Gaelic Games

Adare retain Limerick football title against Ballylanders

Charlie McCarthy comes off the bench to score late injury time goal for Adare

Adare are the 2018 Limerick senior football champions. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Sun Oct 21 2018 - 20:41

Adare 1-13 Ballylanders 0-12

Adare retained the Limerick football title with a very hard earned win over Ballylanders in Newcastle West.

It was one of the best finals for many years and it took a goal in the final seconds of the fourth minute of added time to clinch the win. It came from ‘super sub’ Charlie McCarthy with his first touch.

Ballylanders will wonder what went wrong in the third quarter after they led by 0-9 to 0-5 at halftime with Kieran O’Callaghan getting four of their points, two from frees.

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Adare had four points without reply from Robbie Bourke, Jack English, Mark Connolly and another superb score by the outstanding English to make it 0-9 each.

With three sets of brothers in their side Adare went three clear again only for battling Ballylanders to get three in a row to leave the minimum between then.

Ballylanders, four times winners, missed a free to make it 0-13 apiece and as they swept into attack in the final minutes Adare turned over possession and three players, were involved in creating the late opportunity for McCarthy.

Adare: B Carmody; J Fitzgerald, A O'Connor, D Connolly; O Collins, E Ryan, P Maher; S Keeley (0-1), J English (0-3); D Lyons, H Bourke (0-4, 0-1f), M Lyons (0-1); M Connolly (0-2), R Bourke (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1'45') S O'Connor.

Subs:S Doherty for English (58 mins), C McCarthy for S O’Connor (59 mins).

Ballylanders: D O'Connor; M Kelly, J Leigh, E Martin; B O'Connell, S Walsh, T O'Dwyer; L Martin, M O'Connell (0-1); E O'Mahony, C Kelly (0-2), D Frewen (0-2); J B Murphy (0-2, 0-1f), K O'Callaghan (0-5, 0-3f), S Fox (0-1).

Subs: E Walsh for O’Callaghan (40 mins), O’Callaghan for Martin (51 mins), D McCarthy for Fox (52 mins), J Kirby for Frewen (56 mins).

Referee: M Sexton (Bruree).

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