Munster Club Championship SH Semi-final / Patrickswell 0-16 Mount Sion 1-11: Another sorrowful mystery for Waterford hurling saw Munster champions Mount Sion toppled despite being well in control going into the last quarter.
Instead a stirring comeback by Patrickswell put the Limerick side into this year's AIB provincial final against Newtownshandrum at the end of the month.
Yesterday's semi-final before about 3,000 spectators at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, was played on a heavy, lifeless surface that militated against the snappy, touch hurling that Mount Sion are better equipped to play. But the champions won their title last year in wintry conditions and had this match at their mercy.
That Patrickswell won was due to their nicely judged run for the tape and also the performance of centrefielder Paul O'Grady, who was named man of the match by the sponsors. For a team that managed little forward threat for most of the hour, O'Grady's ability to run at his opponents' defence was a vital influence in them exerting some sort of pressure during the match.
His marksmanship from the placed ball was another crucial factor on a day when Mount Sion hit 15 wides.
O'Grady's tally of nine points - all but one from frees and 65s - kept his team alive in difficult moments and pushed them ahead when it counted, in the second minute of injury time.
Winning manager Jim Fawl is no stranger to success, having guided his own club Sixmilebridge to an All-Ireland title eight seasons ago. He was a satisfied man afterwards and had every reason to be, given that two substitutions in the 47th minute helped turn the match. The arrival of John McDermott, particularly because of his two points, and Brian Geoghegan enlivened the attack where the two veterans Gary Kirby and Anthony Carmody had struggled all afternoon.
"It needed to be freshened up," said Fawl, "and the two young lads changed the whole scenario. John got two great points and really turned it on. This was a serious victory. Mount Sion were hot favourites."
Patrickswell, even in their own county, were written off with people saying they weren't even deserving of the Limerick title and were only an average team.
"We weren't worried about that." continued Fawl. "We do our talking out there. Paul O'Grady was exceptional. He controlled midfield, his free taking was excellent and he took on their backs and really got to them. They couldn't cope."
The early pattern of the match saw Mount Sion look the more dangerous going forward but Patrickswell made more solid territorial gains. They also had O'Grady's accuracy to punish indiscipline in their opponent's half of the field whereas the Waterford side was wasteful with chances created.
By the 13th minute Patrickswell led 0-4 to 0-2 but the match turned for the first time with the only goal of the afternoon. Tony Browne dropped a free into the Well goalmouth and when the ball broke to his brother Barry who volleyed it emphatically into the net.
From then to half-time the scoreboard clicked almost in tandem with the teams level 0-7 to 1-4 at the break. The goal had probably given Mount Sion an artificial boost but having survived a flat first half-hour the champions must have been confident that they could improve in the second half.
Their defence had been playing well with Browne controlling the centre and Brian Greene - unaffected by last week's well publicised refusal to play for the county - swept up a lot of ball.
Events looked to be in keeping with the champions' most optimistic expectations when they re-started with all guns blazing. Eoin Kelly, re-deployed at centrefield, found his range and hit two points as his side powered four points ahead within 10 minutes.
Mysteriously that surge faded. Ken McGrath, his mobility restricted by an ongoing knee injury, moved to the wing and caught some good ball but his shooting wasn't always on target. Patrickswell came back into the game, their confidence soared as their opponents' momentum ground to a halt.
Inevitably it was three points from O'Grady that made major inroads into the deficit. But then the replacements arrived and McDermott's point within seconds of coming on tied the match.
In the final 10 minutes victory dangled in front of both sides. Mount Sion again looked to have the resources but poor shot selection and bad distribution frustrated them time after time.
It was level heading into injury time and when Brian Flannery blocked well to concede a 65, O'Grady made no mistake. The grace notes were provided by a hitherto anonymous Eoin Foley, who in space rifled over the last score of the match in the 63rd minute.
"We are devastated," said Mount Sion boss Jim Greene. "We didn't want to give up our Munster crown and I don't know what went wrong. They battled very hard in the last quarter while we almost frustrated ourselves."
Jim Fawl sounded an enigmatic note in conclusion. "Don't quote me on this," he said with a straight face, "but we'll be there or thereabouts in the final."
PATRICKSWELL: E Murphy; M Foley, A Foley, P Earls; T O'Brien, C Carey, Paul O'Reilly; Peter O'Reilly (0-1), P O'Grady (0-9, five frees, three 65s); E Foley (0-1), A Carmody, P Carey (capt); D O'Grady (0-1), G Kirby, K Carey (0-2). Subs: J McDermott (0-2) for Kirby (47 mins), B Geoghegan for Carmody (47 mins).
MOUNT SION: I O'Regan; J O'Meara, A Kirwan, B Flannery; J Cleere, T Browne (capt), B Greene; R McGrath, M Frisby; E Kelly (0-4, one free), S Ryan, E McGrath (0-1); M White (0-1), K McGrath (0-5, all frees), B Browne (1-0). Subs: D Kelly for Frisby (48 mins), I Power for White (48 mins).
Referee: W Barrett (Tipperary).
