Garryspillane bounce back with Limerick SHC win over Newcastle West
The Bouncers came back from a 21-point round 1 loss to see off Newcastle West in round 2
GARRYSPILLANE are back with a bang in the Whitebox Limerick Senior Hurling Championship after a 4-12 to 2-13 win over Newcastle West in Kilmallock.
Three second half goals from John English (2) and Colin Ryan propelled the Bouncers to victory over a Newcastle West side that hit 18 wides in the 60 minutes.
Con Hayes and Bryan Nix raised green flags for the Magpies who have now lost both games in the championship going into the two week break.
Garryspillane’s fortune changed in an instant following last week’s defeat when Peter Morrissey’s effort dropped short but Mike Quilligan misjudged and carried the ball over the line inside the first minute.
Newcastle West recovered well to be level soon after with Cathal Hayes, Con Hayes and Ethan Hurley all hitting points. However, they hit nine wides in each half and it was ultimately that statistic that cost them dearly.
The teams were level four more times inside the opening 20 minutes with the Hayes’s causing plenty of headaches for the Bouncers defence.
It was Garryspillane that edged into the half time break with the lead thanks to a Jamie Morrissey score and then Callum Sheehan’s shot that was brilliantly diverted over the bar by Quilligan. That saw the score at 1-6 to 0-7 at half time.
Hugh Flanagan sent over the first score of the half after just 16 seconds and a free moments later stretched Garryspillane’s lead to four.
Brian Foley’s point opened the scoring in the half for Newcastle West but Garryspillane’s lead was soon at six after a superb goal. Flanagan and Sheehan combined to release English, who made no mistake from close range.
Con Hayes offered a response for the Magpies but they were hit by a devastating blow on 39 minutes when Colin Ryan’s strike from distance went all the way to the net to leave the score at 3-8 to 0-9 in Garryspillane’s favour.
Scores from Ryan and Flanagan stretched that advantage to 10 but efforts from Cathal Hayes and Ethan Hurley cut that back to eight.
Ethan and Eoin Hurley then combined to set up Con Hayes who flashed a shot to the net. A Brian Hurley score then brought Garryspillane’s lead back to four but there was plenty of sting left in their tail.
Flanagan was again central from a creative aspect to set up English. He danced through a couple of challenges to fire a fourth goal to the net and almost put the result beyond doubt.
Ryan and Flanagan followed up with points, and although Newcastle West bagged a second goal via Bryan Nix late one, Garryspillane were full value for their five-point winning margin.
SCORERS - GARRYSPILLANE: Colin Ryan 2-2, John English 2-0, Hugh Flanagan 0-5 (2f), Peter Morrissey 1-1, Callum Sheehan 0-2, Tiernan Ryan and Jamie Morrissey 0-1 each; NEWCASTLE WEST: Con Hayes 1-4, Cathal Hayes 0-4 (2f), Bryan Nix 1-0, Ethan Hurley 0-2 (1f), Michael Dee, Brian Foley and Brian Hurley 0-1 each.
GARRYSPILLANE: Ciaran Hyland; James O’Sullivan, Declan Heavey, Ryan Tobin; Eoin O’Mahony, Robert Sampson, Bryan Heavey; Josh Dineen, Jamie Morrissey; Colin Ryan, Peter Morrissey, Tiernan Ryan; Hugh Flanagan, John English, Callum Sheehan; Subs: Dylan O’Shea for B Heavey (47 mins), Cian Ryan for Dineen (55 mins), Shane Ryan for Sheehan (62 mins).
NEWCASTLE WEST: Mike Quilligan; Jody Woulfe, Mike Cremin, Steven Brosnan; Ruadhan O’Connor, Eoin Hurley, Diarmuid Lyons; Ethan Hurley, Diarmuid Lyons; Brian Foley, Con Hayes, Michael Dee; Bryan Nix, Mike McMahon and Cathal Hayes; Subs: William Hurley for Brosnan (34 mins), Brian Hurley for Foley (39 mins), Michael Blashkiv for Woulfe (55 mins).
Referee: Eamonn Stapleton (Doon).