Mungret St Paul's book place in Limerick Premier U20 hurling final with victory over Monaleen

MUNGRET ST PAUL'S booked their place in the Limerick Premier U20 Hurling Championship final with an impressive 1-25 to 0-15 victory over city rivals Monaleen at the TÚS Gaelic Grounds on Tuesday evening.

Cian O’Brien’s side were dominant throughout, their sharpness in possession and ability to pick off scores proving decisive as they eased to a thirteen-point win.

Limerick U20 player Mark O'Brien and Limerick minor hurler Killian Begley combined for an impressive 1-16 for the winners. 

Monaleen struggled to match the intensity and work-rate of Mungret St Paul's. The Raheen side will now face Na Piarsaigh in Sunday’s Premier U20 final.

Mungret St Paul's set the tone early, racing into a six-point lead inside the first five minutes through scores from Mark O’Brien, Tom Lloyd and Fintan Fitzgerald, giving the 2023 U21 winners a commanding foothold. Monaleen eventually responded on six minutes through Limerick U20 hurler Dara Ferland, but the early momentum was firmly with Mungret.

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Finding acres of space in the middle third, Fitzgerald and Lloyd tagged on long-range efforts, while Monaleen’s Conall Purcell attempted to keep his side within reach. Points from Killian Begley and O’Brien pushed Mungret St Paul's into an 0-11 to 0-4 advantage at the end of the opening quarter.

Monaleen did rally, with Matthew Fitzgerald, Eoghan Maher and Purcell trimming the deficit, but a steadying score from Mungret St Paul's midfielder Cian Moloney restored some breathing room. Ferland and Maher again brought the reigning Premier U20 champions back to within three before late first-half points from O’Brien and Begley sent them in ahead 0-14 to 0-9 at the break.

Begley opened the second-half scoring, though Eoin Brislane's charges enjoyed their best spell soon after. Purcell and Maher continued to shine, who had now shared seven points from play between them, and when Limerick senior panelist Darragh Langan drove forward to score, the gap was narrowed to 0-16 to 0-13.

A long-range free from O’Brien steadied Mungret St Paul's, though Ferland again reduced the difference to three. But from there, the victors powered home, producing a superb final quarter in which they outscored Monaleen 1-8 to 0-1.

The decisive goal came from Killian Begley, while further points from O’Brien, Begley, Rory Gleeson and Sean Duff sealed a comprehensive victory. Monaleen could only manage a score form the accurate Ferland late on.

SCORERS: 

MUNGRET ST PAUL'S: Mark O'Brien (0-12, 0-2 65s, 0-6 frees, 0-1 sideline), Killian Begley 1-4, Fintan Fitzgerald, Rory Gleeson and Tom Lloyd 0-2 each, Cian Moloney, Sean Duff and Luke Walsh  0-1 each

MONALEEN: Conall Purcell and Dara Ferland 0-4 each, Eoghan Maher 0-3, Matthew Fitzgerald (0-2, 0-2 frees), Darragh Langan and Mark Field 0-1 each

MUNGRET ST PAUL'S: Conor Crowley; Brian Hassett, Conor Mangan, Jake Stack; Rory O'Callaghan, Sean Duff, Conor Collins; John Wright, Cian Moloney; Fintan Fitzgerald, Rory Gleeson, Killian Begley, Luke Walsh, Mark O'Brien, Tom Lloyd. 

MONALEEN: Muiris O'Dalaigh; Jack Doyle, Tom D'Arcy, Marcus Southern; Cian Scully, Darragh Langan, Tom McCarthy; Ben Murnane, Luke Ryan; Eoghan Maher, Matthew Fitzgerald, Conall Purcell; Peter Scully, Dara Ferland, Mark Field (Captain). 

REFEREE: Kieran Guina (Feohanagh-Castlemahon)