2 weeks Ago By Colm Kinsella
BRUFF claimed their fourth win of the group stages of the Lyons of Limerick premier intermediate hurling championship after securing a 1-24 to 2-17 victory over winless Na Piarsaigh at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale on Thursday night. Although looking marginally the more rounded side in this sixth round clash under the floodlights, it wasn't until well after the break that Bruff found enough fluency to their game to move into a lead of substance. However, even after they had put themselves in a winning position, Bruff were suckered into conceding turnovers as they built from the back which Na Piarsaigh converted into two late goals in a late attempt to avoid ending up in a relegation head-to-head in their postponed clash with Glenroe.
Much of the game revolved around which set of strikers would figure most often on the scorebaord as Bruff's Josh Keating and Na Piarsaigh's Pa O'Neill bagged all of the goals and most of the successful frees between them. The two players were backed up in the red corner by Paul Browne and in the sky-blue corner by James O'Brien who, between them, gave an exhibition of shooting from play before the break. However, when Bruff got their set-up from deep ticking over, they were able to impose a period of dominance long enough to deliver the victory needed to keep their hopes of making the semi-finals alive.
Na Piarsaigh got quickly down to business as Alan Dempsey's pointed free and Marcus Hogan's score from play had them two ahead inside a minute. However, when Bruff found their stride, Keating and Owen Meaney's pointed free tied up the scores before O'Brien's reply restored the Caherdavin side's advantage. However, the even early exchanges were interrupted when Josh Keating collected on the run, drew and rounded two challenges, then flicked the sliotar over the a third one before rounding his marker to double on the ball to the far corner of the net for one of the most spectacular goals ever scored on the Limerick club scene.
But Bruff failed to build on their lead as the game developed into a tit-for-tat contest of markmanship and the Caherdavin club used the height of O'Brien as their target as well as the possession gained by Dempsey while the Stars were fed by the pinpoint deliveries of Seán Finn. Twice O'Brien and Browne swapped points, before Pa O'Neill and Keating exchanged frees. A Dempsey pointed '65 was met by scores from Browne and O'Neill who had his score answered by Keating's free.
After Mark Hogan's shot was stopped on the line by Eric Finn, an O'Neill free levelled the scores. However, points from Browne, Danny O'Leary and Keating's free put Bruff back ahead before Dempsey's '65' reduced Bruff's lead to four points 1-12 to 0-11 at the break. Although Bruff sent over a '65' on the restart, O'Brien and O'Neill both collected clearances to point and the gap remained at a single point as frees from Meany and Keating were in turn cancelled out by O'Neill from a free and from play.
Coming up towards the three-quarter mark, the Stars found an extra gear. Points from Darragh Butler, Browne, Pa Finn, off a solo from deep in his own half, Keating's free, Browne again and Seán Finn shot them seven points ahead. Even when the scoring blitz stopped, their defence was crowding the Caherdavin club's attempts at a reply.
Then a defensive turnover was pounced on by James Daly and, even though his shot was saved by Eric Finn, O'Neill whipped the rebound into the net. Immediate points in reply from Keating and O'Leary appeared to have quenched hopes of a late recovery. However, the Caherdavin side wasn't listening and, as they forced another turnover, O'Neill was on hand to lift, strike and find the far corner of the net to bring the gap back to three with four regulation minutes to go.
Butler's point in reply was cancelled out by an O'Neill pointed free as was Meaney's point by a score from Mark Hogan. However, when Keating pointed on the return going into added time, Na Piarsaigh were unable to draw any closer. SCORERS: BRUFF: Josh Keating 1-8 (5 frees), Paul Browne 0-6, Owen Meaney 0-4 (2 frees, 1 '65'), Danny O'Leary, Darragh Butler 0-2, Pa Finn, Seán Finn 0-1 each; NA PIARSAIGH: Pa O'Neill 2-7 (0-4 frees), Alan Dempsey (2 '65's, 1 free), James O'Brien 0-4 each, Marcus Hogan, Mark Hogan 0-1 each.
BRUFF: Eric Finn; Pa Finn, Seán Casey, Seán Murnane; Colin Madden, Seán Finn, Kevin Bonnar; Gavin Bracken, Owen Meaney; Darragh Butler, Paul Browne, Josh Keating; Mikey O'Riordan, Danny O'Leary, Paul O'Riordan. SUBS: David Browne for Mikey O'Riordan (44 minutes), Diarmuid Dennehy for Paul O'Riordan (55 minutes). NA PIARSAIGH: Evan Condon; John O'Keeffe, Mark O'Connor, Jim Beary; Dean McLoughlin,, James O'Brien, Ronan Benson; James Daly, Alan Dempsey; Kevin Daly, Evan Sweeney, Dillon Skehan; Marcus Hogan, Mark Hogan, Pa O'Neill.
SUBS: Pat Gleeson for Dean McLoughlin (41 minutes), David Sheppard for Kevin Daly (44 minutes), Pádraig Heaney for Dillon Skehan (48 minutes). REFEREE: Tom McGlinchy (Na Piarsaigh)..
