Limerick U20s come up short despite thrilling comeback against Monaghan
Limerick U20s suffered 3-17 to 0-24 defeat in dramatic All-Ireland U20 'B' Championship clash
“THEY TOOK their goal chances, we didn't. It left us with a huge mountain to climb at half-time. But fair dues to the lads, they showed unbelievable spirit and almost pulled off a miraculous recovery.”
Manager John O'Grady was left pondering the what-might-have-been as his resilient Limerick Under-20 footballers were edged out at the death by Monaghan, 0-24 to 3-17, in their Dalata Hotel Group All-Ireland 'B' championship semi-final in Moorefield GAA club's grounds in the shadow of The Curragh on Sunday.
Trailing by 12 points nineteen minutes into the game after being stunned by three quickfire goals and then by 11 points at the break and not having any joy with their own goal chances, it looked as if all that was left for Limerick was damage containment as the Ulster U20 Tier 2 champions grabbed every chance coming their way.
But with some adjustments to their shape and an all-out commitment to attack, the Shannonsiders re-emerged from the dressing, pulled themselves back into contact and, even though their momentum stalled coming up to the three-quarter mark, Limerick lifted themselves for one last onslught to grab the lead with five regulation minutes to go.
Unfortunately for them, it wasn't an afternoon for fairytales. A outrageous two-pointer from out on the sideline stopped Monaghan's slide. Soon after a follow-up point had the Ulster side in the lead and, despite Limerick recovering to launch another assault, there just wasn't enough left in the inspiration tank to haul themselves back from the brink a third time.
Monaghan started with all guns blazing, opening with a point from a free and one from play from Killian Kearns in just over a minute. Although their next few attacks fizzled out, Seán Callan got them on track again with a shot off a 50-metre solo.
Limerick did manage a response after that, but their only two efforts went wide before a speculative Farney shot came back off the upright for Tom Doherty to gather and fist home the rebound after Cian McGrath stopped his first effort.
The onslaught did not end there as Packie Doogan-Burke ran onto a long delivery, rounded McGrath and slid to the net before Darragh McMahon followed up with a two-pointer to put 11 points between the sides before the quarter hour was reached.
At that point, however, Limerick rearranged their formation under the kickout and got themselves on the scoreboard when Mícheál Fahy point was followed by Tom Ryan's free and a Diarmuid Hynes score, but the response ran out out of steam when the Ulster lads closed off the spaces around the long ball.
Seán O'Connell's pointed free got their finishing moving again before Limerick's composure shipped another body blow when a shot from distance hung in the air before Eoghan McFarlane climbed highest to fist past McGrath's reach.
At that point, the intensity dropped as Monaghan consolidated. Limerick did get a lift when Ryan walloped over a two-pointer, but that was met by scores from Kearns and O'Connell before an exchange between Shane O'Grady and Kearns left the Farney leading 3-10 to 0-7 at the break.
With more size to aim at up front, Limerick pressed hard on the restart and pulled themselves four points closer when Tadhg Hourigan, Evan Curry's two-pointer and Ryan, with a pointed free, all found the target.
However, when the Munster side's next two efforts went wide, their momentum stalled to give Monaghan time to regroup in the middle third. With the gap remaining unchanged as O'Connell's pointed free was matched by Ryan's strike on the run and Callan and Mark McCaffrey either side of Ryan's two-pointed free as the clock edged into the final quarter, it looked as if Limerick's chance of recovery had passed.
But then an explosive O'Grady score on the run raised the tempo again. Piling forward to contest every ball, Ryan's two-pointer free, Hynes and another Ryan pointed free pared the deficit back to three points as Monaghan wasted chances to reply on rushed shots and wrong options.
When a pair of two-pointers, Tom Ryan from a free and Tommy Ryan from play, was followed by Hynes pointing again on the run, Limerick were suddenly ahead by two.
However, just before they could close off a remarkable recovery, their opponents recovered their composure. Monaghan equalised with Matthew Carolan's two-pointer from the right sideline and the Ulster side went ahead through O'Connell.
Monaghan survived six nerve-wracking minutes holding off Limerick's all-out effort to come back before Kearns snatched the final score with the last kick of the game, four minutes into added time.
SCORERS: MONAGHAN: Tom Doherty 1-3 (1 2x), Killian Kearns 0-5 (1 free), Seán O'Connell 0-4 (2 frees), Packie Doohan Burke, Eoghan McFarlane 1-0 each, Seán Callan, Matthew Carolan (2x) 0-2 each, Mark McCaffrey 0-1; LIMERICK: Tom Ryan 0-12 (3 frees, 3 2xfrees, 1 2x), Diarmuid Hynes 0-4 (1 free), Shane O'Grady, Evan Curry (2x), Tommy Ryan (2x) 0-2 each, Mícheál Fahy, Tadhg Hourigan 0-1 each.
MONAGHAN: Oran Finnegan (Carrickmacross); Cathal McCooey (Oram), Johnny Wright (Emyvale), Martin Quinn (Drumhowan); Niall Meehan (Carrickmacross), Andrew Stewart (Emyvale), Harvey Colleran (Emyvale); Matthew Carolan (Carrickmacross), Eoghan McFarlane (Clones); Seán Callan (Monaghan Harps), Tom Doherty (Drumhowan), Packie Doogan Burke (Magheracloone); Killian Kearns (Currin), Seán O'Connell (Truagh Gaels), Matthew Finn (Emyvale). SUBS: Darragh McMahon (Cremartin) for Matthew Finn (injured, 12 minutes), Mark McCaffrey (Scotstown) for Andrew Stewart (39 minutes), Shea Casey (Castleblaney Faughs) for Tom Doherty (50 minutes), Oisín McGorman (Latten) for Packie Doogan Burke (50 minutes), Tom Doherty for Darragh McMahon (injured, 55 minutes).
LIMERICK: Cian McGrath (Oola); Cian O'Sullivan (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Cathal Mangan (Croom), Calum Boyle (Fr Casey’s); Tom Lloyd (Mungret St Paul's), Tommy Ryan (Dromcollogher-Broadford), Jack Butler (Ahane); Aidan O'Shea (Cappagh), Brian O'Callaghan (Dromcollogher-Broadford); Bobby Smith (Ballybrown), Tom Ryan (Oola), Evan Curry (Athea); Diarmuid Hynes (Mungret St Paul's), Mícheál Fahy (Dromcollogher-Broadford), Shane O'Grady (Oola). SUBS: Tadhg Hourigan (Pallasgreen) for Bobby Smith (half-time), Liam Chambers (Saint Patrick's) for Cathal Mangan (43 minutes), Luke Walsh (Mungret St Paul's) for Micheál Fahy (50 minutes), Ben Ryan (Croom) for Calum Boyle (50 minutes), Donal Dawson (Ahane) for Jack Butler (54 minutes).
REFEREE: Christopher Ryan (Galway).