Shane O’Brien inspires Kilmallock past Monaleen after extra-time thriller in Limerick Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final

KILMALLOCK booked their place in the semi-finals of this year's Whitebox Propertly Developments Ltd Limerick senior hurling championship after recording a dramatic 2-27 to 0-30 extra-time quarter-final victory over Monaleen at Bruff on Sunday evening.

Kilmallock battled to a hard-earned three-point win over Monaleen in the south Limerick venue on Sunday, showing great resolve despite the absence of Micheál Houlihan, Gearóid Enright, and Graeme Mulcahy. Limerick senior hurler Shane O’Brien, who hit 2-13, proved the decisive figure in driving Kilmallock over the line. Monaleen were aiming to book to reach the Limerick semi-finals for the very first time but the group two winners just came up short. 

It took 80 minutes to seperate the sides and in the end Shane O'Brien's goal in extra time proved to be the difference between the sides. The sides had been deadlocked 1-21 to 0-24 at the end of normal time.

Kilmallock's reward for their nail-biting victory is a semi-final showdown with Na Piarsaigh on the weekend of October 4/5 in what is a repeat of last year's county semi-final. James Hickey's now advance into the semi-final of the SHC for the fourteenth year in-a-row. 

A Shane O'Brien goal just before half-time in normal time proved a significant score as it brought Kilmallock to within two points of their opponents at the break. Monaleen, who had been the better side for much of the opening period led 0-12 to 1-7 at the end of the opening half. The city side had led by 0-11 to 0-5 after 27 minutes.

Monaleen made a sharp start with two placed balls from Lorcan Lyons and a point by captain Luke Murphy, but Shane O’Brien replied with three scores for Kilmallock before Limerick U20 hurler Matthew Fitzgerald struck two close-range frees to edge Eoin Brislane’s side 0-5 to 0-3 in front by the end of the opening quarter.

Joe Fitzgerald and Lorcan Lyons added points to give Monaleen a four-point cushion, but Shane O’Brien and Robbie Hanley responded for Kilmallock before further scores from Lyons and Darragh Langan pushed Monaleen six points ahead.

However Kilmallock sharpshooter Shane O’Brien cut in along the endline and fired his shot past Monaleen goalkeeper Jamie Power to leave it 0-12 to 1-7 at half-time.

Shane O’Brien and Joe Fitzgerald exchanged early second-half scores before O’Brien, dominant on the edge of the square, narrowed the gap to one, Dara Ferland restored a two-point cushion for Monaleen, and then Oisín and Phelim O’Reilly combined to equalize before O’Brien edged Kilmallock 1-12 to 0-14 in front

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Kilmallock began to take control of this enocunter when two Pierce Connery points and a point each from Shane O'Brien and Killian Hayes had last year's county semi-finalists 1-16 to 0-16 in front on 46 minutes. 

Andrew La Touche Cosgrove, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh and Mark O'Dwyer levelled the contest once again and former Limerick hurler Lorcan Lyons then put the city side 0-20 to 1-16 ahead. 

The second half ebbed and flowed with neither side able to gain a decisive edge. Sean Carroll levelled the game for Kilmallock, 1-18 to 0-21 points after 54 minutes. Joe Fitzgerald edged Monaleen a point in front. However, a Killian Hayes point from play and one from Limerick star Shane O'Brien had the South Limerick side 1-20 to 0-22 in front.

However, Monaleen rallied with an equalising point from a free courtesy of Mark O'Dwyer. The see-saw nature of the scoring continued as Conor Staunton pointed Kilmallock in front at the end of regulation time, before Mark O'Dwyer converted a free deep in injury time to send the contest to extra-time.

Early scores from Conor Staunton and Shane O'Brien had Kilmallock leading 1-24 to 0-26 at the end of the first half of extra-time.

After Monaleen drew level soon after the restart, Kilmallock stung their opponents, scoring 1-2 without reply in the space of three minutes, the goal coming once more coming from Shane O'Brien to help his side into a crucial 2-27 to 0-28 lead.

Monaleen kept pressing with two frees from Mark O’Dwyer cutting the deficit to three, and the Castletroy side almost forced a dramatic penalty shootout when O’Dwyer’s late 21-metre free rattled the post, but Kilmallock, under heavy pressure in the closing stages, dug deep to hang on and secure a gritty victory

SCORERS: 

MONALEEN: Lorcan Lyons (0-7, 0-6 frees), Matthew Fitzgerald (0-4, 0-2 frees), Mark O'Dwyer (0-8, 0-7 frees), Joe Fitzgerald 0-3, Dara Ferland and Andrew La Touche Cosgrove 0-2 each, Darragh Langan, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Ronan Lyons and Luke Murphy 0-1 each

KILMALLOCK: Shane O'Brien (2-13, 0-6, 0-1 65), Killian Hayes, Pierce Connery and Conor Staunton 0-2 each, Paudie O'Brien, Oisin Enright, Phelim O'Reilly, Robbie Egan Oisin O'Reilly, Robbie Hanley, David Woulfe and Sean Carroll 0-1 each

KILMALLOCK: Conor Hanley-Clarke; Dylan O’Brien, Robbie Egan, Aaron Costello; Mark O'Loughlin, Kevin O’Donnell, Sean Carroll; Robbie Hanley; Killian Hayes; Oisin O'Reilly; Pierce Connery, Gavin O'Mahony;  Phelim O'Reilly Shane O'Brien, David Woulfe.

SUBS: Tom Savage for O'Donnell (41 minutes), Conor Staunton for Phelim O'Reilly (45 minutes), Paudie O'Brien for O'Mahony (54 minutes), Steven Quirke for Connery (54 minutes), Shane Dowling for Woulfe (57 minutes), Ciaran O'Connor for Carroll (60 minutes) Oisin Enright for Oisin O'Reilly (70 minutes), Eoin Ryan for Hayes (71 minutes). 

MONALEEN:Jamie Power; Simon Griffin, Bryan Canny, Noel Clancy; Ronan Lyons, Darragh Langan, Lorcan Lyons; Joseph Fitzgerald, Lochlann McHale; Luke Murphy, Eoghan O’Driscoll, Andrew La Touche Cosgrave; Dara Ferland, Matthew Fitzgerald, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh.

SUBS: Mark O'Dwyer for McHale (34 minutes), Ben Hayes for O'Driscoll(42 minutes), Eoghan Maher for Murphy (57 minutes), Lochlann McHale for Ronan Lyons (63 minutes), Luke Murphy for Matthew Fitzgerald (76 minutes). 

REFEREE: Liam Berkery (Ahane).