Stunning second half display powers Limerick's Monaleen to All-Ireland glory

MONALEEN are All-Ireland intermediate club champions following a stunning 1-17 to 1-15 win over Toureen in Croke Park. 

A huge second half saw the club become the first Limerick side to win the All-Ireland intermediate club title. Donnacha O Dalaigh's five second half points and a total of seven from Mark O'Dwyer saw the city side to an incredible victory. 

Monaleen only took the lead for the first time on 54 minutes through O'Dalaigh and never looked back from there.

Toureen made all the running in the opening 10 minutes with Shane Boland, Liam Lavin, Cathal Freeman and Sean Regan putting them 0-4 to no score ahead.

Monaleen registered their first point of the game through Ed Doyle but efforts from Boland and Regan saw them restore a five-point advantage.

The Castletroy club eventually settled with points from Luke Murphy and Andrew La Touche Cosgrave, before Dan Power's goal squared the game up. 

The half forward benefited from excellent build up play from Murphy and La Touche Cosgrave to deliver a low finish into the back of Bobby Douglas's net.

Toureen responded with the next two points but two Mark O'Dwyer points saw the game level for a second time. However, Toureen were soon back in front with Liam Lavin's goal on 28 minutes.

Monaleen finished the half strongly thanks to Cosgrave and O'Dwyer points that saw the score at 1-9 to 1-7 at the break in Tooreen's favour. 

The second half ran on the same pattern as the first with Tooreen doing all the running but Monaleen stayed patient. The switch of O Dalaigh to full forward proving a master stroke.

They continued to plug away and leveled the game for a third time through O'Dwyer before O Dalaigh saw them go clear by one six minutes from time.

Monaleen did more than hold on in the final stages with O Dalaigh's fifth deep into injury time proving crucial.

SCORERS - Monaleen: Mark O'Dwyer 0-7 (4 frees), Donnacha O Dalaigh 0-5, Dan Power 1-0, Andrew La Touch Cosgrave 0-2, Ed Doyle, Luke Murphy and Joe Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

Toureen: Shane Boland 0-4 (2 frees), Liam Lavin 1-1, Cathal Freeman, Sean Regan, Eoin Delaney and Fergal Boland 0-2, David Kenny and Sean Kenny 0-1 each.

MONALEEN: Jamie Power; Simon Griffin, Bryan Canny, Jamie Porter; Leo Morrison, Lorcan Lyons, Ronan Lyons, Joseph Fitzgerald, Lochlann McHale; Dan Power, Mark O’Dwyer, Luke Murphy, Donnacha O Dalaigh, Ed Doyle, Andrew La Touche Cosgrave; Subs: David Moloney for Power (54 mins), Eoghan O'Driscoll for O'Dwyer (61 mins).

TOOREEN: Bobby Douglas; Conor Henry, Michael Morley, Oisin Greally; Joe Boyle, Stephen Coyne, David Kenny; Sean Kenny, Daniel Huane; Liam Lavin, Fergal Boland, Cathal Freeman; Shane Boland, Sean Regan, Eoin Delaney; Subs: Kenny Feeney for Huane (51 mins), Gary Nolan for Henry (55 mins).

REFEREE: Colum Cunning (Antrim)