Goals key for Adare as they overcome Ballylanders challenge
Adare recovered from their Round 1 defeat to see off Ballylanders in Ballyagran
Adare got back on track in the Irish Wire Products Limerick Senior Football Championship after a 2-15 to 1-15 win over Ballylanders in their Round 2 clash at Ballyagran.
Form over the last few seasons worked out in the end as Adare dominated the final quarter to win by a margin of six but the scoreline doesn't reflect the pressure they came under.
In the end, the difference came down to Adare's ability to string together the style that delivered the goals to overcome the five two-pointers the south Limerick side shot from play and from frees.
After watching Adare's first attack go wide of the posts, Ballylanders opened the scoring when Oisín Browne went for the two-pointer and nailed it before play switched back again to the other half of the field where Robbie Bourke's attempt on goal was stopped by Pa Holian's intervention on the line.
Hugh Bourke converted the resulting '45' and, after he followed up with an equalising free, the Maiguesiders' continuing dominance of primary possession was reflected in Michael O'Mahony running onto the lay-off to whack beyond Declan O'Connor's reach.
Despite play being punctuated by frequent stoppages for arguments coming from the field, the sidelines and the terraces, the Adare wave continued to roll on from their midfield diamond.
Strikes from Shane O'Connor and O'Mahony's two-pointer had them leading by six at the quarter mark but, after being stung by another O'Connor single and another O'Mahony double, Ballylanders finally broke the sequence with a Danny Frewen free.
That was soon cancelled out by Robbie Burke's strike at the other end but Ballylanders hit back with Browne's two-pointer from out on the right and followed up with another double, this time from Eoin O'Mahony's added time free that narrowed their deficit to 1-9 to 0-7 at the break.
The momentum was still swinging for them on the restart as Eoin O'Mahony converted an instant free and he then sent over a double from the placed ball that shaved the gap back to two.
However, winning their next two kickouts steadied Adare and they'd found their focus again when Stephen Flynn finished a five-pass move that split the posts.
A flashing move up the left involving Robbie Burke and O'Connor ended with Oran Collins burying the ball inside the far post for their second goal.
That was followed by a rapid fire brace of points from Shane Costello and it looked that Adare’s win was all but confirmed.
However, Darren Frewen hoofed a double between the posts to remind them that Ballylanders were still in the fight. Another point from Danny Frewen's free after a botched kickout had forced Jeffrey Alfred to make a double save.
The jitters intensified in the Adare rearguard as Ballylanders continued to pile on the pressure. Eoin O'Mahony and Frewen slotted a couple of frees to leave three between the teams going into the final quarter but a Michael O'Mahony point woke Adare up.
Ballylanders tried to respond but Adare’s bench made a telling contribution as Jack English and another from Hugh Bourke saw Harry Gleeson’s side home to the victory.
Scorers - Adare: Michael O'Mahony 1-5, Hugh Bourke 0-3 (3f), Oran Collins 1-0, Shane O'Connor, Shane Costello 0-2 each, Robbie Burke, Stephen Flynn, Jack English 0-1 each; Ballylanders: Eoin O'Mahony 0-6 (2f, 2 tpf), Oisín Browne 0-4, Danny Frewen 0-3 (3f), Darren Frewen 0-2.
Adare: Jeffrey Alfred; Oran Collins, Eoghan Costello, Jack Fitzgerald; Stephen Flynn, Davy Lyons, Paul Maher; Joe Sweeney, Roy Gleeson; Cian Sparling, Hugh Bourke, Shane O'Connor; Shane Costello, Robbie Bourke, Michael O'Mahony; Subs: Brandon Duffy for Fitzgerald (20 mins, inj), Jack English for S Costello (53 mins), Ollie Desmond for O'Connor (55 mins), Rory O'Connor for O'Mahony (55 mins).
Ballylanders: Declan O'Connor: Donal Kelly, Pa Holian, Jordan Sheehy; Darren Frewen, Daniel Murphy, Liam Dennehy; Robbie Downey, Oisín Browne; Adam Frewen, Eoin O'Mahony, Daithí Dennehy; Shane O'Donoghue, Danny Frewen, Jason Leigh; Subs: Cathal Dennehy for A Frewen (39 mins), Bob Frewen for D Dennehy (48 mins), Ciarán Kelly for O'Donoghue (50 mins), Ryan Downey for Danny Frewen (56 mins).
Referee: Michael Browne (Dromc-Broadford).