Na Piarsaigh down Doon to book Limerick final spot 

Kevin Downes came off the bench to hit 1-3 for the victors. 

William O'Donoghue, Na Piarsaigh in possession against Doon in the County Senior Hurling semi final. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

NA PIARSAIGH 2-24 DOON 3-16 

Kevin Downes reeled back the years to deliver 1-3 from the bench as 2025 winners Na Piarsaigh qualified for a fifth consecutive final.

Dean Coleman put together 2-3 in the second half for Doon but they were chasing for so much of the game having been 0-10 to 1-11 down at the interval.

A virtuoso goal by Coleman in the 38th minute sliced the gap to four points. He later sent over two points in succession and it had diminished to two points by the 44th minute.

Na Piarsaigh were four up 11 minutes later when Chris Thomas foiled Shane Dowling for a second Doon goal. Seconds later, Coleman were celebrating a second goal after he had intercepted a stray pass back by Mike Casey.

Doon’s lead lasted seconds, though. Na Piarsaigh reacted like champions and Downes blasted a goal to add to a couple of earlier points.

Adam English rifled over a couple of frees to put a point between them going into added time but Keith Dempsey (free) and an inspired Downes score gave Na Piarsaigh more heart and Ronan Lynch sent over two insurance free from distance to confirm a final date with Kilmallock on October 25.

Doon could have been forgiven for requiring smelling salts after the opening 10 minutes. They had the wind and Jack Ryan wasn’t utilised as the extra defender and they were being pummelled.

David Dempsey had two points inside the first six minutes and defender Emmet McEvoy pinged a beautiful goal in the eighth minute. Peter Casey had been fouled in the build-up but Johnny Murphy played good advantage and McEvoy’s finish couldn’t have been purer. Keith Dempsey backed it up with his second free and Na Piarsaigh were 1-5 to 0-1 and coasting.

Adam English stemmed the bleeding with a couple of points only for James Finn and Peter Casey to cancel them out. Points were again exchanged prior to English converting a brace of frees.

Dempsey (free) and Finn responded to restore Na Piarsaigh’s seven-point lead by the 24th minute. English took his tally to six with another couple, the second a gorgeous strike from distance. After Dempsey pegged one back, English fired over two more, the second of them a splendid point after Darragh O’Donovan had gruelled to win a ground ball.

Doon needed so much more of that but ultimately not enough was forthcoming.

Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: K. Dempsey (0-9, 7 frees); K. Downes (1-3); E. McEvoy (1-1); R. Lynch (0-4, frees); D. Dempsey, J. Finn (0-2 each); C. Boylan, P. Casey, W. O’Donoghue (0-1 each).

Scorers for Doon: A. English (0-11, 7 frees, 1 65); D. Coleman (2-3); G. Thomas (1-0); D O’Donovan, D. Coughlan (0-1 each).

NA PIARSAIGH: S. Dowling; V. Harrington, R. Lynch, J. Boylan; E. McEvoy, M. Casey, J. Finn; W. O’Donoghue, JJ Carey, M. Foley; K. Dempsey, P. Casey, D. Dempsey; C. Boylan, E. Brosnan.

Subs for Na Piarsaigh: K. Downes for D. Brosnan (39); J. Fitzgerald for KK Carey (58).

DOON: T. Lynch; E. Richardson, T. Hayes, C. O’Donovan; A. O’Connell, B. Murphy, R. English; J. Ryan, D. O’Donovan, A. English; E. Stokes, P. Ryan, C. Thomas; D. Coleman, D. Coughlan.

Subs for Doon: K. Downes for P. Casey (temp, 28-30); M. O’Brien for E. Richardson, D. Coughlan (56).

Referee: J. Murphy (Ballylanders).