Brave Athea fall short in Munster Junior Championship clash

GAA Coverage in association with Lyons of Limerick Ford

CJ KICKHAM’S Mullinahone were the visitors to a crisp, sun-filled Athea on Saturday afternoon for the quarter-final of this year’s Munster Junior Club Football Championship.

With their county final victory over Monagea still fresh in the mind, Athea got their home support riled up through an excellent first quarter of football.

However, the visiting side quietly grew into the contest and dominated the middle third of the game as the Limerick outfit fell to a four point defeat.

Mullinahone were first to make an impact on the scoreboard through a Ned O’Meara free inside two minutes. O’Meara doubled his side’s lead two minutes later before Athea got an ideal settling score from the boot of Sean Ryan who smashed an effort from outside the two-point arc.

Andrew O’Riordan then put the home side in front with a well taken score before a superb two-point effort from TJ Hunt extended the lead to four after seven minutes of play.

Sean Ryan then slotted over his second in the 12th minute to cap an excellent opening quarter for Athea. Mullinahone hit back through another placed ball from O’Meara before a splendid two point free from the CJ Kickham’s talisman cut the deficit.

A sweeping move saw O’Meara through on goal in the 27th minute as he stepped a defender and fired into the top of the net.

Substitute Matthew Direen then rounded off the opening half of scoring after a pop pass from O’Meara found him in space. This gave the Tipperary side a four point lead into the half time break.

O’Meara continued his dead ball prowess into the second period after a tentative opening to the half from both sides.

A Shane Mulvihill free eventually ended Athea’s scoring drought which had stretched all the way back to the 12th minute of the tie.

O’Meara then slotted a quickfire double from open play and a free to push the visitors six points clear in the 44th minute of action. A direct, defence-punching ball from Alan Curran allowed Darragh Linnane to claim an advanced mark which he slotted over from close range.

A Mulvihill free was cancelled out moments later by a surging run from Mullinahone wing-forward Sam Rowan who kept his side well in command on the scoreboard with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Mulvihill continued to be the only fruitful outlet for Athea in attack but the home side were running out of time to conjure up a last surge of momentum.

O’Meara rounded off a fantastic scoring display by putting his side seven points clear with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Callum Buckley chipped over a nice score from the left-hand side before a brilliantly struck two-point free from Mulvihill ignited some hope for Athea heading into added time.

However, the Limerick Premier Junior ‘A’ champions couldn’t engineer any clear goal scoring opportunity as Mullinahone closed out added time to seal the win to advance to the semi-final stage where they will meet Cork side Canovee.

SCORERS - CJ KICKHAMS: Ned O’Meara 1-9 (1 tpf, 5f); Sam Rowan 0-2; Darragh Linnane and Matthew Direen 0-1 each; ATHEA: Shane Mulvihill 0-5 (1tpf, 2f); Sean Ryan 0-3; TJ Hunt 0-2; Callum Buckley and Andrew O’Riordan 0-1 each.

CJ KICKHMAS: Graham Horan; Conor O’Brien, Cillian White, Michael Cody; Darragh Linnane, Sean Curran, Daire O’Brien; Alan Curran, Paul Curran; Enda Keane, Martin Kehoe, Sam Rowan; Eoin O’Dwyer, Ned O’Meara, Kevin Walzer; Subs: Matthew Direen for Walzer (13 mins), Riain O’Halloran for O’Dwyer (55 mins); Alex Britton for Kehoe (58 mins), Cillian Direen for O’Meara (60 mins).

ATHEA: Tomas Ahern; Eoin Sheahan, Tommy Quaid, James Hunt; Callum Buckley, Denis Greaney, Tomas G Ahern; Evan Curry, Micheál Dalton; Andrew Riordan, Andy Ahern, TJ Hunt; Brian O’Connor, Sean Ryan, Shane Mulvihill; Subs: James Broderick for O’Riordan (42 mins), Sean Twomey for TJ Hunt (44 mins), Pierce O’Brien for Sheahan (60 mins); Darren Murphy for A Ahern (60 mins).

Referee: Eoin Keane (Clare).