BROTHERS IN ARMS
Breens shoot the lights out late on to net another title for Na Piarsaigh
NA PIARSAIGH maintained their perfect Munster Championship record thanks to the brilliance of Adrian Breen at Semple Stadium yesterday.
Breen and his brother David accounted for 3-5 of their team’s tally as they clinched a fourth Munster title in seven season, and took their unbeaten record to 11 in the provincial game.
The last two goals arrived late on, in response to Peter Hogan’s strike that pulled Balygunner to within a point, but such was Na Piarsaigh’s dominance in the second period, that a lethargic first half did not cost Shane O’Neill’s side.
‘It’s actually crazy when you think of where we were, just trying to win our first county title, just six years ago,’ said O’Neill.
‘Winning four Munster club titles, it’s a phenomenal achievement,’ said O’Neill. ‘The only other club we’re behind now is Blackrock, who are one of the greatest teams ever to play, be it at county or club level.
‘The boys dug deep in the second half when Ballygunner got the first three points. Then questions were asked. We took over after that. I thought we were really good and that is just a reflection of the group. ‘Up to 2011 we were trying so hard just to break through in the county but what has happened over the last six or seven years, it’s crazy really.’ This was a long way from the perfect 60 minutes from the Limerick champions, who now go on to face Slaughtneil in February’s All-Ireland semi-final. They were bossed for long periods of the opening half and were fortunate to only trail 1-4 to 0-6 at the interval, while they fell four points behind early in the second half too. It was a period in the game where it seemed certain that Ballygunner would claim a second Munster title in 16 years, but O’Neill’s side finally shook off their sloppy play, began to run at their opponents and the scores arrived. ‘We looked jittery, we were dropping balls that we were first to. We weren’t winning clean possession around the half-forward line, we weren’t winning breaks around the middle of the field,’ said O’Neill.
‘When you are not winning primary possession you are on the back foot straight away. The boys went back to basics. Worked out well in the second half.
‘They weren’t harsh words at half-time. These boys have been through it themselves. They are very ambitious and if guys aren’t performing they’ll say it and a few of the boys did.
‘I turned, about five, 10 minutes to go, to the management and said, “this is just a phenomenal championship match that’s going on here.”
‘It goes back to Munster club, that anything can happen. We finished very strongly in the end, definitely the scoreline flatters us.’
With the teams tied 0-2 each after frantic opening few minutes Ballygunner finally took a hold of the game when Conor Power hit the net after 10 minutes. He was fortunate that his marker Jerome Boylan slipped on the greasy surface, but his low finish was convincing after Shane O’Sullivan’s accurate delivery.
Pauric Mahony was regarded as Ballygunner’s dangerman in the run-up to this game but he had
an afternoon to forget. From the seven frees he took, three went wide, another three dropped short, while he scored one, which stretched his side’s lead in the 24th minute.
But Na Piarsaigh put in an impressive burst in the last few minutes before half-time, which was crucial. Ronan Lynch slotted a brilliant sideline cut, before Peter Casey and Adrian Breen pointed to leave just a score between the teams.
‘We thought at half-time maybe we could have been a little bit more ahead,’ said Ballygunner boss Fergal Hartley.
‘In fairness they were very economic with the ball. They seemed to be getting scores a little bit more fluently than we were. But that’s all could have, would have.
‘That’s what good teams do. They hang in and even when things aren’t going for them, they hang in. Then when they get the run they punish you and that’s what they did, they got a run and they punished us.’
Ballygunner would have been thrilled with their good start to the second half as Pauric Mahony fired over a great score and his lead was followed by Hogan and Billy O’Keeffe, but from there their challenge faltered.
David Breen’s first goal seemed to give Na Piarsaigh the belief they required and when Adrian Breen and Kevin Downes pointed immediately they suddenly held a twopoint advantage.
That lead had swelled to four by the time Hogan goaled for Ballygunner with two minutes remaining, but the Breen brothers hit goals to clinch the win.
Barry Coughlan was sent off in added-time following an off-theball clash with David Breen — he had earlier been booked — but the double strike at the death was their downfall.