An exhibition from the magician.
With five minutes to go in Sunday’s Limerick senior hurling final, Na Piarsaigh were breathing down Patrickswell’s necks. The city men hadn’t led in the game but with the clock ticking towards sixty, they were on the charge.
Peter Casey was cutting loose. Ronan Lynch was gaining a foothold. It was squeaky bum time for the Well. Na Piarsaigh rarely go home without scoring a goal. They have won four of the last six county titles and they know how to take care of these situations.
This was the crunch time for either team. The time for leaders.
Step forward the Patrickswell captain. Step forward their spiritual leader and the Hurler of the Year. This was Cian Lynch’s time. He was in his element out there.
Cian Lynch led by example for Patrickswell in the county final. Pic Piaras Ó Mídheach, SportsfileNever mind the pressure. Lynch enjoys himself too much out there to care about things like that. The stakes couldn’t have been higher but he was still jinking, flicking and slaloming his way around the place with all the grace and finesse of Lionel Messi in his prime and the spacial awareness of a Ford Focus with a reverse-sensor.
You’d know by the way Lynch hurls, with that aura of a man who has all the time in the world to make the right decision, that he was one of the best young soccer players in St Kevin’s boys – Ireland’s most prodigious soccer academy – only a couple of years ago.
This fella has skill bursting out of his every vein and he’s only buzzing to let it rip.
So with Na Piarsaigh showing signs of a revival, Lynch decided the time was right to kill them off. He killed them with pure skill and class.
On 55 minutes, the ball came to John Flynn and he knew what to do. Lynch was on the charge off the shoulder and from a little pop-pass he was away.
Turned the Na Piarsaigh defenders inside out and it was only going one way. The Well back in control.
Imagine having to defend against Cian Lynch while he mazes around the grass in front of you
An impossible job 🙈🙈pic.twitter.com/dJvJ0xUsLj
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) October 7, 2019
Lynch lets his teammates know. He has this covered.
Na Piarsaigh weren’t done there though. They came back for more with Peter Casey bringing them within three again. See how Lynch responded below from 2.00 in a Cian Lynch highlight reel.
A pass from Byrnes put him into space and he sold two Na Piarsaigh men down the river with a dummy before stitching it straight over the black spot.
Na Piarsaigh v Patrickswell Full-Time Highlights pic.twitter.com/UwDICn2yML
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 6, 2019
Na Piarsaigh were spent by then. Cian Lynch was the man-of-the-match and his last five minute tour de force meant his uncle Ciaran Carey was now a county title winning manager.
“You can’t beat going back to your club and winning the county,” he said afterwards. “It’s unbelievable stuff.2
Laoch na hImeartha Cian Lynch!
Maith an bhfear!@patrickswellgaa @GAA_BEO @LimerickCLG @Limerick_Leader pic.twitter.com/C4r4OU8ok5
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) October 6, 2019
Some man.
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