By Matt O’Callaghan
DOON………………………………………………..0-16
NA PIARSAIGH…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2-9
The wait is over, the breakthrough has come, Doon after much heartbreak are Limerick Senior Hurling champions following a one point win over three in a row chasing Na Piarsaigh at a damp TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.
Again it was the mercurial Adam English that was to the fore as he emblazoned his name in the club’s annals and folklore with whopping contribution of eleven points on county final day four of which were from open pay.
That falling from the firmament failed to dampen the spirits of the Doon players, mentors and supporters at the final blast of John O’Halloran’s whistle and it was sunshine all the way as they prepared to take the coveted Daly Cup back to the Tipperary border for a historic first time. When Darragh O’Donovan raised the Cup on Sunday afternoon, it instantly erased memories of the heartbreak and near misses the club had endured over many years in a quest for ultimate glory.
Four times previously the red clad men from the east going back to 1989 had come to the threshold of glory only to slip up at the final hurdle.
This was the third meeting with Na Piarsaigh in the final, the previous in 2018 and 2020 when Na Piarsaigh were hot favourites and Doon believed and faltered. The champions were probably slight favourites again on this occasion but Doon did not believe and succeeded to upset the odds.
It was a victory fashioned out with raw courage, commitment and no mean amount of skill and will serve as a paragon for others as to what can be achieved through good organisation and preparation. In this regard the backroom team of coach Derek McGrath and his management team must take a bow, they had their team meticulously prepared for everything that Na Piarsaigh were going to throw at them, had them focused and had inculcated into them a sense of discipline and togetherness that did not even threaten to waver or falter at any stage during the course of the match.
There has been few more popular recipients of the prized trophy than Doon’s winning captain Darragh O’Donovan a five times All-Ireland medal winner with his county but who for years toiled manfully in the cause of his club with little reward and even the most partisan supporters of Sunday’s losers would not begrudge this great servant of the game, another moment of glory.
O’Donovan and English shone like beacons in a team of heroes, they led by example and were the perfect role models and leaders as Doon finally scaled the dizzy heights of championship success.
Their job was made easy as every man in red were besotted with a desire to succeed and the manner in which they refused to press the panic button when the champions buried two trademark goals in a 75 second spell in the first quarter gave the first glimpse that it may be Doon’s day.
The game marked the return to action of the great Peter Casey for Na Piarsaigh as a second half substitute and his return was universally greeted. The champions were boosted by the return of Daithí Dempsey though not listed to start was in from the throw in and made an impact setting up one and scoring the other goal but after that the Doon defence came to terms with the threat posed by him and Adrian Breen who also started.
Like the great champions they were Na Piarsaigh went down fighting but the match statistics do not make kind reading for the Caherdavin side. They were outscored sixteen scores to eleven and apart from the two goals only clocked up five points from open play.
Na Piarsaigh were first off the mark with a Conor Boylan point after three minutes which was cancelled out two minutes later by Adam English. On six minutes Doon had an early opportunity for a goal only for Darragh Stapleton to be hooked as he was about to pull the trigger. Adam English from a 65 and play opened up a two points gap for Doon.
J.J. Carey replied for Na Piarsaigh and on 14 minutes a major blow for Doon after Daithí Dempsey played in Adrian Breen to finish to the net. It was the most challenging period of the game for the men from the east as 75 second later, Daithí Dempsey raced in along goal line from the left and gave Tomás Lynch no chance from an awkward angle. Ronan Lynch added a point for the Caherdavin men and it was appearing to be business as usual for the champions as they now sat on a six points lead after 19 minutes.
Doon were reading from a different script and Na Piarsaigh were not to score again for the remainder of the half while Doon registered five unanswered points from Adam English free, Darragh Stapelton and two English frees and one from play to close the gap to the minimum at half time, 2-3 to 0-8.
Shane Dowling from a 65 doubled the Na Piarsaigh lead soon after the restart but Gareth Thomas replied for Doon. A long range point from Mike Foley was trumped by Adam English points sandwiching an inspirational effort from Darragh O’Donovan as Derek McGrath’s side nosed in from 0-12 to 2-5 for the first time after 41 minutes.
Shane Dowling from a free restored parity but again the response was three Doon points from Barry Murphy. Pat Ryan and an Adam English free as Doon went clear with twelve minutes remaining.
Shane O’Neill’s men were not laying down arms and points from the returning Peter Casey, Ronan Lynch from a free and substitute Dylan Lynch had the sides level with six minutes remaining.
The sides cancelled each other out for the next five minutes until Adam English broke the deadlock on 59th minute with what proved to be a priceless and historic winner.
Scorers: Doon: Adam English 0-11, 6fs,1-65; Darragh Stapleton, Gareth Thomas, Darragh O’Donovan, Barry Murphy, Pat Ryan 0-1 each.
Na Piarsaigh: Adrian Breen, Daithi Dempsey 1-0 each; Ronan Lynch 2fs, Shane Dowling 1f, 1-65 0-2 each; Conor Boylan, JJ Carey, Mike Foley, Peter Casey and Dylan Lynch 0-1 each
Doon: Tomas Lynch; Eoin Fitzgibbon, Tommy Hayes, Cian O’Donovan; Chris Thomas, Barry Murphy, Richie English; Darragh O’Donovan (Captain), Pat Ryan; Gareth Thomas, Adam English, Eddie Stokes; Jack Ryan, Kevin Maher, Darragh Stapleton.
Subs: Cormac Ryan for Gareth Thomas (37), Mikey O’Brien for Darragh Stapleton (51), Patricks Cummins for Cian O’Donovan (59)
Na Piarsaigh: Shane Dowling; Vince Harrington, Mike Casey (Captain), Emmett McEvoy; Mike Foley, William O’Donoghue, Jerome Boylan; Ronan Lynch, Tommy Grimes; JJ Carey, Will Henn, Conor Boylan; Daithi Dempsey, Kevin Downes, Adrian Breen.
Subs: Peter Casey for William Henn (43), Dylan Lynch for Adrian Breen (51), Keith Dempsey for Kevin Downes (60).
Referee: John O’Halloran, Bruree.