Mungret confirm promotion to top table with win over Newcastle West

MUNGRET St Pauls are back at the top table of the Whitebox Limerick Senior Hurling Championship next year after a 3-17 to 0-17 win over Newcastle West at Mick Neville Park ensured promotion with a game to spare.

The city division side have won four from four in the championship thus far and will be dining in Group 1 in 2027 after seeing off Newcastle West in Rathkeale.

Goals from Liam Lynch, Mark O’Brien and Fintan Fitzgerald propelled Mungret to victory but it could have been so different if Newcastle West had been on form in front of goal. With the breeze in the opening half, their wides total reached double figures.

A placed ball from Liam Lynch opened the scoring after ninety seconds of play before Bryan Nix skipped in from the right to notch Newcastle West’s first score.

Lynch replied with another free before Barry Duff wheeled through the middle of the Newcastle West defence to fire over.

A brace of frees from Cathal Hayes landed either side of a well engineered Fintan Fitzgerald point before Hayes levelled the contest in the 12th minute.

Fitzgerald then displayed serious gear to escape the grasp of two defenders before Nix and Hayes combined to give the Magpies the lead for the first time in the contest after seventeen minutes of action.

A pair of dead balls from Lynch wrestled the lead back in Mungret’s favour before a monster free from keeper Mike Quilligan deadlocked the sides for the fifth time.

A brilliant take and pass from Rory Gleeson put Rory Duff in space to score before Hayes replied with his first score from open play.

A surging run from Rory O’Callaghan yielded another score for Mungret on the cusp of halftime but another Hayes free ensured the sides left the field level after the opening thirty.

A delightful effort from Ethan Hurley set the scene for the second period of action. However, Mungret replied with a killer dose of a brace of goals.

First to rattle the net was Liam Lynch who sent a rocket past Quilligan after a brilliant take.

Mark O’Brien followed up three minutes later after a defensive error put him the right side of Ruadhan O’Connor and thus allowing him to snatch his effort low along the ground and into the net.

Lynch shrugged off his marker to split the posts again and Mungre were quickly six to the good in the 35th minute.

Hayes fronted the Magpies’ response on the scoreboard before a pair of well worked scores from O’Brian and Cian Moloney sandwiched a Brian Foley point.

Killian Begley and Nix then traded scores before Barry Duff faded a lovely effort between the uprights with five minutes remaining.

The third and final blow from a green flag came through Fintan Fitzgerald who doubled back onto his left after his initial effort was hooked as Mungret drifted out of sight with three of normal time to spare.

A pair of Lynch frees were matched by two notable efforts from Con Hayes but Mungret were comfortable the whole way through the final additional minutes.

SCORERS - MUNGRET ST PAULS: Liam Lynch 1-7 (6f), Fintan Fitzgerald 1-3, Mark O’Brien 1-1, Barry Duff 0-2, Rory Duff, Rory O’Callaghan, Cian Moloney, Killian Begley 0-1 each; NEWCASTLE WEST: Cathal Hayes 0-9 (7f), Bryan Nix 0-3, Con Hayes 0-2, Ethan Hurley, Brian Foley, Mike Quilligan (1f) 0-1 each.

MUNGRET ST PAULS: Conor O’Brien; John Wright, Eoin O’Doherty, Sean Duff; Rory O’Callaghan, Brian O’Meara, Matt O’Sullivan; Cian Moloney, Rory Duff; Rory Gleeson, Barry Duff, Fintan Fitzgerald; Killian Begley, Liam Lynch, Mark O’Brien; Subs: Niall Mulcahy for Gleeson (46 mins), Shane Barry for Wright (49 mins), Liam Harrington for O’Doherty (54 mins), Conor O’Halloran for Duff (58 mins).

NEWCASTLE WEST: Mike Quilligan; Jody Woulfe, Michael Cremin, Aaron Neville; Eoin Hurley, Diarmuid Lyons, Ruadhan O’Connor; Brian Hurley, Ethan Hurley; Con Hayes, Brian Foley, Mike Dee; Bryan Nix, Mike McMahon, Cathal Hayes; Sub: Michael Blashkiv for Woulfe (41 mins).

Referee: Timmy McGrath (Oola).