Na Piarsaigh 3-23 Kilmallock 2-15
Adrian Breen and Peter Casey combined to inspire Na Piarsaigh to another Limerick title as the front pair raided holders Kilmallock for a combined 2-10.
Breen netted two first half goals which put the city club well on their way, with his second strike right on the break effectively killing the game as a contest.
Undermined by injuries last year as they lost their title to Patrickswell at the semi-final stage, Na Piarsaigh served notice of their credentials beyond Limerick with this polished display.
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They were at their ease in the second half and pushed the lead out to 14 points late on before a madcap finish saw Kilmallock strike for two consolation goals though Na Piarsaigh had the final say to round out an emphatic win.
They looked the more likely victors from the early stages; their play was that bit crisper and their short game more refined.
Their first goal in the sixth minute was a slick move involving Casey, Conor Boylan and Breen, who slotted past Barry Hennessy and though it looked as if Na Piarsaigh could pull clear, Kilmallock stuck to their task.
Graeme Mulcahy, one of six Limerick panellists in their team, was playing in a withdrawn role and mopped up plenty of ball, striking three first half points, and they were still in touch, trailing by just four, when Breen struck his second goal in first half injury time.
He won possession from a miss-hit Casey point effort in front of Aaron Costello and applied a clever batted finish and, at 2-13 to 0-12, Kilmallock shoulders were slumped as they headed for the dressing room at half-time.
Breen reflected afterwards: “The ball was slightly underhit, I think, managed to catch it and what the lads have been preaching to me all week is just collect that ball, take the man on, and that’s exactly what I did.
“I didn’t manage to get the cleanest strike away, but it went in between the posts, that’s the main thing.
“I think it managed to give us just a little bit of a platform to kick on in the second half. Instead of going in with a four-point gap, all of a sudden it was seven and it just gave us a small bit more breathing space to settle down and believe in our process and kick on again.”
Casey, who suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury when playing for Limerick in last year’s All-Ireland final, had contributed two points in the first half but he added a further four in the third quarter as Na Piarsaigh burned off the opposition.
Subs Conor Hanley-Clarke (free) and Killiane Hayes hit late goals for Kilmallock though Daithi Casey replied with one for Na Piarsaigh to put the seal on their seventh county title - each of them coming since 2011.
Breen, 30, has played in each of those victories.
“This is a relatively young club – 1968 we were founded,” he explained. “But really the senior titles only started since 2011.
“So, we feel like we’re building a bit of a winning culture here now, and long may it last. Hopefully there’s a few more steps left in us this season,” he said, with a Munster semi-final against Ballygunner or Kilruane MacDonaghs next up on November 20.
A two-time All-Ireland medallist with Limerick, Breen outlined how atoning for the manner in which they lost their title last year drove them to their latest success.
“I think last year against Patrickswell in the semi-final, we felt like we let ourselves down. I certainly felt like I let the team down that particular day myself.
“And we just set out from the very, very start of this year – even going into a meeting we had in-house last year – that we weren’t going to let that happen again. We weren’t going to let that kind of performance define our season again.
“So, putting ourselves back into the position where we’re in a final again – yes, against the holders, it’s a little bit daunting, but there’s a lot of experience within this group as well and we were able to just believe in what we’ve been building all year. And it came to fruition on the night.”
NA PIARSAIGH: Evan Condon; Cathall King, Mike Casey, Emmet McEvoy; Mike Foley (0-1), Ronan Lynch (0-2f), Sean Long; William O’Donoghue, Keith Dempsey (0-1); Daithi Dempsey (1-1), Kevin Downes (0-7, 0-6f), Conor Boylan; William Henn (0-1), Peter Casey (0-7), Adrian Breen (2-3).
Subs: Evan Gilvarry for Keith Dempsey (56), Gearoid Synnott for King (59), Tommie Grimes for Lynch (60).
KILMALLOCK: Barry Hennessy; Mark O’Loughlin, Aaron Costello, Dan Joy; Paudie O’Brien (0-1), Gavin O’Mahony, Paddy O’Loughlin (0-1); Robbie Hanley (0-2), Philip O’Loughlin; Phelim O’Reilly, Oisin O’Reilly, Micheal Houlihan (0-4f); Shane O’Brien, Graeme Mulcahy (0-4), David Woulfe (0-2).
Subs: Kevin O’Donnell for Philip O’Loughlin (37), Robbie Egan for Houlihan (42), Conor Hanley Clarke (1-1f) for Woulfe (42), Killian Hayes (1-0) for O’Reilly (59).
REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Ballylanders).
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