Mungret produce solid second half to overcome Kildimo-Pallaskenry

MUNGRET St Pauls began the Whitebox Limerick Senior Hurling Championship with a 0-23 to 4-7 victory over Kildimo-Pallaskenry at a sun-drenched Sean Finn Park in Rathkeale.

Brian Begley’s side were made to fight hard for their victory by a dogged Kildimo-Pallaskenry outfit and earned the four-point win despite hitting 18 wides.

Two goals in the space of 70 seconds gave Kildimo-Pallaskenry a strong foothold in the game but Liam Lynch’s accuracy in the second half pulled Mungret through.

The sides were level three times in the opening exchanges before frees from Mark O’Brien and Lynch gave Mungret a two-point advantage.

However, Jack O’Keeffe soon had Kildimo-Pallaskenry in front after he collected Kyle Hayes’s low delivery and planted a left footed finish beyond Mungret keeper Conor O’Brien.

Davy Fitzgerald added a second moments later when he ghosted through the Mungret defence after being set up by O’Farrell and slotted to the net to put his side 2-3 to 0-5 in front.

Three scores on the trot from Limerick senior player Fintan Fitzgerald brought Mungret back into the game but they were blighted by 12 first half wides.

O’Farrell and Ciarán McMahon saw Kildimo-Pallaskenry in front but efforts from Cian Moloney and Lynch, either side of a superb O’Farrell strike from play saw the score at 2-6 to 0-10 at the break.

Kildimo-Pallaskenry would have fancied their chances in the second half aided by a strong breeze but it was Mungret that levelled the game for a fourth time with scores from Moloney and Lynch once again.

However, a third goal for Declan Nash’s charges turned the game once again. Sean Kavanagh’s long free was caught by O’Keeffe. He was initially denied by Conor O’Brien’s save but knocked in the rebound,

Mungret responded with points from Paul O’Brien, Lynch (4), Moloney and Killian Begley with the response coming from a solitary Cathal Downes score. That left the score at 0-20 to 3-7 heading into the final five minutes.

There was another twist in the tale late on with Paudi Hartigan scoring a fourth goal with his first touch but Mungret hit back through Rory O’Callaghan, Lynch and Niall Mulcahy to earn victory.

SCORERS - MUNGRET ST PAULS: Liam Lynch 0-9 (5f), Fintan Fitzgerald 0-4, Cian Moloney 0-3, Paul O’Brien 0-2, Barry Duff, Killian Begley, Mark O’Brien (1f), Rory O’Callaghan and Niall Mulcahy 0-1 each; KILDIMO-PALLASKENRY: Jack O’Keeffe 2-0, Robert O’Farrell 0-5 (1f, 1 s/l), Davy Fitzgerald and Paudi Hartigan 1-0 each, Ciarán McMahon and Cathal Downes 0-1 each.

MUNGRET ST PAULS: Conor O’Brien; Billy Molyneaux, Eoin O’Doherty, Sean Duff; Matt O’Sullivan, Brian O’Meara, Rory O’Callaghan; Cian Moloney, Mark O’Brien; Rory Gleeson, Barry Duff, Fintan Fitzgerald; Killian Begley, Liam Lynch, Paul O’Brien; Subs: Niall Mulcahy for M O’Brien (38 mins), Brian Barry for P O’Brien (48 mins).

KILDIMO-PALLASKENRY: James Mason; Shane Carroll, Luke O’Keeffe, Luke Guinane; Sean Kavanagh, Jose Azzopardi, Cathal Downes; Tony McCarthy, Davy Fitzgerald; Peter Nash, Ciarán McMahon, Kyle Hayes; Conor McMahon, Jack O’Keeffe, Robert O’Farrell; Subs: Dylan Moloney for Conor McMahon (50 mins), Paudi Hartigan for Azzopardi (57 mins).

Referee: Kieran Guina (Feohanagh-Castlemahon.