Croagh-Kilfinny and Bruff play out entertaining Premier IHC draw

CROAGH-KILFINNY ensured their Lyons of Limerick Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship status for 2027 after a 1-19 to 2-16 draw with Bruff in Ballyagran.

Bruff had already qualified for the semi-finals of the competition but Croagh’s problems were there for all to see as they needed a result to make sure of avoiding a relegation dogfight.

However, the result in Ballyagran proved irrelevant as scores elsewhere made Croagh-Kilfinny’s life a little easier.

Cian O'Carroll sent a free over to open the scoring before Barry Callinan got Bruff off the mark.

Josh Keating then gave them the lead which Charlie Cronin regained after Jack Lenihan's equaliser but Croagh-Kilfinny found their range again after a run of missed chances as O'Carroll's '65' and his strike from a tight angle put them ahead again.

Patrick Finn's inspirational equaliser followed by Paul Browne and Owen Meaney's free edged them ahead.

O'Carroll's free was matched by Keating but the west Limerick side found their focus again with Lenihan's strike on the turn off a high catch, Séamus O'Carroll's equaliser from a tight angle and Cian O'Carroll's free.

The burst continued after Meaney sent over a free in reply with Seamus Hickey, goalie Dave Lynch's free from inside his own half and Lenihan all splitting the posts to put Croagh three ahead

Meaney's free and Keating brought the gap back to the minimum but, right on the whistle for half-time O'Carroll's free left Croagh-Kilfinny leading 0-12 to 0-10.

After Hickey's opening score of the second period was met by Meaney's free, the Stars bounced into the lead thanks to a Sean Finn goal.

He rounded his man and drilled the ball into the far corner from a tight angle out left but they got less than a minute's satisfaction from it when O'Carroll was first to pounce on a long delivery dropping into the square to whip beyond the reach of Eric Finn.

The gap remained remained at two as Meaney and Lynch traded 90 metre free and Browne and Hickey swapped points.

O'Carroll's '65 then moved Croagh-Kilfinny three ahead and they looked to be easing into control of the closing minutes when they were zapped by another bolt from the blue as a long ball dropped behind their defence into the grasp of Diarmuid Dennehy whose shot from outside 20 metres found its way to the net.

There was no immediate reply in kind but Croagh-Kilfinny did have the consolation of Séamus O'Carroll restoring their lead which stretched to two when Cian O’Carroll responded after a Browne leveller and Lynch landed another monster free.

Meaney struck back from play and from an equalising free for Bruff and it finished level thanks to a stunning Eric Finn save from Seamus O’Carroll’s rasping shot.

SCORERS - CROAGH-KILFINNY: Cian O'Carroll 1-8 (5f, 2 '65's), Jack Lenihan, Dave Lynch (3f) 0-3 each, Séamus Hickey, Séamus O'Carroll 0-2 each, Josh O'Connor 0-1; BRUFF: Owen Meaney 0-7 (6f), Seán Finn, Diarmuid Dennehy 1-0 each, Josh Keating, Paul Browne 0-3 each, Barry Callinan, Charlie Cronin, Patrick Finn 0-1 each.

CROAGH-KILFINNY: Dave Lynch; Denis Lenihan, Aidan O'Shea, Owen Dee; Bryan Flynn, TomMcMahon, Conor Lenihan; Josh O'Connor, Séamus Lenihan; Jack Lenihan, Séamus Hickey, John Wall; Séamus O'Carroll, Cian O'Carroll, Cian Costello; Subs: Barry Lenihan for Costello (h-t), Darragh O'Carroll for Wall (36 mins), Brian Hannon for B Lenihan (57 mins, inj), John Wall for Hickey (64 mins), Declan Walsh for J Lenihan (64 mins, inj).

BRUFF: Eric Finn; Conor Shanahan, Patrick Finn, Kevin Bonnar; Seán Finn, Paul O'Riordan, Evan Daly; Charlie Cronin, Mickey O'Riordan; Barry Callinan, Josh Keating, Owen Meaney; Diarmuid Dennehy, Darragh Butler, Paul Browne; Subs: Colm O'Loughlin for Bonnar (35 mins), Gavin Bracken for S Finn (45 mins).

Referee: Mike Sexton (Bruree).