from the penalty, burying his shot to secure a dramatic two-point win for Adare.

The victory, combined with Mungret St Paul’s win over Dromin-Athlacca, guarantees Adare’s place in the last eight. Newcastle West, meanwhile, are left to reflect on a game that slipped through their fingers.

SCORERS: 

NEWCASTLE WEST: Ethan Hurley 1-0, Eoin Hurley 0-2, Con Hayes 0-5, Cathal Hayes (0-3, 0-3 frees), Mike Quilligan (0-2, 0-2 frees), Mike McMahon 0-2, Brian Hurley, Mike Dee and Bryan Nix 0-1 each

ADARE: Brendan O'Connor 1-0, John Fitzgibbon (1-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 penalty), Patrick Kearney (0-8, 0-7 frees), David O'Mahoney, Sam Hickey, Jody Hannon and Declan Hannon 0-1 each

ADARE: Shane O’Donoghue, David Connolly, Joe Sweeney, Mike Keane, John MacSweeney, Ronan Connolly, John Fitzgibbon, Jody Hannon, David O’Mahoney, Declan Hannon, Sam Hickey, Daragh Gleeson, Patrick Kearney, Sean Connolly, Mark Connolly.

SUBS: Willie Griffin for Mark Connolly (25 minutes, injury),  Brendan O'Connor for Sean Connolly (30 minutes), Wayne McNamara for Gleeson (48 minutes), Conor Ryan for Hannon (53 minutes, injury). 

NEWCASTLE WEST: Mike Quilligan; Evan Sheehan, Seamus Hurley, Aaron Neville; Michael Cremin, Ethan Hurley, Diarmuid Lyons; Ruadhan O'Connor, Brian Hurley; Bryan Nix, Con Hayes, Eoin Hurley; Cathal Hayes, Mike McMahon, Mike Dee. 

REFEREE: John O'Halloran (Bruree).