AIB Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship Final – Lismore (Waterford) 2-14 Kilmoyley (Kerry) 0-13

Lismore (Waterford) defeated Kilmoyley (Kerry) by 2-14 to 0-13 in the AIB Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship Final on Saturday November 19th at Mallow.

Lismore lift off in second-half

Report by Diarmuid Sheehan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Lismore (Waterford) 2-14 Kilmoyley (Kerry) 0-13

Lismore are the new Munster Club IHC champions after an impressive victory over Kerry side Kilmoyley at Mallow’s GAA Complex on Saturday.

In front of over 1,000 fans, the Waterford men rallied well in the second period after a sluggish opening 30 minutes that saw the side’s level at the interval 0-7 to 0-7.

“We just weren’t clinical enough in the first-half,” Lismore manager Dave Barry admitted. “We had two goal chances that were well saved but overall we needed to improve in the second period. I thought our start to the second-half was key as the 1-2 gave us some breathing space. We won well at the end and that is a testament to the lads. We are a small club and only had 21 players togged out. Injuries have hurt us but this is a brilliant result and we are really looking forward to the All-Ireland series now.”

His opposite number Fergie O’Loughlin was far from downbeat given his side’s display. “We didn’t come to Mallow just to make up the numbers and I felt we played really well. Class won out on the day but that is no reflection on our lads. We got hooked and caught when we probably shouldn’t have but that all comes with experience. Our lads will benefit from a Munster Final and hopefully we can go on from this.”

Lismore opened well with points from Maurice Shanahan, Brendan Landers and Jack Prendergast. However Kilmoyley never let the Waterford men get more than two points ahead and managed to go in at the turn level. Daniel Collins was the star of the show for the Kingdom side with all of their scores (0-13) – including two monster efforts from inside his own half.

Lismore came flying out of the traps after the break rattling over a quick Maurice Shanahan point before corner forward Peter O’Keeffe made the most of some indecision to finish past Aidan McCabe. Lismore stuck the net again five minutes later when Maurice Shanahan cut through the defensive pack after some more good work from Dan. Kilmoyley looked like they could be on the way to a substantial defeat but credit to the men in green and gold they continued to cause problems for Lismore but from 20 minutes out this one was always going the way of the Deise men.

Scorers for Lismore: M Shanahan 1-9 (six frees, one sixty five); P O’Keeffe 1-0; Jack Prendergast, John Prendergast, D Shanahan, B Landers, R Barry 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilmoyley: D Collins 0-13 (eight frees).

LISMORE: Seanie Barry; P Hennessey, D Prendergast, S Reaney; E Bennett, R Barry, P Prendergast; Stevie Barry, John Prendergast; B Landers, Jack Prendergast, M Shanahan; J Shanahan, D Shanahan, P O’Keeffe.
Subs: B Bennett for S Barry (41), E Quann for B Landers (60), E O’Sullivan for John Prendergast (60), R Landers for Jordan Shanahan (60), O Lineen for O’Keeffe (60).

KILMOYLEY: A McCabe; S Murnane, C Savage, D Fitzell; T Murnane, S Dowling, K McCarthy; P O’Connor, J Godley; L Fitzell, D Collins, S Maunsell; R Collins, A Royle, M O’Connor.
Subs: J McElligott for L Fitzell (38), J Brick for D Maunsell (51), F McCarthy for Dowling (58), B Harris for R Collins (58), JP O’Mahony for Murnan (60), T Maunsell for Harris (60).

Referee: R McGann (Clare)