Patrickswell into Limerick club hurling quarter final with late scoring run denying Adare

PATRICKSWELL confirmed their place in the quarter finals of the Bon Secours Limerick senior club hurling championship with a  1-21 to 2-12 win over Adare.

The Well now play Kildimo-Pallaskenry or South Liberties in the quarter finals.

It has been a long time since Patrickswell failed to make the senior hurling play-offs but, with nine minutes to go in their final group outing, not only was that proud record in senior danger as they were overhauled by Adare but they were also on the verge of tumbling down into the less prestigous Group Two of the championship.

It turned out to be a brief moment of pressure as they rediscovered their groove and closed off with seven unanswered scores. But that was only because their opponents, playing with a a determination and a cohesion not seen all season, had racked up eighteen wides and managed just three points from play despite dominating most of the hour.

Fouled as he forced a goal chance, Adare's Willie Griffin sent over a free inside a minute, added another in reply to two from Aaron Gillane and the teams were level again after another Gillane free was met by Declan Hannon's. But Patrickswell then stepped on the gas, Patrick Kirby rifling to net after bursting in from the right and his follow-up point added to a pair from Jack Kelleher gave them a five point lead on the quarter mark.

Griffin replied only to be met by another Kelleher pair, Mark Carmody replied to Griffin's free and Kelleher to Fitzgibbon's sideline cut before Adare wiped out the deficit inside a minute as Seán Connolly fed Griffin to to blast past Jason Gillane and, when the sliotar returned, Fitzgibbon intercepted a handpassed clearance to hammer home the equaliser. Stirred from their slumbers, the Well picked it up for two Aaron Gillane frees either side of Paudie Maher to send them into the dressing room leading 1-12 to 2-6.

Although Griffin found the target from a free and from play, Adare's blistering restart was punctuated by seven wides before Gillane's free and Calvin Carroll replied. The Maiguesiders fought back with Griffin's free, Charlie McCarthy and another Griffin free to draw Adare level and the Wells' backs were to the wall when Griffin's sixth free finally gave Adare the lead.

But they then shot another four wides as the Well started moving the ball wide and running from deep to open up the spaces. A Gillane free equalised, Carmody restored the lead and, as Adare frustrations grew, the Well's composure returned and Diarmaid Byrnes, Josh Considine, Gillane and Kelleher twice rattled off the scores as Adare were reduced to a fruitless search for goals.

SCORERS: PATRICKSWELL: Aaron Gillane 0-8 (7 frees), Jack Kelleher 0-6, Patrick Kirby 1-1, Mark Carmody 0-2, Kevin O'Brien, Calvin Carroll, Diarmaid Byrnes, Josh Considine 0-1 each; ADARE: Willie Griffin 1-7 (0-6 frees), John Fitzgibbon 1-3 (0-2 frees, 0-1 sideline cut), Declan Hannon, Charlie McCarthy 0-1 each.