Na Piarsaigh overpower Patrickswell in final group outing of Limerick senior hurling championship

NA PIARSAIGH have beaten Patrickswell 2-26 to 2-14 in round five of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship in Claughaun on Saturday afternoon to book their place into the semi-finals of the championship. 

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This afternoon's clash was a dead rubber given, before a sliotar was pucked, Na Piarsaigh had already booked their place in the semi-finals of this year's Limerick SHC with Patrickswell already suffering relegation into group two of the SHC.  

Those permutations did not stop both teams from giving spectators an entertaining opening half of hurling. 

Limerick star Diarmaid Byrnes opened the scoring after two minutes but his long-range effort was cancelled out by an Adrian Breen goal moments later. 

Points from Peter Casey and Breen again, who was a real livewire throughout, gave Na Piarsaigh a 1-03 to 0-01 foundation after seven minutes. 

Their lead weas strengthened a minute later when Peter Casey rattled the back of Jason Gillane's goal to leave the score at 2-03 to 0-01.

Byrnes kept the scoreboard ticking over for 'The Well' with his second of the day after ten minutes and soon after the game exploded into life. 

The lively Seanie O'Brien set up on onrushing Liam Fitzgerald to bring Patrickswell back into the game, Fitzgerald making no mistake from close range, notching his side's first three-pointer of the day. 

A second goal came for Patrickswell minutes later when, after industrious work from midfielder John Murray, he set up wing-back Evan Fitzgerald to rattle the sliotar into the back of Evan Condon's net. 

This left the score at 2-05 to 2-03 after 15 minutes, Na Piarsaigh holding on to a slender lead. 

Na Piarsaigh began to turn the screw for the remainder of the half. William O'Donoghue, who was busy throughout, kept his side ticking over in the middle of the park. 

A couple of Will Henn frees mixed a few long range effort from wing-back extended Na Piarsaigh's lead as the half drew to a close.

Things went from bad to worse for Patrickswell on the stroke of half-time when wing-forward Thomas O'Brien was given his marching orders by referee Donnacha O'Callaghan after a mistimed challenge. 

Henn put over the resulting free, as he had done with his previous four placed ball attempts in the half, before O'Callaghan sounded for half-time.

Patrickswell went in at the break seven points and a man down, 2-13 to 2-06.

Wayne Kearns opened the scoring for Na Piarsaigh five minutes into the second half as they began to make the extra man advantage count. 

Further points from Breen, who finished with 1-07 and David Lynch put Na Piarsaigh in a really commanding position as the second half reached its halfway point. 

Diarmaid Byrnes kept the scoreboard ticking over for his side, both from placed balls and from play. Further points from Mark Carmody and Evan Fitzgerald gave Patrickswell momentum but Na Piarsaigh were never in trouble. 

Will Henn, Adrian Breen and Wayne Kearns added to their lead as the second half drew to a close. To Patrickswell's credit, they stuck in and never gave up despite the numerical disadvantage. 

In the end, Na Piarsaigh ran out twelve-point winners in a game where they were never really in trouble. It was a professional showing from Shane O'Neill's side who adavnace to the semi-finals of the Limerick SHC. 

SCORERS: Na Piarsaigh: Adrian Breen 1-07, Will Henn 0-09 (0-08f), Peter Casey 1-01, Mike Foley, Wayne Kearns, Dylan Lynch 0-2 each, Emmet McEvoy, Ronan Lynch and Daithí Dempsey 0-1 each. Patrickswell: Diarmaid Byrnes 0-9 (0-6f), Liam Fitzgerald 1-02, Evan Fitzgerald 1-01, Mark Carmody and Hughie Maher 0-1 each. 

NA PIARSAIGH: Evan Condon, Sean Long, Mike Casey, Vince Harrington, Mike Foley, Jerome Boylan, Tommy Grimes, William O'Donoghue, Wayne Kearns, JJ Carey, Peter Casey, Daithí Dempsey, Dylan Lynch, Will Henn, Adrian Breen. 

PATRICKSWELL: Jason Gillane; Kelvin Lynch, Nigel Foley, Eoin Harmon, Diarmaid Byrnes, James Carraig, Evan Fitzgerald, John Murray, Cian Fitzgerald, Jordan Higgins, Liam Fitzgerald, Thomas O'Brien,  Seanie O'Brien, Hughie Maher, Mark Carmody.

REFEREE: Donnacha O'Callaghan