Mungret/St Paul’s power past Cappagh to win Limerick Intermediate Football League title:
By John Redington Limerick Leader Sport
MUNGRET ST PAULS won the Limerick Intermediate Football League title this Monday evening.
In Askeaton the side in red and white were 2-14 to 0-8 final winners over Cappagh to win early season silverware.
With thirty-five players turning up, Mungret were spoiled for selection choice as they contested this final and they didn’t disappoint as they ran out comfortable winners over Cappagh in a game in which they were never headed.
Indeed, they looked as if they had only to go through the motions as they started off with four quickfire points, three from their outstanding forward Eoin Ryan who kept up his barrage from all angles right to the end, but, after tightening themselves at the back and driven on by the impressive combination of former county senior star Séamus O’Carroll and Jack Lenihan, they were being given a right tussle up to the early minutes of the second half.
However, Cappagh’s dreams of causing a major upset died within the space of minutes when two disastrous kickouts turned a deficit of manageable proportions into a yawning gap beyond the possibilities of recovery. But even if they hadn’t managed to perform their kamikaze double-act, the losers were always struggling to contain the depth of talent in every line of the Mungret formation.
Mungret made all the early running, sweeping through the lines, passing on the run and opening up the spaces for James Garvey to get them off the mark and three majestic strikes from Ryan to open up a four-point gap. Cappagh, on the other hand, struggled to get any pace into their movement and were depending on O’Carroll’s passes to open up the spaces, the first of which found Lenihan to get them on the scoreboard.
Ryan and Eoin Ryan Bosco replied for the Raheen club but their scoring rate dipped when the Cappagh defence found some shape and play evened out in the second quarter as Lenihan’s strike was met by Ryan and his free replied to one from O’Carroll to leave the City team leading 0-8 to 0-3 at half-time.
Cappagh threw everything into attack on the restart but, between a pair of wides, another two dropping short and two more kicks blocked, they just couldn’t manage to draw closer and then to rub salt in their wounds, Ryan Bosco pointed off Mungret’s first attack. However, that was the least of the West Limerick side’s misfortune as the next kickout was taken short, Seán Moran intercepted it and ground-kicked to the empty net before Mark Collins could get back to his posts.
O’Carroll sent over a spectacular point off the resulting kickout but Diarmuid Hynes and Ryan immediately pointed immediately at the other end and lightning struck the Cappagh restart a second time when David Bridgeman pounced on another abortive short kickout and tapped into the unguarded goals. With the result already settled despite twenty minutes remaining, the subs trooped on, play became disjointed, Barry Lenihan and Tom Lloyd swapped scores, O’Carroll sent over two free which were met by two from Ryan and, as John Fitzgerald walked after picking up a second yellow, Jack Lenihan pointed to end the scoring.
SCORERS: MUNGRET: Eoin Ryan 0-9 (4 frees), Seán Moran, David Bridgeman 1-0 each, Eoin Ryan Bosco 0-2, James Garvey, Diarmuid Hynes, Tom Lloyd 0-1 each. CAPPAGH: Séamus O’Carroll 0-4 (3 frees), Jack Lenihan 0-3, Barry Lenihan 0-1.
MUNGRET: Jake Foley; Tom Lloyd, Rob Hegarty, Stephen Dilworth; Mike Lorigan, Dave Riordan, James Garvey; Cian O’Doherty, David Bridgeman;, Conor Galvin, Eoin Ryan, Diarmuid Hynes; Conor Garvey, Seán Moran, Luke Walsh. Subs: Eoin Ryan Bosco for Conor Galvin, (21 minutes), Breandáán Ó hAnnaidh for Rob Hegarty, injured (40 minutes), Peter Harrington for Conor Garvey (43 minutes), David Guilfoyle for David Bridgeman (48 minutes), Conor White for Dave Riordan (52 minutes).
CAPPAGH: Mark Collins; Jack Shiels, Tom McMahon, Denis Lenihan; Conor Lenihan, Barry Lenihan, Nessan Leahy; Eoin Barry, Séamus O’Carroll; Richard Lenihan, Jack Lenihan, Cian O’Carroll; John Fitzgerald, Colin Barry, Stephen Young. Subs: Maurice Lenihan for Jack Shiels (Half-time), Kenneth Lenihan for Richard Lenihan (45 minutes), Kevin Dee for Cian O’Connor (55 minutes).
REFEREE: Mike Woulfe (Patrickswell).