Na Piarsaigh GAA Club Notes:
Senior Football Championship Round 1:
Na Piarsaigh 1-09 Oola 4-15
Oola proved too strong in round 1 of the senior football championship on Thursday evening last. It took us 23 minutes to register our first score where Evan Egan stepped up to land a 2-pointer free. We trailed by 1-06 to no score up to that point. Tommy Glynn rattled the net just before half time to give us some hope going into the break. Unfortunately, that hope wasn’t long lived as Oola converted a penalty a few minutes after the restart. Oola added 2 more goals in the second period to run out 15-point winners. Round 2 sees us take on Monaleen on the weekend of the 14th of August in Claughaun.
Eoghain Sherlock, Adam Jordan, Jack McCarthy, Cathal McMullan, Matthew Walsh, Ralph Leonard, Ronan Houlihan, Donal Ó Conaill, James Daly, Stanley Dike, Gordon Brown, Eoghan Vukovic (0-01), Evan Egan (0-02, 1*2pt’f), Dean McLoughlan, Kieran Daly (0-05, 0-01f & 0-01’45). Subs: Tommy Glynn (1-01) for Ralph, Peter Hodnett for Stanley.
Minor Football Championship Round 2:
Na Piarsaigh 5-17 Galbally 1-07
A high scoring win for our minor footballers in round 2 of their championship on Thursday evening. Round 3 sees us take on Camogue Rovers in Meanus on Wednesday evening at 7pm. Team: Dean Ryan, Ferdia O’Brien, Harry McGann, Joseph Corcoran, Odhran Gilroy, Ben Murray, Ferdia Minihane, Cillian Chawke (0-01), David Murphy (0-01), James McGann (2-00), Conor Kelly (0-01), Marcus Murphy (2-01), Conor Bermingham (0-02), Louis O’Flanagan (1-06), Eoin O’Sullivan (1-05, 1-00P). Subs: Rian McHugh, Cian Maloney and Michael Bownes.
Minor Hurling Championship Round 2:
Na Piarsaigh 0-19 Kilmallock 1-13
Our minor hurlers made it 2 wins from 2 on Wednesday evening in Páirc Uí Dromgúil following a hard fought 3-point victory over Kilmallock. The Baalbec entered the game having won their opening round clash with Glenroe by 5 points. We entered round 2 having overcome Mungret in a cracking encounter a fortnight ago.
Kilmallock burst out of the traps, bearing down on our goal within the opening minute. A certain 3-pointer was on the cards for the South Limerick side but for an exceptional diving block from our full back Mike Duggan. Our opponents gathered possession as the ball broke and took a point for their troubles. Mike’s intervention was a sign of things to come as he would go on to perform diligently at 3, at times popping up around the middle to link up play. He was immense from minute 1 to 60, also pulling off another goal saving hook half way through the second half.
We were 4 minutes in before Sean O’Brien got us off the mark with a nicely taken point following some great work from Bermo. Shane Waters got his first of the day not long after with an excellently taken score, around 50 yards out, just to the right of goals. David O’Keeffe would level the game at 3 each around the 7 minute mark following a smart pass from Sean O’Brien. David came onto the ball at pace and stroked the sliotar over from just inside the 45. He popped up again to add our 4th point following another dirty possession won by Bermo. Bermo didn’t get on the scoresheet on Wednesday evening but he did work his socks off and was an absolute nuisance for the Kilmallock backs to deal with. He provided two assists in the first half while also winning invaluable frees, our opponents having rugby tackled him to the ground on one occasion. Alex split the posts 3 times in the opening 30, the pick of them being his last on 22 minutes. Adam Fitzsimons gathered the ball in midfield, took on his man, before finding Harry
McGann. Harry picked out Alex with a perfectly timed pass for the Woodview man to float it over the bar. That score put us 2-points to the good. 9-points to 7.
Kilmallock hit us for a goal with about 5 to play in the first half. Their wing forward bore down on our goal, offloaded to a free man planted on the 14. There wasn’t much Marcus could do. The 3-pointer put them ahead by a point but we responded well with Shane converting 3 more frees including a monster from downtown just before the halftime whistle. Shane would end the day with 12 points, 11 of those from placed balls. But as with the Mungret match, he also won his fare share of those frees on Wednesday evening. Half time score: Na Piarsaigh 0-13 Kilmallock 1-08.
The second half was certainly one for the purists. We would go 11 minutes without a score but we did well not to allow Kilmallock grab a foothold. Danny Sheehan was a towering figure in the forwards all evening, winning multiple puck-outs and long balls. He couldn’t have done much more to get on the scoresheet. Paul McDonogh had a perfectly good goal ruled out due to a gapping hole in the net. You’d forgive Mike Sexton for not awarding it as many others in the grounds also thought it was wide. Shane kept the scoreboard ticking over with frees, adding to our only score from play in the second period coming from David O’Keeffe. This guy was absolutely superb and his point with about 10 to play was the score of the night. He won the ball at midfield, took a few flakes, having hurleys worn off him and still carrying on. With the ref playing advantage, he moved out of danger and drove the ball over from 40 yards. Just a class point from a classy player. We would run out 3-point winners.
It would be remiss not to mention the exceptional performance of Ben Murray at corner back and Ferdia Minihan on the wing. Ferdia proved strong under our opposition puck out and Ben cutting out multiple Kilmallock attacks over the 60 minutes. Once again, Harry McGann added exceptional workrate to our midfield, while Brozie gave his customary 8 out of 10 display at centre back. He also had to deal with some special treatment dished out by our opposition on the night.
Our next game sees us take on Glenroe at home on Wednesday the 30th at 7:30. Many of these players will be out with our minor footballers in round 2 of the football championship on Thursday evening against Galbally.
Team Marcus Murphy, Jack Hannon, Mike Duggan, Ben Murray, Adam Fitzsimons, Eoin Brosnan, Ferdia Minihan, David O’Keeffe (0-03), Harry McGann, Shane Waters (0-12, 0-11f), Alex Kearns (0-03), Conor Bermingham, Sean O’Brien (0-01), Danny Sheehan, Paul McDonogh. Subs: Conor Kelly for Jack Hannon, Padraigh Mullane for Sean O’Brien.