Na Piarsaigh & Kilmallock look like the teams to beat after Round 3 of Limerick SHC.

Group 1 table toppers Kilmallock maintained their 100% record with a victory over a competitive Doon side at  the Gaelic Grounds on a 2-17 to 3-10 scoreline.

Both teams came into he game on the back of two wins each so something had to give. The win moves Kilmallock two points on six points.

Two Robbie Hanley goals’s had the winners 2-11 to 2-3 up at half-time before Doon hit back with four unanswered points to cut the deficit to just four points.

It wasn’t to be as Kilmallock showed their strength and finished with the upperhand.

Ballybrown and Ahane are locked together in joint third place on three points after three games.

Last year’s county finalists Ballybrown never really got out for second gear as they eased past a disappointing South Liberties on a 1-18 to 0-6 points scoreline. South Liberties simply never got going and trailed 1-9 to 0-1 at the break with Ballybrown’s Alan O’Connor proving a massive thorn in their sides with a whopping 1-6 to his name.

There was little improvement in the second half as Ballybrown cruised to a 15 point win.

In the remaining Group 1 game, Ahane eked out a hard fought win over Bruf on a scoreline of 2-10 to 0-14 at Caherconlish.

Ahane have picked up three points from their opening fixtures and are still very much in the shake up for a quarter final spot while Bruff are struggling with nothing to show for their three outings to date.

Listen to the Weekly Observer’s Matt O’Callaghan review Round 3 with Sporting Limerick’s Raffaele Rocca.

In Group 2, Adare pipped Cappamore 1-17 to 1-16 in Bruff on Saturday night. A John Fitzgibbon goal late in the first half helped Adare to a commanding 1-12 to 0-6 point lead at the break.

Cappamore came out a different side it the second half and gave the West Limerick side a real scare. A Joe Lonergan goal was the highlight of the second half for Cappamore who will be bitterly disappointed with the result but can take a lot of pride from their performance.

Na Piarsaigh made light work of city rivals Monaleen on a 6-21 to 0-16 point scoreline at a wet and windy Childers Road. In absolutely terrible conditions, the 2016 All Ireland Club Champions ruthlessly exposed the difference between the two sides.

Their hunger and desire is most certainly back after last year’s blot on the copy book and they look like certainties to contest the County final later in the year.

Patrickswell showed their county credentials  as they eased to a 4-23 to 0-9 win over Knockainey in Bruff. A Kevin O’Brien goal inside the opening seconds set the tone for what was to be a torrid night for the Knockainey defence.

Gary Kirby’s side went in at the break 12 points ahead and added three further goals in the second half for a comfortable win.