Kiskeam fall short to an

after the interval.

In the end, there could be no disputing Kiskeam were beaten by a better team, as they were forced to play second fiddle for long stretches of a highly entertaining contest in which free-flowing football was very much the order of the day.

Credit to the Rebel County standard-bearers, they never gave up the fight, and it’s testimony to their admirable resolve that they remained in with a shout until the final whistle.

The truth is, however, that Adare looked the more convincing side for most of the hour, as they became the first team from Shannonside to register a victory over Cork opposition in this competition.

They had outstanding individual contributions from such as Shane Costello and Limerick senior panellist Hugh Bourke up front, Jack English at midfield and Diarmuid Sexton at wing back, while centre back David Connolly and hard-working wing forward Davy Lyons – who was surprisingly called ashore approaching the last ten minutes – were others to make a particulary telling input to what, in essence, was a vibrant team display.

By contrast, the number of Kiskeam players entitled to feel completely satisfied with how they shaped up could easily be counted on one hand.

Tom O’Sullivan at corner-forward, Joseph Dennehy at centre-back and goalkeeper Anthony Casey certainly emerged from the fray with their reputations intact, as did selected full-forward Daniel Fitzgerald in his customary role as a sweeper in front of the fullback line.

It would be fair to say Adare held most of the aces otherwise, with the impact made by midfielder English and Costello at full-forward especially significant in terms of undermining Kiskeam’s aspirations overall.

Costello underlined his threat from the outset, slotting over a brace of points at either side of Kiskeam’s opening score, which came from Tom O’Sullivan in the second minute. Adare had stretched the gap to three points before Gene Casey added to Kiskeam’s tally seven minutes later, after Adrian Carroll had intercepted a pass around the middle to create the opening.

That triggered off a purple-patch which yielded further scores from Michael Herlihy, Gene Casey – who converted a free won by Tom O’Sullivan following a poor kickout by the Adare ‘keeper – and Robert Carroll, allowing Kiskeam to hit the front for the first time, 0-5 to 0-4, in the 14th minute.

With Adrian Carroll doing well at midfield, and Tom O’Sullivan and David Scannell showing flashes of potential in a two-man full forward line, Kiskeam’s prospects began to take on a rosy hue at that juncture.

They were unable to keep the momentum going, however, as can be gauged from the fact that