On This Day: U20’s fall to Kerry in Munster as Mary I overcome LIT in Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final

February 26

On this day last year, the Limerick U20 footballers fell to defeat against Kerry in the Munster semi-final while in 2016 Mary I overcame neighbours LIT in the last four of the Fitzgibbon Cup.

2020

The valiant Limerick U20 footballers came up just short as Kerry advanced to the Munster final with a 0-14 to 0-7 win in Mick Neville Park.

A week previously, Limerick needed a late point to overcome Tipperary and were made to pay for a slow start in Rathkeale.

The Kingdom had three of the first four scores in the opening ten minutes with James Cummins offering the only respite for Jerry O’Sullivan’s side.

James Molyneaux and Eoin O’Mahony had the deficit to a single point prior to the half but two in return from Kerry had their lead at 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.

The sides exchanged scores to start the second period but two on the bounce had Kerry four to the good heading into the final ten minutes.

Limerick had what looked like a legitimate point disallowed and Kerry would take full advanatage as they stretched their lead out to 0-10 to 0-4.

Form here, Kerry closed out in comfortable fashion as their defensive discipline saw them concede no scores from placed balls and in the end the margin was seven points.

2016

Mary I advanced to a second ever Fitzgibbon Cup final as they overcame neighbours LIT 0-11 to 0-9 in CIT.

The low scoring victory set up another local clash in the final with UL advancing earlier in the day.

Declan Hannon, Darragh O’Donovan, Richie English, David Reidy and Cian Lynch all started for the victors while Davy Fitz’ had Diarmaid Byrnes, David Dempsey and Alan Dempsey at his disposal.

It was 0-3 to 0-1 in Mary I’s favour inside seven minutes but there wouldn’t be another score for 16 minutes in testing conditions. LIT eventually found the target but efforts from Hannon, Reidy and O’Donovan had Mary I 0-6 to 0-3 ahead at the short whistle.

Byrnes and Hannon swapped points on the restart before Mary I moved five clear.

But LIT countered through Byrnes and had it back a one-point game in injury time. However, Hannon was on hand for his 5th of the day to send Mary I into the decider.