Adare come in from cold to take first title

The form book was torn to shreds at the Limerick Gaelic Grounds yesterday when unfancied Adare claimed their first-ever county senior hurling championship title, beating the masters, Patrickswell, in a rather low-key decider.

Patrickswell, 17 times champions, knew their fate was sealed at the halfway stage when they trailed 1-12 to 0-3.

In that first half, Adare, spearheaded by Mark Foley and Conor Fitzgerald, were really on fire against a side that was strangely out of touch.

The real breakthrough came in 23 minutes when Conn Murphy crossed to Brendan Heffernan and he rifled the sliotar past Natal O'Grady to make it 1-7 to 0-3.

Adare started the second half as they did the first with a point from Conor Fitzgerald, but if Barry Foley was meant to raise Patrickstwell's hopes with a smash-and-grab goal, they were dashed just seconds later when his namesake, Brian Foley, raised a second green flag for the winners, who were now uncatchable at 2-13 to 1-3.

With Garry Kirby failing to impact in mid-field the Well were never at the races though ironically, they raised their performance after they had Eoin Foley sent off on 52 minutes.

Seconds later, Anthony Carmody took the bare look off the scoreline when he found the net and Ciarβn Carey and substitute Noel O'Callaghan added points.

It was a marvellous performance by Adare, beaten finalists four times in the last 12 years.

ADARE: T Houlihan; J O'Brien, JP Healy, P Lavin; M Alfred, M Foley (0-2), E Fitzgerald, T Healy (0-1), J Foley (0-1), S Lavin (0-1), C Murphy (0-2), C Fitzgerald (0-7), D Sheehan (0-2), B Foley (1-1), B Heffernan (1-0). Subs: Tony Houlihan for T Healy, M Toomey for Heffernan.

PATRICKSWELL: N Grady; M Foley, A Foley, P Earls; W Morrissey, C Carey (0-4), D Foley; G Kirby, T O'Brien; P O'Grady, P Carey, D O'Grady; B Geoghegan, E Foley (0-3), B Foley (1-0). Subs: A Carmody (1-0) for Morrissey, N O'Callaghan (0-1) for Geoghegan.

Referee: P O'Connor (Limerick).