Quirke fires Fr Caseys to Limerick SFC win over Claughaun

FR CASEYS are up and running in the Irish Wire Products Limerick SFC following a 0-16 to 2-3 win over Claughaun at Sean Finn Park in Rathkeale.

Dylan Quirke was the difference between the team with five points to his name at the end of an impressive performance from corner forward.

Caseys upped the tempo when they needed to but Claughaun could have caused a shock when Padraic O Raghllaigh's goal put three points between the teams with five minutes left in the game.

However, Caseys kicked the next four points to earn their first win of the 2023 championship. The Limerick SFC now breaks for five weeks until mid August.

Donagh Kelly got the scoring underway inside the first 30 seconds but Claughaun were soon level thanks to a Tadgh Bennett free. Kelly then bagged his second from close range with a powerful shot for goal that went inches over Ronan Power's crossbar.

Caseys started to motor at this stage with Sean Kilbridge putting two between the teams and then two Quirke frees saw the Abbeyfeale men into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after 16 minutes.

Eoin Murphy got Claughaun's second score but Casey's responded with efforts from Oisin Woulfe, Mark McCarthy and John Riordan to go seven to the good in the run up to half time. 

However, a well worked team move by Claughaun was finished to the net by JJ O'Neill to leave the score at 0-9 to 1-2 in Fr Caseys' favour at the break.

Murphy was close to adding a second goal for the city side early in the second half after good work by Jamie McGarry but his shot sailed just wide of Shane O'Connell's post.

Claughaun stuck with Caseys for large parts of the second half with McGarry answering a Martin Coughlan score with a sublime one of his own.

Points from Quirke and Coughlan saw Caseys maintain control midway through the second half but O Raghllaigh's stunning strike gave hope of a late Claughaun comeback.

Caseys managed to see the game out with two from Quirke and one each from Killian Sweeney and Michael Kilgridge seeing them to a seven-point winning margin.

SCORERS - FR CASEYS: Dylan Quirke 0-5 (0-3 frees), Martin Coughlan 0-3, Donagh Kelly 0-2, Sean Kilbridge, Oisin Woulfe, Mark McCarthy, John Riordan, Killian Sweeney and Michael Kilbridge 0-1 each.  

SCORERS - CLAUGHAUN: JJ O'Neill and Padraic O Raghllaigh 1-0 each, Tadgh Bennett (0-1 free), Eoin Murphy and Jamie McGarry 0-1 each.

FR CASEYS: Shane O'Connell; Diarmuid Buckley, Eoin Joy, Michael Kilbridge; Sean Kilbridge, Mark McCarthy, Culann Quigley; Daniel Daly, Sean Quigley; Oisin Woulfe, Martin Coughlan, John Riordan; Eoghan O'Connell, Donagh Kelly, Dylan Quirke.

SUBS: Tommy O'Keeffe for Daly (16 mins, inj), Killian Sweeney for Riordan (41 mins), David Ward for E O'Connell (47 mins), Eoin Kelly for D Kelly (54 mins).

CLAUGHAUN: Ronan Power; Dean Kennedy, Craig Kelly, Gearoid Brennan; Padraic O Raghllaigh, Sam Mullins, Alan Kiely; JJ O'Neill, Jason Kiely; Jamie McGarry, Tadgh Bennett, Rob Galligan; Eoin Murphy, Rory Ward, Shane Mullally.

SUBS: Craig Corcoran for Ward (38 mins), Sean Whelan for Brennan (41 mins), Mark O'Halloran for A Kiely (46 mins).

REFEREE: Mike Sexton (Bruree).