Sport

Begley's goal kills off brave Dublin effort

SHC Qualifier Round Three/ Limerick 2-16 Dublin 1-13 : Unfancied Dublin stuck with Limerick to the death at the Gaelic Grounds…

Mon Jul 10 2006 - 01:00

SHC Qualifier Round Three/ Limerick 2-16 Dublin 1-13: Unfancied Dublin stuck with Limerick to the death at the Gaelic Grounds in the final series of Guinness All-Ireland hurling qualifiers, until a 68th-minute Brian Begley goal ended their challenge.

"We are through to the last eight and that's what we set out to do," said the winners' mentor Gary Kirby, "and while it was close enough all the way, I never for a moment thought we were going to lose."

The 5,000 home fans who turned up expecting a repeat of the 2-29 scoring burst against Offaly a week earlier, found their team seemed to have resumed their profligate ways.

But Kirby backed his charges.

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"For starters, the weather was awful and ruled out quality hurling for both sides. Dublin were good, very good, in fact, and looked a team well coached. It was far better for us to have a tight match and to have learned something."

Kirby also confirmed Limerick expected to have the injured Olly Moran, Brian Begley and Stephen Lucey back for the quarter-finals.

The winners were three points to the good after 20 minutes, 0-6 to 0-3, when Barry Foley's 65 fell into the lap of Begley and he bundled the ball over the line.

Kevin Flynn reignited Dublin's challenge with a goal engineered by Peadar Carton, to leave it on a knife edge, 1-7 to 1-5.

Niall Moran had a brace of points, but David Curtin replied.

Curtin and Liam Ryan cut the deficit on the turnover. Barry Foley and O'Shaughnessy made it 1-11 to 1-7 before Liam Ryan pegged one back.

Begley and O'Shaughnessy left it 1-14 to 1-9. Ryan and Curtin scored for Dublin.

Three points separated them on the run-in, until Begley eased the tension.

LIMERICK: B Murray; D Reale, TJ Ryan, S Hickey; W Walsh, P O'Dwyer (0-1), M Foley; B Foley (0-4, two frees), D O'Grady; N Moran (0-2), M O'Brien, C Fitzgerald (0-2); D Ryan (0-1), B Begley (2-2), A O'Shaughnessy (0-4, four frees). Subs: P O'Grady for D O'Grady (44 mins), E Foley for Walsh (48 mins), M Keane for Fitzgerald (48 mins)

DUBLIN: G Maguire; G O'Meara, K Ryan, P Brennan; M Carton, R Fallon, T Brady; D Sweeney, J McCaffrey; S Mullen (0-1), L Ryan (0-5), D Curtin (0-6, four frees); P Carton, K Flynn (1-0), J Kelly. Subs: C Reilly for Mullen, P O'Driscoll (0-1) for Carton (53 mins)

Referee: M Wadding (Waterford).