DESPITE HAVING TWO players sent off in the first half, Éire Óg Annacarty/Donohill recorded a stunning victory over Mullinahone in the quarter-finals of the Tipperary senior hurling championship quarter-finals today.
Éire Óg were seemingly left with a mountain to climb at half-time. They trailed by 0-9 to 0-6 and the dismissals of Patrick Aherne and Conor O’Brien gave Mullinahone a significant numerical advantage going into the second half.
However, Éire Óg were defiant and a goal from Tipperary senior football captain Brian Fox had them on level terms with five minutes remaining at Semple Stadium.
Two Seanie Ryan frees pushed them ahead, and although Sean Curran replied with a point for Mullinahone, Éire Óg held on for a 2-13 to 1-15 win.
In today’s second quarter-final at Semple Stadium, Thurles Sarsfields kept their bid for a fourth consecutive Tipperary SHC title alive but they were pushed all the way by Kilruane McDonaghs.
Thurles Sars led by just a point — 1-20 to 1-19 — deep into injury time but Cian Darcy converted a free for McDonaghs to send the game into extra time.
McDonaghs drew first blood with a Seamus Hennessy point, but Thurles Sars eventually pulled clear and goals from Lar Corbett and Pa Bourke helped the champions to run out 3-26 to 1-22 victors in the end.
The remaining Tipperary SHC quarter-finals — Clonoulty/Rossmore v Drom-Inch, Loughmore-Castleiney v Borris-Ileigh — are scheduled to take place tomorrow evening.
Patrickswell and Ballybrown will have to meet again after their Limerick SHC quarter-final at the Gaelic Grounds finished all square — 0-18 to 1-15 — this evening.
Last year’s final between the clubs ended in a 19-point win for Patrickswell, but Ballybrown proved to be a much more difficult proposition on this occasion for the defending champions, who brought Limerick star Cian Lynch — who was carrying an injury — off the bench in the second half.
Shortly after the restart, a Mark Sheehan goal sent Ballybrown into a one-point lead — 1-8 to 0-10 — and they managed to lead by four with 12 minutes remaining.
But Patrickswell finished strongly and Diarmaid Byrnes appeared to have won it for them with a point in the second minute of added time. However, Alan O’Connor’s free with the last puck of the game means the teams will have to do it all again to earn the right to face Kilmallock in the semi-finals.
Goal @DoonGaaClub!
— eirSport (@eirSport) September 16, 2017
11: Adare 0-03 Doon 1-03. Dean Coleman with a classy finish to put Doon in front. #LimerickGAA #ClubChampionships pic.twitter.com/MMdt0pe0bM
Doon will play 2016 All-Ireland finalists Na Piarsaigh on the other side of the semi-final draw in the Limerick senior hurling championship.
They comfortably saw off the challenge of Adare on a scoreline of 2-18 to 0-10, with goals in each half from Dean Coleman and Darragh Stapleton.
Tipperary SHC quarter-finals
Éire Óg Annacarty/Donohill 2-13 Mullinahone 1-15
Thurles Sarsfields 3-26 Kilruane MacDonaghs 1-22 (AET)
Limerick SHC quarter-finals
Patrickswell 0-18 Ballybrown 1-15
Doon 2-18 Adare 0-10
