Na Piarsaigh crowned Limerick champs again after breaking Doon hearts with last-gasp goal
NA PIARSAIGH SEALED a ninth Limerick senior hurling title since their 2011 breakthrough as they dethroned Doon thanks to a dominant extra-time period where they swatted aside the east Limerick challenge.
It was 0-8 to 0-1 in the extra twenty minutes, as the extra bench muscle counted for Shane O’Neill’s men. Before that, Conor Boylan, who hadn’t played a minute of club action during this championship, tied the game in second-half stoppage time, catching and turning before powering to the net for a level game.
Doon thought that they had won it as Adam English and Eddie Stokes pushed them three clear late on only for the ace in the pack Boylan to find the net. He then added a point in extra-time as the Caherdavin men took over.
Boylan’s younger brother, Jerome, captained his side to the win, as they complete an unbeaten Limerick Championship of six wins along with a draw against Doon back in August.
Scores from Keith Dempsey, Boylan, Ronan Lynch and Peter Casey pushed them clear in extra time.
A sluggish start to the contest from the men in red saw them need a fortuitous Dean Coleman goal to get them moving on 15 minutes. That goal, added to by Adam English’s free, gave them a first-half lead with Kevin Downes, Daithi Dempsey and Will Henn among the early point scorers.
The sides were deadlocked by half time, 1-7 to 0-10, as Downes’ latest free ensured the sides were level for a fifth time.
Adrian Breen’s early goal saw the momentum change again, before the fightback again from Derek McGrath’s charges brought them within touching distance.
Darragh O’Donovan’s sublime goal on 57 minutes – when set free by Stokes – saw him dummy before blasting beyond Shane Dowling to put them ahead.
However, the Boylan magic forced extra-time where little worked for Doon, while Na Piarsaigh’s reshuffle saw them pull well clear.
Two weeks time will see Ballygunner return to the TUS Gaelic Grounds, where they will face Na Piarsaigh, having defeated the Limerick Champions (Doon and Na Piarsaigh) in the last three seasons at the same venue.
Scorers for 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
Scorers for 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 Coughlan, Kevin Maher, Pat Ryan.
Substitutes: 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.
Substitutes: 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)
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