Na Piarsaigh edge past Doon after extra-time to lift Limerick Senior Hurling Championship title

NA PIARSAIGH were crowned Whitebox Property Ltd Limerick Senior Hurling Champions when they defeated Doon 2-25 to 2-18 after extra time in the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday evening. 

There has been little to separate these sides in recent seasons, and Sunday proved no different. The teams were level 1-7 to 0-10 at half-time, before a strong restart saw Na Piarsaigh surge ahead 1-12 to 1-7 early in the second half. Doon, however, showed great resilience, battling back through a Darragh O’Donovan goal and a Gareth Thomas point to lead 2-17 to 1-17 on 59 minutes. It looked enough to see them over the line, but Conor Boylan’s injury-time goal rescued Na Piarsaigh and forced extra time.

The victors outscored their opponents 0-8 to 0-1 in extra time and that proved to be the difference the sides as they sealed their ninth Limerick SHC title.

Na Piarsaigh came out of this blocks quickly in this encounter racing into a 0-4 - 0-1 lead after six minutes with Adrian Breen, Kevin Downes, Will Henn and Mike Foley all off the mark in the opening six minutes. Kevin Downes and Adam English then swapped placed balls. 

The city side began to find space and move the ball through the lines with greater ease, and Daithí Dempsey capped off a flowing move with a long-range point to put Na Piarsaigh 0-6 to 0-3 ahead after fourteen minutes. However, Doon roared back into the contest , Jack Ryan’s shot from distance struck the post, but Dean Coleman reacted quickest to sweep the rebound into the net. Na Piarsaigh were visibly frustrated, feeling the goal should have been ruled out for a square ball.

On 16 minutes, Adam English had Doon leading for the first time 1-4 to 0-6. In the remaining fourteen minutes, there was very little to seperate the teams.

Peter Casey, William O'Donoghue, Ronan Lynch and Kevin Downes were on target for Shane O'Neill'side, while Pat Ryan got in on the scoring for the east Limerick side and two more points from the accurate Adam English had the sides deadlocked 1-7 to 0-10 at the break. 

Last year's county finalists started the second half brightly scoring 1-2 inside the opening two minutes of the half. The lively Adrian Breen raced through Doon defence and drilled his shot low past Doon goalkeeper Darragh Stapleton and Daithi Dempsey followed that up with his second point to push Na Piarsaigh 1-12 to 1-7 clear. 

Derek McGrath’s side rallied once again, hitting four unanswered points through Eddie Stokes and Adam English to close the gap to 1-12 to 1-11. However, Na Piarsaigh quickly responded, outscoring Doon 0-3 to 0-1 over the next two minutes as Kevin Downes, Mike Foley, and William O’Donoghue restored a 1-15 to 1-12 advantage.

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English and Downes exchanged frees before Doon enjoyed their best spell of the second half, scores from Dean Coleman, a long-range effort from captain Darragh O’Donovan, and a superb sideline cut from O’Donovan himself levelled the game at 1-16 apiece on 49 minutes remaining. 

Four minutes later, Downes converted his seventh free to edge Na Piarsaigh back in front, and they nearly struck for another goal, only for Doon goalkeeper Darragh Stapleton to brilliantly deny Adrian Breen.

Darragh O’Donovan was beginning to cause all sorts of problems for Na Piarsaigh, and he showed great composure to slot the sliotar past goalkeeper Shane Dowling. Moments later, Dowling’s misplaced clearance was intercepted by Gareth Thomas, who added another point to give McGrath’s side a 2-17 to 1-17 lead on 59 minutes.

Na Piarsaigh, needing a goal to stay in the contest, launched the ball into the square, and in his first appearance of the season, Conor Boylan delivered the lifeline they needed with a crucial goal.

Both teams pressed hard for a winning score, but ultimately had to settle for extra time. Na Piarsaigh took control landing the first five points of the first half in extra time through Keith Dempsey, Conor Boylan, Adrian Breen, Ronan Lynch and Peter Casey, while it took Doon until the tenth minute in extra time to register a score from Adam English as the Shane O'Neill's 2-23 to 2-18 at half time in extra time. Peter Casey and Daithi Dempsey sealed their side's seven-point victory in extra time. 

Na Piarsaigh will now face Ballygunner in the Munster SHC quarter-final in the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, November 2.

SCORERS: 

NA PIARSAIGH: Adrian Breen 1-2, Conor Boylan 1-1, Kevin Downes (0-7, 0-7 frees), Peter Casey 0-3 and Daithi Dempsey 0-3 each, Ronan Lynch (0-2, 0-2 frees), Mike Foley and William O'Donoghue 0-2 each, Keith Dempsey (0-2, 0-1 free), and Will Henn 0-1 each

DOON: Dean Coleman (1-2), Adam English (0-10, 0-6 frees), Darragh O'Donovan (1-2, 0-1 sideline cut), Eddie Stokes 0-2, Pat Ryan and Donal Coughlan 0-1 each

DOON: Darragh Stapleton; Cian O’Donovan, Tommy Hayes, Mikey O’Brien; Chris Thomas, Barry Murphy, Richie English; Darragh O’Donovan (Capt), Jack Ryan; Dean Coleman, Adam English, Eddie Stokes; Donal Couglan, Kevin Maher, Pat Ryan.

SUBS: Aidan O'Connell for Richie English (40 minutes), Gareth Thomas for Coughlan (55 minutes), Cormac Ryan for Coleman (58 minutes), Donal Coughlan for Pat Ryan (60 minutes), Dean Coleman for Chris Thomas (63 minutes), Eoin Fitzgibbon for O'Brien (67 minutes), Pat Ryan for Coleman (70 minutes). 

NA PIARSAIGH: Shane Dowling, Jerome Boylan (Capt), Mike Casey, Vince Harrington, Mike Foley, Ronan Lynch, Emmet McEvoy, William O'Donoghue, JJ Carey; Kevin Downes, Peter Casey, Daithí Dempsey, Will Henn, Dylan Lynch, Adrian Breen.

SUBS: Keith Dempsey for Dylan Lynch (30 minutes), Conor Boylan for Henn (49 minutes), Tommy Grimes for Foley (53 minutes), James Finn for Downes (60 minutes), Cathall King for Jerome Boylan (66 minutes), Will Henn for Ronan Lynch (72 minutes), Wayne Kearns for Carey (80 minutes).

REFEREE: Kieran Guina (Feohanagh-Castlemahon)