JUNIOR B CITY HURLING LEAGUE FINAL: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 6-11 Ballybrown 6-09. A first piece of silverware for the year and done in exhilarating fashion as the Junior B hurlers took the City League title against near neighbours Ballybrown in Mungret! A twelve-goal thriller, this game had everything and there were jubilant scenes at full-time as long-time servant Brendan Meskell lifted the trophy in front of what was a big crowd!

 

During the first half, it did not seem as if the game was going to deliver one of such epic proportions as, playing with a strong wind at our back, we dominated the half completely. We had a goal inside a minute as a barnstorming run from Kieran O'Brien down the flank opened up their defence and poacher supreme, Danny O'Sullivan, was on hand to fire home. Jack O'Keeffe added a couple of nice points from play, with Tom O'Shea beginning to pull the strings at centre-forward. Shane Gloster made a smart stop to deny Ballybrown goal, and Chris McMahon also made a very clever defensive flick to prevent his man raising a green flag. But our dominance continued as Evan McCarthy rounded his man and tapped over a point before Tom O'Shea drove through the Ballybrown backline and slammed the ball into the back of the net to give us a nine-point lead before Ballybrown would get their first score through a free.

 

Kieran O'Brien was having a fine outing at wing-forward and he drove over a score from distance before setting off on another solo run and setting up Jack O'Keeffe for Jack's third point from play. This was followed by another goal from Tom O'Shea who was terrorising the Ballybrown defence, before Kieran O'Brien drove over another long-distance score. Ballybrown would then get their first point from play but we would round out the half with points from Shane O'Brien, Brendan Meskell and a fourth from Jack O'Keeffe. This gave us a 17-point lead at the break, all of which were from play. Half-time score: Kildimo/Pallaskenry 3-10 Ballybrown 0-2.

 

We knew that Ballybrown would come back fighting, and would have the wind at their back but our players could perhaps be forgiven for resting on their laurels after exerting a big effort in the first half. Yet huge credit must go to our opponents who fought tooth and nail for everything and came right back into contention. They hit us for a goal very early on, followed it up with a point from play and then another goal. A converted '65 had followed and they had hit 2-2 in the half before we had even come back out to play. Evan McCarthy was the man to stand up and halt the momentum as he found the back of the net, well-deserved considering the work rate put in by him throughout the game.

 

The goal was a welcome relief but Ballybrown were never going to lie down and knew they needed goals and they hit yet another shortly after, followed by two points which meant the gap was down to seven; 4-10 to 3-6. Jack O'Keeffe settled our nerves a small bit with our first point of the second half via a free, but we were struggling to score into what was a gale-force wind, as our opponents had in the first half. The likes of Darragh & Ciarán O'Brien and Martin Neville were fighting for everything in the backline but the Ballybrown onslaught was constant and they would get another point from play before a fourth goal, which would narrow the gap to just four points.

 

When they hit a big score from distance, it seemed that everything was going their way and this would continue over the next few minutes. A shot from about twenty yards took a wicked deflection and spun past Shane Gloster who had gone the other way and over the line to level the game! Considering our lead at half-time, we couldn't believe it and our neighbours would soon take the lead for the first time in the game with a free. It would have been easy to panic, everything was going against us, momentum was well and truly with Ballybrown but you need the big men for the big moments and we had those men. Shane O'Brien dropped a long ball in around the square and only a day after Mikey Dillon had found the net with an overhead pull against Granagh/Ballingarry in the Intermediate Championship, Evan McCarthy did the same for the Junior Bs. Cue wild celebrations on the sideline and on the terrace. Seconds later the ball went in again to the captain, Brendan Meskell; he burst through on goal and fired into the top corner to seal the victory! To give credit to Ballybrown, they kept going and found the net once again but it was too little, too late and the night was ours!

 

A fantastic first-half performance was followed by showing real heart when things went against us in the second half. We got the goals when we needed them and were just about deserving victors on the night. Great to see so many people out in support of the team, and it'd be hard to find a more enjoyable Monday night. Well done to the lads and to the management team, and hopefully there is more silverware to come!

 

Team: Shane Gloster; Darragh O'Brien, Chris McMahon, Aidan Lunn; Mossy Sheehan, Ciarán O'Brien, Martin Neville; JP Carey, Shane O'Brien (0-2); Jack O'Keeffe (0-5, 0-1 free), Tom O'Shea (2-0), Kieran O'Brien (0-2); Danny O'Sullivan (1-0), Brendan Meskell (1-1), Evan McCarthy (2-1)

 

Subs: Gerard McKeogh for Danny O'Sullivan; Naoise McGarrigle for JP Carey

 

Panel: James Fitzgerald, Darren Lane, Jack Mullane, Evan Considine, Féilim O'Leary, Stephen Hodnett

 

JUNIOR FOOTBALLERS: Our junior footballers are going for a fourth City League title in a row, as they face Monaleen on Thursday night. The game is provisionally set for Mungret at 7pm. Best of luck to the lads, here's hoping for another piece of silverware for the collection!

 

LIMERICK CITY U-17s: Congratulations to Mikey Hayes, Adam Butler, Shaun Barry, Liam Griffin and Luke O'Keeffe who were part of the Limerick City side who defeated North Cork in the Celtic Challenge tournament by a single point. A huge honour for the lads and for the club to be involved, and in such large numbers.

 

LIMERICK SENIOR FOOTBALLERS: Best of luck to Peter Nash, Tony McCarthy and the rest of the Limerick senior footballers who are due to face Clare in the opening round of the Championship next Sunday at 3.30pm in Cusack Park, Ennis.

 

LOTTO NUMBERS: The winning numbers on Monday May 15 were 1, 7, 8, 14. There was no winner of the jackpot; which is now up to €6,200. There were four lucky dip winners at €25 each.

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