McGrath satisfied as Doon finish with a flourish to book Limerick decider spot

It's another final with rivals Na Piarsaigh next time out.

CLOSE QUARTERS: Keith Punch of Ballybrown fights for possession against Doon's Pat Ryan. Pic: Brendan Gleeson

DOON 2-21 BALLYBROWN 0-14 

Doon manager Derek McGrath had faith his team would come up trumps in the second half of this Limerick SHC semi-final in Kilmallock.

Ballybrown had been workmanlike in leading 0-8 to 0-7 at half-time and were two points to the good 11 minutes into the second half. However, they were outscored 2-11 to 0-3 for the remaining 22 minutes. Goals from Eddie Stokes and Kevin Maher in less than three minutes set the 2024 champions on their way to another final against Na Piarsaigh.

“Our reference point was the Ahane game,” said McGrath of the clubs’ previous meeting in the group stages. “We had done very well against the breeze and tried to attack the third quarter. Now I think Aidan O'Connor got a 65 initially and they went two points up. But the goals made a difference albeit Eddie's, I think, was 20 yards out. We were on the line saying ‘tap it over’ but he took it really, really well.

“And then Dean Coleman made a break for Kevin's finish. So that didn't wrap it up, but it certainly gave us a bit of breathing space. And they probably had to push up more, which left a bit more space with the breeze.

“We had a very good two or three weeks lead up to the game. We felt getting to the semi-final was important for us. We stuttered through the league section, albeit unbeaten. We had two draws against Kilmallock and Na Piarsaigh and we won the rest of the games.

“We basically robbed Ballybrown here, I'd say a month ago. They should have won the game, they're an excellent team. So we seem to have done well in the last three weeks in terms of bringing what we did in training.” 

Matters had been tight in Fitzgerald Park up until the goals. The teams were tied three times in the second half and indeed level before Stokes’s 45th minute goal. Having claimed a puck-out, Darragh O’Donovan found him in space down the left wing and his low strike was too good for Ballybrown Cian Hederman.

As McGrath said, Coleman was integral to teeing up Maher for the second goal and the remainder of the game was owned by Doon. Aside from an Aidan O’Connor free, the outstanding scores all came from Derek McGrath’s side.

Two of them were Adam English frees on an afternoon where he provided 10 points, seven of them from placed balls. Indeed, at one stage it appeared to be a shootout between him and Aidan O’Connor, whose final contribution came to 12, two from play.

Ballybrown simply didn’t offer enough outside of O’Connor’s marksmanship – 40 minutes of hurling had been played before they managed a point in the Doon half of the field that wasn’t an O’Connor free.

In the opening period, their only point apart from O’Connor’s frees came from his fellow countyman Colin Coughlan and he produced that within his own half. Yet they had the advantage at half-time after finishing the half with three points on the bounce.

O’Connor and English had exchanged frees in the first nine minutes, two apiece. Doon went ahead for the first time in the 13th minute when Stokes struck over a point. In a drab enough half, Doon’s lead was doubled by the 20th minute but O’Connor’s free-taking was the stand-out characteristic in the closing 10 minutes. And yet Doon’s management at least retired to the dressing room reasonably happy.

“Even elements of the first half, statistically, we would have been very happy with the game at half-time,” said McGrath. “But sometimes if you praise the guys statistically, they don't go out in the second half.” 

Another battle with Na Piarsaigh in TUS Gaelic Grounds on October 19 is keenly anticipated, says McGrath. “Not to build the opposition up but we know what’s ahead of us in two weeks’ time.

“We played them here in the first round of the championship. They had no Conor Boylan, no Peter Casey, no Mike Casey. And we got out of here with a draw. We were very lucky. So we know what's coming. But it should make for a great two weeks in terms of build-up, and it should make for a really good final.” 

Scorers for Doon: A. English (0-10, 7 frees); E. Stokes (1-2); K. Maher (1-1); D. Coughlan (0-3); P. Ryan, D. Coleman, C. O’Donovan, D. O’Donovan, C. Ryan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Ballybrown: A. O’Connor (0-12, 9 frees, 1 65); C. Coughlan, L. Doolan (0-1 each).

DOON: D. Stapleton; M. O’Brien, T. Hayes, C. O’Donovan; C. Thomas, B. Murphy, A. O’Connell; J. Ryan, D. O’Donovan (c); E. Stokes, A. English, P. Ryan; D. Coughlan, K. Maher, D. Coleman.

Subs for Doon: G. Thomas for P. Ryan (56); C. Ryan for A. O’Connell (57); E. Fitzgibbon for C. Thomas (58).

BALLYBROWN: C. Hederman; N. Quinn, D. Hartnett, K. Punch; M. Gavin, C. Coughlan, K. Gavin; J. Coughlan, L. Doolan; R. Kenny, A. O’Connor (c), R. Griffin; M. Kiely, B. Griffin, B. Adams.

Subs for Ballybrown: L. O’Connor for M. Kiely (inj, h-t); J. Adams for R. Griffin (43); B. Smyth for R. Kenny (57).

Referee: J. O’Halloran (Bruree).