Garryspillane crowned Limerick premier intermediate hurling champions after dramatic shoot-out win over Effin

GARRYSPILLANE were crowned Lyons of Limerick County Premier Intermediate hurling champions after they defeated Effin 3-0 in a penalty shootout at the TÚS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday afternoon.

The victors return to senior hurling after suffering relegation from senior ranks in 2023 and have one step further than last year after they came up short in last year's PIHC final against Newcastle West. 

Meanwhile, it was Effin's first appearance in a Premier Intermediate Hurling final and Adrian Barrett can be very proud of his side's performance. 

An absorbing final contest ebbed and flowed and it took a penalty shooutout to decide the winners after the sides were level 4-19 to 2-25 after extra-time.A thrilling final saw the great rivals level, 2-14 each, after normal time. 

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First-half goals from Colin Ryan and Calum Sheehan gave Garryspillane a slender two-point lead at the break, though they would have been frustrated by their shooting in front of goals, hitting eleven wides in the opening 30 minutes. 

Effin received a major boost before the game as Limerick senior player Patrick O'Donovan returned from the injury that had kept him out of their semi-final win over Blackrock.

Goals in the second half from Effin's Ruairi O'Connor and Conor Kearney looked to have them on their way to victory, only for two late points from Josh Dinnen and Hugh Flanagan, of Garryspillane, to send the game to extra time. 

Then, a brace of goals from Garryspillane's Hugh Flangan at the start of the first half in extra time put the Bouncers in control.  However, Effin then hit three points late on to send the game to a penalty shootout. 

Garryspillane scored their first three penalties in the shoot-out through Dylan O'Shea, Ciaran Sheehan and Hugh Flanagan to claim the title as Effin failed to convert any of their opening three penalties. 

Effin signaled their intent from the throw-in in Sunday's final when Fergal O’Connor won a free that Patrick O’Donovan duly converted inside the opening minute.

Cillian O’Riordan extended the lead to two points after seven minutes, but following four early wides, John English finally opened Garryspillane’s account a minute later.

Limerick senior hurling star O'Donovan added two more pointed frees and in between that, Dylan O'Shea landed an effort from distance as Adrian Barrett's side led 0-4 to 0-2. 

Hugh Flanagan reduced the gap to minimium and on 16 minutes before John English forced a turnover in the Effin defence. English played the sliotar across to Calum Sheehan and he then set up Colin Ryan who cooly fired the sliotar past Effin goalkeeper Ryan O'Neill. 

In the next five minutes, the Bouncers outscored their opponents 1-2 to 0-2. On 23 minutes, the lively Calum Sheehan won a long delivery from Eoin O'Mahony in the Garryspillane full-forward line and Sheehan turned his man and drilled his shot low past Effin goalkeeepr Ryan O'Neill which put Aaron Considine's side 2-4 to 0-5 in front. 

However, the 2024 county semi-finalists regrouped through Aaron Moffatt, Pierse O'Kelly and Ewan Dillon to make it 2-5 to 0-9 with two minutes remaining in the first half.

Sharpshooter O'Donovan and Hugh Flanagan swapped pointed frees on the stroke of half time as Garryspillane led 2-5 to 0-9 at the break. 

Points from Hugh Flanagan and Colin Ryan then in the opening seven minutes of the second half extended last year's county finalists lead out to four points.

Barrett's charges were struggling to win primary possession in attack and it took them 42 minutes for O'Donovan to register their first score of the second period as Effin trailed 0-11 to 2-8. 

Cillian O’Riordan then cut the deficit to two points, before wing-back Aaron Moffatt powered through the heart of the Garryspillane defence and offloaded to Ruairi O’Connor, who blasted the sliotar into the roof of the net to make it 1-12 to 2-8. 

