HIGHLIGHTS | Ballygiblin’s goal prove the difference as Kierans fall to Munster final defeat

The Limerick Junior Hurling champions fell the reigning kingpins who reached last year’s All-Ireland Junior final.

Ballygiblin retained their Munster Junior Hurling Championship crown on Sunday at the expense of St Kierans, winning the contest 3-12 to 0-11 in Mallow.

Three first half goals were the difference in Mallow as Shane Beston hit a hat trick for the defending champions to put the game beyond the Limerick champions

St Kierans opened the scoring through a Darragh Treacy point on three minutes but were leveled a minute later, the only scores in the opening ten minutes in a tight opening to the final.

Another point put Kieran’s back into the lead on twelve minutes, but they were dealt a huge blow when the reigning champions surged up the other end and played a couple of passes at the face of the Kieran’s goal before Beston hit the back of the net to give Ballygiblin a 1-1 to 0-2 lead.

Both teams exchanged points in the next five minutes before a long puck from Darragh Flynn was met by Beston who kept his composure to knock the sliotar towards goal and finished excellently to put Ballygiblin in a comfortable position already with just 18 minutes on the clock.

St Kierans worked well to narrow the deficit and were heading into half-time just two points behind until a Cathail O’ Mahoney effort rebounded off the post into the path of Beston yet again who fought off a challenge and fired past Cillian Ambrose in goal to secure a first-half hat-trick.

That left it at 3-2 to 0-7 as the teams headed for the dressing rooms.

Ian Mackessy continued to keep St Kierans in the game, notching their ninth and his eighth point on the 42nd minute mark but Ballygiblin continued to inflict damage onto the Limerick Junior champions, adding points to their tally as the game looked to be only going one way.

Five unanswered points for Ballygiblin gave them a healthy eleven point lead heading into stoppage time before Mackessy struck his tenth point of the game in a true captain’s performance but it wasn’t to be for them in the end as the game finished 3-12 to 0-11 to keep the title in Ballygiblin for another year.

2017 was the last year that a side from Cork didn’t get their hands on the title and St. Kieran’s were unable to prevent it happening for another year but will be a determined group next year as they prepare for Intermediate hurling.

Scorers for Ballygiblin: Shane Beston (3-3), Joseph O’Sullivan (0-9, 7 frees, 1 65′)

Scorers for St. Kierans : Ian Mackessy (0-10, 8 fress, 1 65)’, Darragh Treacy (0-1)

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