Limerick SHC: Darragh O'Donovan strikes late to edge Doon past Ballybrown

DOON DELIGHT: Doon's Darragh O'Donovan looks to the heavens. Pic: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

Doon 3-17 Ballybrown 2-19

A stoppage time point from captain Darragh O’Donovan gave Doon a scarcely believable one-point victory over Ballybrown in Kilmallock.

With it, the champions are assured of knockout hurling, while a victory in the final round will likely see them straight into the semi-finals.

This was a smash and grab. Both O’Donovan and manager Derek McGrath were looking for a greater performance from the 2024 winners, who bagged their maiden crown last winter.

For Ballybrown, this was a chance missed, they led from a 26th minute Barry Adams goal until the start of second half stoppage time, and saw their captain miss a chance to save a draw.

Aidan O’Connor, so brilliant with thirteen points, saw his 45-metre free rebound clear off the left post and with it went a place in the quarter-finals.

They will have the chance to remedy that in two weeks time, when facing Kilmallock in round five. Doon, to their credit, closed the game with their best hurling, as they trailed by five points twice before O’Donovan’s wonderful effort from half-way.

Kevin Lally, though saw his side register a total of 18 wides, of which 15 arrived in the first peiod. Despite that, they led 1-11 to 1-8.

The Doon major arriving through youngster Donal Coughlan, after O’Donovan’s surging run created the opening. That 15th minute green flag was added to by Coughlan’s sideline effort, making it 1-5 to 0-6.

A fifth from O’Connor and a Leigh Doolan strike levelled the contest. Having earlier threatened a goal, the Clarina side got one, when Ross Griffin’s run ended with a layoff to Adams, who buried to the net on 26 minutes.

Ballybrown continued to lead in the third quarter, now by five, when O’Connor landed another not long after cutting over a tasty sideline ball.

However the men from the East, who are now unbeaten in six Limerick SHC games, dug deep. Pat Ryan’s goal gave them hope only for Ross Kenny’s classy finish to quickly cancel it.

A 20m free saw O’Donovan drill though the white shirts to cut the margin to two, again. Donal Coughlan’s point left little between them but in-form O’Connor re-extended that gap.

Gareth Thomas, who took over the free-taking from a subdued Adam English, held his nervy while the busy Eddie Stokes tied the game entering the stoppage time.

Then after a scrum, involving no fewer than a dozen players, O’Donovan broke out and landed a top class score from seventy meters.

Derek McGrath’s side dodged the O’Connor bullet with virtually the last act, meaning they take the spoils in the first meeting of these clubs since 2019.

Scorers for Doon: D Coughlan (1-2), D O’Donovan (1f), P Ryan (1-1 each), G Thomas (3f), K Maher (0-3 each), C Thomas, A English (2f), E Stokes (0-2 each), R English (0-1).

Scorers for Ballybrown: A O’Connor (0-13, 8f, 1 s/l); R Kenny (1-2), B Adams (1-1), L Doolan (0-3).

Doon: D Stapleton; M O’Brien, T Hayes, C O’Donovan; J Ryan, B Murphy, R English; D O’Donovan, A English; G Thomas, C Thomas, E Stokes; P Ryan, K Maher, D Coughlan.

Sub: C Ryan for English (inj – 55).

Ballybrown: C Hedderman; N Quinn, D Hartnett, J Coughlan; M Gavin, C Coughlan, K Punch; K Gavin, L Doolan; R Kenny, A O’Connor, R Griffin; B Adams, B Griffin, M Kiely.

Subs: K Power for Punch (blood - 33 – 34); B Smith for Kiely (37); K Power for Gavin (60).

Referee: M Sexton (Bruree).