Senior Hurling Championship – Friday 29th May 2015 in Bruff
Kilmallock 3-15 South Liberties 1-12
Eleven minutes of the first half had elapsed before Paudie O’Brien opened Kilmallock’s account with a point from beyond the forty-five metre line. Notoriously slow to start Kilmallock had allowed South Liberties to put three points between the teams and failed to raise the tempo for much of a lack lustre first half. After twenty minutes the score was 0-7 to 0-3 in favour of Liberties and indeed with five minutes to go to half-time South Liberties were still ahead but then with a sudden injection of pace Kilmallock went ahead and went in at the break leading 1-7 to 0-8. The goal came from Paddy O’Loughlin – Eoin Ryan won the ball in midfield and was surprised to see the full-forward all alone twenty metres from goal. Ryan’s pinpoint pass found the youngest of the three O’Loughlin brothers and Paddy gave young Sean Keane, the Liberties net-minder, no chance.
Kilmallock, having grabbed the lead, came out in the second half with more urgency and points from Robbie Egan, Kevin O’Donnell and Robbie Hanley and two more goals from Paddy O’Loughlin put the result beyond doubt. Gavin O’Mahony’s move from centre-field to centre-forward after the break was the primary reason for the second half improvement and he was instrumental in both goals with his driving runs through the middle that made space for the inside forward-line. Free-taker Eoin Ryan scored eight points from placed balls and Kevin O’Donnell also had a long range pointed free in a stop-start game that also saw South Liberties score eight of their twelve points from frees.
Kilmallock : Barry Hennessy, Liam Hurley, Mark O’Loughlin, John Meade, Aaron Costello, Philip O’Loughlin, Kevin O’Donnell (0-2), Paudie O’Brien (0-1), Gavin O’Mahony, Jake Mulcahy, Robbie Hanley (0-1), Robbie Egan (0-2), Graeme Mulcahy, Paddy O’Loughlin (3-0), Eoin Ryan (0-9 ).
Substitutes : Conor Barry for Graeme Mulcahy 50 mins, Kieran Kenneally for Eoin Ryan 55 mins
