After four months of no competitive action, this afternoons U21 Mint Catering Premier Hurling Quarter Final was very much welcomed by the small crowed in the LIT Gaelic Grounds. It was a perfect day for hurling and the pitch was in pristine condition.

Patrickswell got off the mark first with a point in the 5th minute of the first half from Cian Fitzgerald. They then added two more points in quick succession before Ahane replied with a point of their own coming from the stick of Ronan Fox. For the next number of minutes both teams traded scores and at the 15 minute mark the score line stood as Ahane 0-05 Patrickswell 0-05. The teams were level four more times throughout the game. Patrickswell tacked on two more points and then in the 26th minute Patrickswell full forward Gavin Carey scored Patrickswell first and only goal of the game. Ahane kept their heads though with Mark Donnellan and William Brennan getting a point each.

One of the best pieces of play came in the 29th minute of the 1st half and led to Ahane’s only goal of the game. Kevin Morrissey put in Trojan work in the Ahane forward line and managed to dispossess the Patrickswell defender, he then passed the ball out to Ciaran Barry, who worked it into the inside full forward line where Mark Donnellan was waiting at the edge of the square. Mark saw Ronan Reale make the run and flicked the ball to Ronan who buried the ball into the back of Cillian O’Reilly’s net. It was a fantastic team goal and it got the Ahane crowd off their seats!

Half time and the scoreline stood as Ahane 1-08 Patrickswell 1-09

Ronan Reale got Ahane off the mark first in the second half. The Ahane defenders worked hard and handled the pressure that Patrickswell put on them in the second half. Patrickswell’s Jason Gillane was on form from placed balls and he ended the day with seven scores from frees. Ahane’s Ciaran Barry, Ronan Reale, and Ronan Fox kept the Ahane scores ticking over in the second half but unfortunately it wasn’t enough and Patrickswell got on top.

The game ended on a scoreline of Ahane 1-14 Patrickswell 1-17.

Ahane Team: W. O’Leary; E. O’Leary, A. Rowesome, A. Myers, A. Carroll, C. Barry (0-04 f), A. Shanahan; K. Morrissey, P. Harnett; R. Fox (0-03), W. Brennan (0-01), M. Donnellan (0-01), P. Donohoe, D. Minehan, R. Reale (1-05 (3f))

Substitutes: C. Flannery, L. O’Sullivan (for A, Murrihy 2nd 1/2), Peter O’Grady (for R. Reale 2nd 1/2), C. Heffernan (for W. Brennan 2nd 1/2), D. Hayes, J. Barry, A. Murrihy (for K. Morrissey 2nd 1/2), C. Morrissey, D. Cullimore (for P. Donohoe 2nd 1/2), Shane O’Grady, M. Hickey.