Champions Mungret St Pauls cruise to win over ABK in Limerick SFC

MUNGRET St Pauls continued their fine early season form after a 2-11 to 0-10 victory over Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan in the Irish Wire Products Limerick SFC tie in Clarina.

The clammy conditions on a rock-hard pitch certainly didn't help to focus minds in this Group 2 qualifier clash between the table-toppers and it showed in a turgid first-half where almost every attempt at continuity broke down in wasted possession.

However, matters did improve on the turnover and, once both sides began taking greater risks, the ball started moving at greater pace and with more definite direction the scores began to flow and the greater spread of talent at the winners' disposal allowed them to put the result beyond doubt during the final quarter.

In a portent of what was to come, early ABK possession failed to create the openings for a shot which was punished by a breakaway attack which ended with Oisín Moss soloing into the space and finding Jack Dervan on the end line to feed his pass across the square for Shane Barry to fist to the net.

Having stuck their noses in front, the city divisional team failed to make the most of the possession they were getting around the middle, taking a pass too many out of their moves forward or doubling back when the shot was on and. after seeing a Tom Lloyd goal disallowed for a square ball, their only reward was Dervan's strike on the run.

Coming up to the quarter mark, ABK were enjoying some possession again and got off the mark off Fiachra Butler-White's shot on the run.

Before they had time to savour it, a Mungret attack ended with Brendan Giltenane being pulled down in the square before he stepped up to bury the penalty past Jamie Dolan's reach.

Play again slowed down to crossfield passing movements at almost walking pace before Barry broke eleven scoreless minutes with a point on the turn that woke the game up again as an exchange of frees between Pádraig Murphy and John Hutton left the Raheen club leading 2-3 to 0-2 at the break.

After an extended ABK attack on the resumption broke down without a score, Mungret pounced on a turnover to set up a point for Barry with Pádraig McMahon and Shane Gallagher replying for ABK.

With ABK pushing up, Mungret found more room to spray around the passes and scores from Rob Hegarty, Dervan and Lloyd had them leading by nine going into the final quarter.

Murphy's free halted the advance but Mungret picked it up again, a disallowed goal was called back for Hutton to send over and any doubt about the outcome dissappeared when points from Darragh Bridgeman, Lloyd and Diarmuid Lyons transformed the task facing ABK from the improbable to the impossible.

They did manage to give it one last lash as the clock moved into added time to pick off a McMahon single, a Seán Downes double and a Tomás Sheehan point from a quick free.

The respectability these brought to the final scoreline would have been even greater had Ronan McElligot not deflected Danny Neville's rapser over the crossbar with the final action of the hour.

Scorers - Mungret St Pauls: Shane Barry 1-2, Brendan Giltenane 1-1 (1-0 pen), Jack Dervan, John Hutton (2 f) 0-2 each, Rob Hegarty, Darragh Bridgeman, Tom Lloyd, Diarmuid Hynes 0-1 each; Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan: Pádraig Murphy (2f), Pádraig McMahon, Sean Downes (1 tp) 0-2 each, Fiachra Butler-White, Shane Gallagher, Tomás Sheehan and Danny Neville 0-1 each.

Mungret St Pauls: Ronan McElligot; James Garvey, Rob Hegarty, Colin Rochford; Frank Corcoran, Oisín Moss, Tom Lloyd; Jack Somers, David Bridgeman; Diarmuid Hynes, John Hutton, Brendan Giltenane; Darragh bridgeman, Shane Barry, Jack Dervan; Subs: Matt O'Sullivan for Corcoran (23 mins, inj), Conor Mangan for D Bridgeman (39 mins).

Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan: Jamie Dolan; John Fitzsimons, Bill Casey, Niall Barry; Conor McNamara, Pakie Moran, Sam Colgan; Jamie O'Sullivan, Alan McGrath; Pádraig McMahon, Paul O'Shaughnessy, Pádraig Murphy; Colm O'Flaherty, Danny Neville, Fiachra Butler-White; Sub: Seán Duggan for Butler-White (49 mins).

Referee: Timmy McGrath (Oola).