Na Piarsaigh through to Limerick SHC semi-final with convincing win over Kilmallock
LAST FOUR: Pierce Connery controlling the sliotar against Ronan Lynch in the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
Na Piarsaigh booked their spot in the 2024 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship semi-final with a convincing 1-26 to 1-17 victory over Kilmallock in Doon.
Shane O’Neill’s side put in a sublime second half performance that saw them score 15 points to Kilmallock’s six with Ronan Lynch landing 13 for the Caherdavin outfit.
David Dempsey and Conor Boylan also put in superb displays for Na Piarsaigh with the former landing a brilliant first half goal.
The sides were 1-11 apiece at the end of an entertaining opening stanza but Na Piarsaigh slipped through the gears impressively after the break.
Na Piarsaigh made the quicker start to the contest with two Lynch scores helping them into a 0-4 to 0-1 advantage with nine minutes played.
Kilmallock were soon back to within a point thanks to strikes from Phelim O’Reilly, Conor Hanley-Clarke and Micheál Houlihan.
The Balbec then got the opening goal after O’Reilly picked up a loose ball deep in opposition territory and flicked the ball to the net from close range.
Points from Pierce Connery, Paddy O’Loughlin and Houlihan followed to see Kilmallock 1-8 to 0-6 in front by the 22nd minute mark.
Na Piarsaigh rallied with a Will Henn point and he then turned provider with the delivery for Dempsey’s three-pointer.
Henn’s brilliant diagonal ball was brilliantly gathered by Dempsey and he delivered a devastating finish to the net. The same man then added a point to level the score at 1-8 apiece.
The first half finished with Lynch and Houlihan pointing two frees each to see the score at 1-11 to 1-11 at half time.
The teams were to be level three more times in the opening stages of the second half with Na Piarsaigh getting a some breathing space and a two-point advantage thanks to Boylan and Lynch.
Shane O’Brien soon had Kilmallock back to within a point but Lynch’s 10th of the contest saw his side 1-17 to 1-15 up with 42 minutes played.
It was from there that Na Piarsaigh took firm control. Boylan and Lynch added the next two points to stretch that lead to four points.
Adrian Breen then made his return for Na Piarsaigh in the final quarter after a long term injury absence and he made an immediate impact with a superb point from the left wing.
Houlihan and O’Brien were the sole Kilmallock scorers in the second half as Peter Quelly’s charges had no answer to Na Piarsaigh’s power and pace.
Boylan and Mike Foley kept the scoreboard ticking over for Na Piarsaigh in the closing stages, while Lynch continued to be lethal from placed balls.
Breen and Boylan hit the target once more in added time to seal a nine-point winning margin for impressive Na Piarsaigh.
R Lynch (0-13, 8f, 1 ’65, 1 s/l), D Dempsey (1-2), C Boylan (0-5), T Grimes and A Breen (0-2), W Henn and M Foley (0-1 each).
M Houlihan (0-8, 7f), P O’Reilly (1-1), P O’Loughlin (1f), P Connery and S O’Brien (0-2 each), K O’Donnell and C Hanley-Clarke (0-1 each).
S Dowling; C King, M Casey, E McEvoy; V Harrington, W O’Donoghue, M Foley; T Grimes, C Boylan; R Lynch, D Dempsey, JJ Carey; K Downes, D Lynch, W Henn.
A Breen for D Lynch (44), G Synnott for King (51), W Kearns for Grimes (53), S Long for Carey (57), J Finn for Downes (61).
B Hennessy; L English, D Joy, K Hayes; A Costello, K O’Donnell, P O’Loughlin; M Houlihan, R Hanley; O O’Reilly, C Hanley-Clarke, S O’Brien; P Connery, R Egan, P O’Reilly.
B Burke for Hayes (44), C Staunton for Egan (47), D Woulfe for Hanley-Clarke (47), T Savage for Connery (49).
J O’Halloran (Bruree).
