Liam White previews the first knockout phase of the Senior Hurling Championship
This Sunday marks the beginning of the knockout phase of the Bons Secours Limerick Senior Hurling Championship. The winners of this weekend’s quarter-finals are set to be rewarded with a place in the semi-finals, where both Na Piarsaigh and Doon have all already secured their spots.
Two intriguing games on Sunday afternoon will see 20-time champions Patrickswell take on Monaleen at 2 pm in Bruff before Kilmallock face off against Ballybrown which throws in at 5 pm in Mick Neville Park.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the fixtures:
Patrickswell v Monaleen – 2 pm in Bruff
The clash between Patrickswell and Monaleen is Sunday’s curtain raiser and is an intriguing clash. Both Aaron Gillane and Cian Lynch missed the final-round defeat to Kilmallock two weeks ago. Despite this, manager Ciaran Carey hopes to have the pair available for selection in what would be a massive boost to their hopes of securing the win.
Last year’s beaten finalists have blown very hot and more predominantly cold this season, with just two wins from their five group games. Their last defeat against Kilmallock saw Shane O’Brien register seven points and saw ‘The Balbec’ take third spot in the group. On Sunday Patrickswell will turn to the likes of Cian Lynch and Diarmuid Byrnes for leadership as well as the in form Patrick Kirby to provide a threat on the scoreboard.
Monaleen were second best in Group Two having won four out of their five games, with their only defeat coming in the opening round against Ballybrown. Since then, they’ve been very consistent with four wins on the bounce, their most recent one being a three-point win over Kildimo Pallaskenry.
They’ve also been very sharp with their shooting as they’ve racked up an impressive tally of 6-104 so far in five games. Donnacha O’Dalaigh will be hoping to continue his clinical season as he’s been Monaleen’s main source of scores, alongside Matthew Fitzgerald.
The winner of the Patrickswell and Monaleen tie will go on to face Doon in the county semi-final on October 13 in Kilmallock at 1 pm.
Kilmallock v Ballybrown – 5 pm in Mick Neville Park
The second semi-final sees Kilmallock square off with Ballybrown. This game poses a huge challenge for Ballybrown. Despite topping group two, they face a formidable outfit who know what it takes to go all the way in Limerick and Kilmallock will no doubt have their sights fully set on winning the Daly Cup for the first time since 2021.
They ended the group phase positively as they dispatched rivals Patrickswell comprehensively, with the aforementioned Shane O’Brien putting in a man-of-the-match display at full forward. Aside from a nine-point defeat to reigning champions Na Piarsaigh, ‘The Balbec’ have competed extremely well thus far, with their only other defeat coming in round one when Doon beat them by a single point.
Ballybrown last appeared in a county decider in 2016 and have been desperate to get back there ever since. While they will be underdogs this weekend, they finished top of Group Two and won four of their five games for a reason. They won’t fear Kilmallock in any way and will be brave in their approach, with 22-year-old Aidan O’Connor likely to be their main source of scores as he aims to prove why he’s one of the most exciting young prospects in the Treaty County.
The winner of the Kilmallock and Ballybrown quarter-final will go on to face Na Piarsaigh in the semi-final on October 13 in Mick Neville Park at 5 pm.