Effin claim win over Na Piarsaigh in Limerick premier intermediate hurling championship

“WE MADE hard work of it conceding that goal just after half-time and it was frustrating running up wides with the wind at our backs but we got over the line in the end,” was how manager Adrian Barrett reacted to Effin recovering from their single-point opening round defeat to Garryspillane by defeating Na Piarsaigh’s second team 2-25 to 2-20 Lyons of Limerick premier intermediate hurling championship clash in Bruff on Sunday.

In an afternoon dominated by the a strong blustery breeze blowing into the Road End goals, the South Limerick club looked as if the had done all the hard work by defying the elements to go into the dressing-rooms on level terms. However, they were made fight for every inch of their victory by their gritty opponents and only got the chance to move in for the kill during the final quarter.

Despite shooting 15 wides to their opponent’s tally of eight and also losing the free count by 13 to eight, Effin had the star quality in county goakeeper Nickie Quaid and senior squad members Patrick O’Donovan and Fergal O’Connor to give them the edge around the middle and the sense of momentum that finally overcome the Northsiders’ dogged refusal to lie down.

Those qualities showed most as they clinically reeled in the Caherdavin club’s painstakingly-constructed lead to go into the break on level terms and again when a blitz just after the three-quarter mark yielded a match-winning lead.

SCORERS: EFFIN: Patrick O’Donovan 0-11 (5 frees, 1 ’65’), Jack Quaid 2-1, Ewan Dillon 0-5, Ruairí O’Connor 0-3, Pierse O’Kelly 0-2, Nickie Quaid, Clive Doherty, Fergal O’Connor, Cillian O’Riordan 0-1 each. NA PIARSAIGH: Evan Sweeney 2-7 (0-5 frees), Pat Gleeson 0-7 (4 frees), Pa O’Neill, James Daly, James Finn, Kevin Daly, Marcus Hogan, James O’Brien (free) 0-1 each.

EFFIN: James O’Leary; Mark Mullins, Alan Byrne, Seán Canning; Michael Rea, Clive Doherty, Enda Kelly; Nickie Quaid, Feargal O’Connor; Ruairí O’Connor, Paddy O’Donovan, Ewan Dillon; Jack Quaid, Tommy Quaid, Pierse O’Kelly. SUBS: Cillian O’Riordan for Enda Kelly (50 minutes), Conor Kearney for Michael Rea (59 minutes).

NA PIARSAIGH: Evan Condon; John O’Keeffe, Mark O’Connor, Jim Beary; James Finn, Alan Dempsey, Bradley Moran; Pat Gleeson, Dean McLoughlin; Kevin Daly, Evan Sweeney, Pa O’Neill; Marcus Hogan, James O’Brien, James Daly. SUBS: Josh Sheehan for Bradley Moran (half-time), Kevin Ryan for Pa O’Neill (half-time).

REFEREE: John O’Halloran (Bruree).