Great survivors Ballylanders secure Limerick senior football status with play-off win over Na Piarsaigh

RESILIENT Ballylanders retained their Irish Wire Products Limerick senior football status for 2026 after securing a deserved 1-14 to 0-13 relegation final win over Na Piarsaigh at Doon on Saturday afternoon.

This is the fourth straight year that Ballylanders have secured their senior status on the final day of the Limerick club senior football season.

Ballylanders, who can look forward to competing in the top grade for a 27th straight season, were good value for the win after leading the contest 1-9 to 0-7 at half-time. The crucial Bally' goal came courtesy of Robbie Downey mid-way through the opening half.

Na Piarsaigh did close to within two points of their opponents in the 58th minute, after top scorer Evan Egan converted a smashing two-point free from distance.

Ballylanders enjoyed plenty of possession in that second period, but had failed to convert it into crucial scores on the board and Na Piarsaigh sniffed an opportunity to overhaul their opponents.

However, it was in those crucial final minutes of the game that Bally' final made their possession tell on the scoreboard as Ciaran Kelly converted two late frees to ease the South Limerick side to a four-point victory.

Ballylanders will be relieved to secure victory in the battle of two sides which had failed to win any of ther previous six senior championship fixtures in 2025.

The contribution of free-taker Eoin O'Mahoney was crucial to the Bally' win. O'Mahoney scored 0-8 of his side's total, the tally coming from four two-point frees, superbly converted from distance.

At a time of the year when scoring tends to be lower given the conditions, these were crucial scores. 

Thankfully the heavy showers of rain that fell earlier and later in the day stayed away for this crucial relegation contest.

City side Na Piarsaigh eased into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after nine minutes with scores from two Evan Egan frees and a fine point from play courtesy of Jim Beary off Dylan Cronin's pass. 

O'Mahoney's first two point free from distance tied the score before the winners struck for the only goal of the game.

Oisin Browne and Daithi Dennehy combined to create an opening for Danny Frewen whose effort on goal was saved by Na Piarsaigh netminder Eoghan Sherlock. However, the ball fell to an alert Robbie Downey who finished to the net.

A goal always seems to feel like it's worth more than just three points a this time of the year.

However, to their credit, Na Piarsaigh rallied well and captain Egan converted a brought-in free and then added a two-point free to tie the scores, 0-6 to 1-3, after 21 minutes.

Despite the size of the prize at stake, the play during the opening half was open and entertaining, the flow of the game aided by the impressive refereeing of Kieran Guina.

Points from Ciaran Kelly from lplay and another two-pointer from an O'Mahoney placed ball moved them three points to the good, 1-6 to 0-6.

Beary and Kelly traded points before a further O'Mahoney two-pointer from a free helped Bally' into their useful five-point interval lead. 

Bally' looked the more likely winners through the third quarter, propelled by the likes of Darren Frewen and Robbie Downey, a well-executed kick-out strategy and experienced players like Steven Fox, Danny Frewen, Donal Kelly and goalkeeer Declan O'Connor.

It was the first time this year that Ballylanders succeeded in keeping a clean sheet which was significant. 

Tommy Glynn's point for na Piarsaigh a minute into the second half had the city side back to within four points. 

However, Ballylanders managed to keep their opponents at arms lenfgth for most of the half with Kelly and O'Mahoney firing over points. 

Indeed Ballylanders mifght well have enjoyed a great lead than the six point advantage they had mid-way through the second half, but for some wayward finishing and a lack of composure in front of goal on a couple of occasions.

Bally's sx point, 1-12 to 0-9, lead on 42 minutes was down to just two points as Na Piarsaigh hit back with four Evan Egan points from frees, including a two-pointer.

However, sensing their advantage was being eroded, Ballylanders steadied themselves and regained the initiative with Kelly's late brace of pointed frees edging them to victory and consigning Na Piarsaigh to intermediate ranks for 2026.

SCORERS: Ballylanders: Eoin O'Mahoney 0-8 (4x 2-point frees), Ciaran Kelly 0-5 (0-2 frees), Robbie Downey 1-0, Jimmy Barry-Murphy 0-1 (free). Na Piarsaigh: Evan Egan 0-9 (2 x2-point free, 0-5 frees), Jim Beary 0-2, Tommy Glynn, Gordon Brown 0-1 each. 

BALLYLANDERS: Declan O'Connor (Capt), Jordan Sheehy, Cillein O'Brien, Patrick Holian; Darren Frewen, Donal Kelly, Liam Dennehy; Robbie Downey, Evan OMahoney; Oisin Browne, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Ciaran Kelly; Daithi Dennehy, Steve Fox, Danny Frewen. SUBS: Daniel Murphy for Kelly (41 mins), Jason Leigh for Barry-Murphy (56 mins), Tom O'Dwyer for Browne (58 mins).

NA PIARSAIGH: Eoghan Shelock, Fionn O'Tiarnaigh, Ralph Leonard, Christy O'Hagan; Jim Beary, Dean McLoughlin, Ronan Houlihan; Donall O'Connell, Jack McCarthy; Gordon Brown, Evan Egan (Capt), Adam Jordan; Daniel Collins, Dylan Cronin, Tommy Glynn. SUBS: Evan Gilvarry for O'Tiarnaigh, Kieran Daly for Jordan (both half-time), James Daly for Beary (39 mins), Peter Hodnett for O'Connell (56 mins).

REFEREE: Kieran Guina (Feohanagh-Castlemahon)