A long-range free from Nickie Quaid, which Conor Kearney got a touch to, slipped over the Garryspillane goal line to put Effin 2-12 to 2-8 ahead. However, Garryspillane hit back instantly, with scores from Declan Heavey, Calum Sheehan, and Dylan O’Shea narrowing the gap to a single point, 2-12 to 2-11

O'Donovan stretched Effin's lead back out to two points, but that was quickly cancelled out by a pointed free courtesy of Hugh Flanagan. Substitute Tommy Quaid had a goal chance of his own, but Garryspillane goalkeeper Adam Sheehan pulled off a fantasic save to dent him. O'Donovan made no mistake from the '65 to give his side a two point cushion as injury time was approaching. 

Garryspillane midfielder Josh Dineen then landed a monster effort and in the last puck of normal time, Hugh Flanagan stepped up to send the game of the extra time. 

Three consecutive points from Flanagan, Calum Sheehan, and Robert Sampson put Garryspillane 2-17 to 2-14 ahead early in extra-time.

Substitute Michael Donovan then took on his marker before squaring the sliotar to Flanagan, who fired home Garryspillane’s third goal of the day. To their credit, resilient Effin hit back immediately through Fergal O’Connor and Ewan Dillon to make it 3-17 to 2-17.

Garryspillane began to find space in attack, and Flanagan struck again to extend their lead to six points. However, a late point from Ewan Dillon before the break left the Bouncers 4-17 to 2-19 in front at half-time in extra time.

Effin's top scorer O’Donovan converted three frees early in the second period to cut the gap to two, but John English replied to push Garryspillane’s advantage back to three.

Effin refused to give in, and scores from Enda Kelly and two frees in quick succession from O’Donovan levelled the game, sending it to a dramatic penalty shootout. Three penalties from Dylan O'Shea, Ciaran Sheehan and Hugh Flanagan saw Garryspillane win the penalty shooutout, while Nickie Quaid and Patrick O'Donovan's penalties were saved by Garryspillane's goalkeeper Adam Sheehan and their third penalty from goalkeeper from Ryan O'Neill hit the post.

Garryspillane emerged victious in the shooot-out and as well as securing a return to senior ranks in Limerick in 2006, the Bouncers can also set their sights on a Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-final date with Tallow on the weekend of November 1/2 at a Waterford venue. 

SCORERS: EFFIN:Patrick O'Donovan (0-16, 0-13 frees, 0-1 65), Ruairi O'Connor and Conor Kearney 1-0, Cillian O'Riordan 0-2, Ewan Dillon 0-3, Pierse O'Kelly, Enda Kelly, Fergal O'Connor, and Aaron Moffatt 0-1 each. GARRYSPILLANE: Colin Ryan 1-1, Calum Sheehan 1-3, John English 0-3, Hugh Flanagan (2-6, 0-5 frees), Dylan O'Shea 0-2, Declan Heavey, Robert Sampson, Michael Donovan and Josh Dineen 0-1 each

EFFIN:  Ryan O’Neill, Robert Cagney, Alan Byrne, Mark Mullins, Aaron Moffatt, Nickie Quaid, Sean Canning; Fergal O’Connor, Cilian O’Riordan; Brian Clifford, Patrick O'Donovan, Ewan Dillon; Pierse O'Kelly, Conor Kearney, Frankie Herr. SUBS: Tommy Quaid for Clifford (37 minutes), Ruairi O'Connor for Herr (45 minutes), Enda Kelly for O'Kelly (57 minutes), Clive Doherty for Kearney (62 minutes), Mike Rea for Moffatt (63 minutes)

GARRYSPILLANE: Adam Sheehan; James O’Sullivan, Robert Sampson, Ciaran Sheehan; Declan Heavey, Dylan O’Shea, Eoin O'Mahony; Josh Dineen, Jamie Morrissey; John English, Bryan Heavey, Ryan Tobin; Calum Sheehan, Colin Ryan, Hugh Flanagan. SUBS: Michael Donovan for Morrissey (45 minutes), Shane Ryan for Colin Ryan (55 minutes), Cian Ryan for Ryan Tobin (57 minutes), Roibeard Donovan for O'Shea (62 minutes), Colin Ryan for Bryan Heavey (65 minutes). 

REFEREE: Michael Sexton (Bruree)