KILDIMO/PALLASKENRY GAA CLUB NOTES
PREMIER INTERMEDIATE HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP:
Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-19 Bruree 0-7
Our Champion Sliotars-sponsored Premier Intermediate hurlers have once again qualified for a County semi-final after a comprehensive victory over Bruree in our final group game. This was a must-win game; a loss would have seen Bruree qualify in our stead but there was no sign of nerves as the team delivered a hardworking and clinical performance to secure victory. Once again, the win was built upon a strong platform in defence as we kept Bruree to just a single point from play across the 60 minutes! This is a credit not only to our backline as the work rate from 1-15 was absolutely superb and a number of turnovers were won high up the pitch. We must also note that maintaining this level of work rate in such scorching hot conditions in Mick Neville Park is a testament to the standards these players are setting for themselves!
Bruree did start well, limiting our space in attack by playing a sweeper and frustrating us with some excellent work rate in the middle third. However, good pressure from our players
forced them into wides when they did take shots on. We took a few minutes to settle and it was Peter Nash who got our opening point from play, with a fine point from the middle of the field, one for the collection! The likes of Kyle Hayes and Conor Staff were really setting the tone with some phenomenal work rate; the hits were hard but fair and Bruree struggled to live with intensity. This also allowed us to feed dangermen such as Darren O’Connell and Paudi Hartigan and we would finish with seven different scorers from play. Darren really lit the game up with his scoring display, finishing with 2-4 from play. Darren’s first goal was excellent as he turned his marker, raced along the endline and finished superbly off his right side from a tight angle. He also added a couple of points from play, while also drawing fouls, the frees converted by Liam Griffin. Conor Staff added his name to the scoresheet, finishing off a lovely team move while Barry O’Connell also got in on the act with a fantastic score from out the field! We were denied a second goal by the Bruree goalkeeper when Darren linked up with Kyle Hayes and his rocket of a shot was diverted out for a ’65, which was converted by Liam. We kicked on after the water break and Paudi Hartigan was involved in the build-up for Darren’s second goal; Darren showed great aerial ability and again had the composure to fire past the goalkeeper. Bruree added a couple of points from frees but John Chawke also added a point from distance to leave the half-time score: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 2-8 Bruree 0-4.
The third quarter was probably the quietest but our defending remained superb; Luke O’Keeffe got on a huge amount of ball in defence while CÃan Hayes and Kevin O’Connell both snuffed out any hint of danger in our full-back line. The Bruree defence lying deep to close the space inside meant that there was space for our wing-backs to move into and Cathal Downes and Lorcan O’Leary got forward to great effect. Cathal, in particular, rampaged forward on numerous occasions and finished with two points from play!
We kicked on again in the final fifteen minutes to really blitz our opponents and finish in style, a testament to our fitness in the extreme heat! When Kyle Hayes raced through on goal
along the endline, he was hauled to ground by the Bruree full-back. He had fouled Darren in the first half and received a yellow card, the referee had no option but to give him second
yellow and send him off for this foul. Again, the free was converted but the scores then began to flow. Barry O’Connell fired over yet again before quick thinking from Kyle Hayes saw
him deliver an indirect crossfield to Cathal Downes, who moved into space, collected the ball and popped over the bar on the run. Darren O’Connell then had two quickfire points in the space of two minutes; both similar in nature as he collected the ball, beat his man and popped over the bar. Kyle also got a point from play in this period, as he swivelled away from the defender before firing over.
This was a comprehensive display, with fine performances all over the pitch and it means that we now have a County semi-final to look forward to. As in 2019, our semi-final opponents are Bruff, who topped the other group. Last year, it was a tight affair, a last-minute goal by Bruff brought the game to extra time where we eventually cut loose and ran out 11-point
winners but the extra-time scoreline was not a reflection of the entire 80 minutes of hurling.
Bruff were county finalists in 2018, semi-finalists in 2019 and have racked up some massive scores so far in 2020, winning three games from three and racking up a massive 5-54 in those games. But it is a task that our players will relish and now have almost four weeks to prepare!
Well done to all players and management for overcome the first hurdle and we’d like to wish them the very best of luck in the semi-final and beyond!
Team: John Chawke (0-1, free); Luke O’Keeffe, CÃan Hayes, Kevin O’Connell; Lorcan O’Leary, Tony McCarthy, Cathal Downes (0-2); Barry O’Connell (0-3, 0-1 free), Peter
Nash (0-1); Shaun Barry (0-1, free), Conor Staff (0-1), Liam Griffin (0-5, frees); Darren O’Connell (2-4), Kyle Hayes (0-1), Paudi Hartigan Subs: Jack O’Keeffe for Liam Griffin (45 mins); Adam Butler for Paudi Hartigan (52 mins);
Aaron O’Donovan for Barry O’Connell (52 mins)
U-16 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 1-15 Doon 3-18. An absolutely cracking game in Pallaskenry on Monday night as our U-16s went toe-to-toe with one of the
heavyweights of Limerick underage hurling. There were some absolutely sublime skill on show from both sides and, although we came out on the wrong side of the result, this was
simply a joy to watch. We are competing at the Premier grade at this level and capable of competing with the very best of teams; they will continue to develop massively by playing
against the highest quality teams in the county. Well done to all players and management and the best of luck for the rest of the campaign!
U-14 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP: Our U-14s also had a victory during the week over Claughaun; well done to all involved!
CLUB LOTTO: The winning numbers were 4, 10, 16 and 26. There was no winner of the overall draw; the €25 lucky dip winners were 1. D. Quilty; 2. M. O’Shaughnessy; 3. P.
Maher; 4. O. McDonald The jackpot rises to €5,700 for next week’s draw in Kildimo clubhouse. A huge thanks to
everyone who supports the club lotto, the main source of funds that keeps our club alive!