Na Piarsaigh make fifth consecutive Limerick SHC decider

ON THE NOSE: Doon's Richie English takes it full force as he attempts to block JJ Carey of Na Piarsaigh during Sunday's Limerick SHC semi-final at TUS Gaelic Grounds. Pic: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

Limerick SHC semi-final: Na Piarsaigh 2-24 Doon 3-16 

Three days short of his 35th birthday, Kevin Downes delivered 1-3 from the bench as champions Na Piarsaigh qualified for a fifth consecutive Limerick SHC decider.

They should have put this semi-final to bed earlier than they did, but Doon’s defiance ensured this was another thriller like the draw in this year’s group and the past couple of finals when between them only a point separated them after normal time.

It was Downes’s 56th-minute goal directly after Dean Coleman’s second, which put Doon ahead for the first time, that reasserted Na Piarsaigh’s hold of the game and the former Limerick forward was understandably beaming afterwards.

“Delighted to come on and contribute. We’re all trying to do it — it’s a very competitive environment. You’re just looking to impact because there’s loads of lads champing at the bit so the pressure’s on. You have to deliver and in these types of games, it’s fine margins so look, every little bit helps.

“It’s very enjoyable as well, there’s no one kind of forcing it on you and like the last maybe four years, new lads have been coming into the panel and getting game-time and contributing in a very positive way. A lot of us are involved in coaching teams and you can see the lads coming through.

“There’s a mixed bag of ages. I’m tipping towards the ceiling of it myself unfortunately but it’s great to be involved and the new lads give a fresh kind of impetus to the thing.” 

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

His virtuoso goal 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 was celebrating a second goal after he had intercepted a stray pass back by Mike Casey.

Doon’s lead lasted seconds because of Downes’ blaster to add to his 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. Ronan Lynch sent over two insurance frees from distance to confirm the win.

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 referee 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.

It was typical of the guts they demonstrated in the second half but Na Piarsaigh always seemed to have their number as they ran out deserving winners.

Sunday week’s final against Kilmallock will be a repeat of the 2022 final and Downes is expecting them to be teak tough. 

“We have played each other twice for so many years now. There’s massive respect and the teams just know each other inside out. There’s no major surprises or secrets in either camp. These games are a flip of a coin, really.”

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: K Downes for Brosnan (39); J Fitzgerald for 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: K Downes for P Casey (temp, 28-30); M O’Brien for E Richardson (56).

Referee: J Murphy (Ballylanders).