Mungret-St Paul's edge past South Liberties in thrilling Limerick SHC clash

ANOTHER highly entertaining Group Two contest in the Limerick senior hurling championship on Friday Mungret-St Paul's edge past South Liberties 1-24 to 2-20.

The lead continuously banged from one side to the other and ended with an injury-time rally by Liberties being overtaken by the final puck of the game.

Caught by Garryspillane's late rally just five days before, it was no more than the City side deserved as defeat would have left them in grave of crashing immediately back to premier intermediate after their first-ever season at senior since promotion and relegation was introduced.

And five minutes before the break, it was looking a most unlikely outcome as a Liberties' goal left them trailing by six as the puckouts of Anthony Nash and the free-taking of cousin Barry were keeping a margin of comfort between the sides.

'Liberties' enjoyed a 1-13 to 1-10 interval lead.

Reorganised over the break, Mungret-St Paul's clawed their way back into contention and, with the aid of a breeze that barely blew at the throw-in, Paul O'Brien split the posts ten times from frees and from play in just twenty-five minutes as their first burst of dominance was overturned by a Liberties rally from nowhere and, even after they edged ahead again, they were reeled in in added time before they pounced for their last gasp winner.

SCORERS: MUNGRET-ST PAUL'S: Paul O'Brien 0-14 (9 frees), Niall Mulcahy 1-0, Brian Barry 0-3, Barry Duff, Rory Duff 0-2 each, Brian O'Meara, Brendan Giltenane, Shane Barry 0-1 each; SOUTH LIBERTIES: Barry Nash 0-12 (12 frees), Tom Ryan 0-5, Ken Byrnes, Brian Ryan 1-0 each, Barry Cooney 0-2, Conor McSweeney 0-1.