Jason Gillane scores hat trick as Patrickswell romp to win over Garryspillane

PATRICKSWELL kept their hopes of qualifying for the Whitebox Senior Hurling Championship quarter-finals with what ended up being a comfortable 4-23 to 2-18 victory over Garryspillane in Fedamore on Friday evening.

With their inter-county stars turning on the style and the rest of the team backing them up, relentless pressure on their opponents' posts propelled Declan O'Grady's charges into a comfortable lead early on despite hitting a string of wides and, while they were hit by a Bouncers rally either side of the break.

“We needed a result and everyone of the players stood up, especially when they were closing in on us just after half-time,” said Patrickswell manager O'Grady after the win.

Back in the top grade after winning the Premier IHC title last year, the Knocklong side were definitely up for the fight and hung in longer than many opponents would against a Patrickswell line-up on song.

Aaron Gillane got the 'Well off the mark and they followed up with Evan Fitzgerald and Liam Fitzgerald finding the target before a pair of Hugh Flanagan frees up at the other end.

Patrickswell's marquee players were beginning to turn on the style as Gillane and Diarmaid Byrnes's '65 helped them to a five-point lead midway through the half.

The Bouncers hit back with replies from Calum Sheehan and Peter Morrissey.

However, the winners turned on the turbo-chargers on as Aaron Gillane ripped through the challenges before laying off to brother Jason to tap into the net before - just a minute later - the Gillane one-two repeated as Jason followed up to bury the sliotar for a second green flag.

Twelve points down, the game was drifting out of Garryspillane's sight with seven minutes still to go to the break but they found an response when Flanagan buried the penalty after Colin Ryan had been pulled down bearing down on goal. And then, pushing their lines up to keep the pressure on the puckout, they hauled themselves back into contact as Bryan Heavey, Flanagan's free and Ryan narrowed the deficit facing them to 2-12 to 1-9 at half-time.

Half-time sub Dylan O'Shea's closed the gap scoring early in the second period before a Colin Ryan goal got them right back in the game.

With seven to spare, the City Division side had enough room to control what was thrown at them, however.

Patrick Kirby got his side's third goal before Jason Gillane completed his hat-trick to seal the victory.

SCORERS - PATRICKSWELL: Jason Gillane 3-2 (0-1 free), Patrick Kirby 1-3, Aaron Gillane 0-5, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-4 (1 '65'), Cian Lynch 0-3, Evan Fitzgerald, Andrew Carroll 0-2 each, Liam Fitzgerald, John Kirby 0-1 each; GARRYSPILLANE: Hugh Flanagan 1-11 (1-0 penalty, 0-8 frees), Dylan O'Shea 1-1, Colin Ryan 0-2, John English, Calum Sheehan, Peter Morrissey, Bryan Heavey 0-1 each.

PATRICKSWELL: Jack Kelleher; Eoin Harmon, Cian Fitzgerald, Billy Earls; Evan Fitzgerald, Diarmaid Byrnes, Hughie Maher; Patrick Kirby, Cian Lynch; Jason Gillane, John Murray, John Kirby; Andrew Carroll, Aaron Gillane, Liam Fitzgerald. Subs: Kevin O'Brien for John Kirby (40 minutes), Rory O'Brien for Jason Gillane (56 minutes).

GARRYSPILLANE: Ciarán Hyland; James O'Sullivan, Declan Heavey, Ryan Tobin; Eoin O'Mahony, Robert Sampson, Jamie Morrissey; Bryan Heavey, Josh Dineen; Colin Ryan, Hugh Flanagan, Tiernan Ryan; Calum Sheehan, John English, Peter Morrissey. Subs: Ciarán Sheehan for Josh Dineen (22 minutes), Dylan O'Shea for Tiernan Ryan (half-time), Dylan Moriarty for James Morrissey (48 minutes), Shane Ryan for Peter Morrissey (56 minutes).

REFEREE: Kieran Guina (Feohanagh).