Result
Na Piarsaigh 1-22 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-20 (after extra-time)
Afternoon all, it’s a huge day for the hurlers of Na Piarsaigh and Oulart-the-Ballagh. The Limerick and Wexford clubs are bidding for a first ever All-Ireland senior final place on St Patrick’s Day. Throw-in at Semple Stadium for their semi-final clash is 3.45pm.
The other semi-final is currently into the second-half and entering the final quarter, it’s advantage to Antrim’s Cushendall as they lead Galway’s Sarsfields 2-9 to 1-5 in Navan. We’ll have a match report after the final whistle with all the action from Páirc Tailteann.
Resounding win for Antrim champions Cushendall as they book place in final on St Patrick’s Day. They become the fifth Antrim club to reach a senior decider.
Result: Cushendall (Antrim) 3-12 Sarsfields (Galway) 1-6
Oulart-the-Ballagh have never featured at this stage before after finally breaking their duck in Leinster when winning last November’s final against Cuala.
Na Piarsaigh lost out at the semi-final stage in 2012 against Antrim’s Loughgiel Shamrocks and in 2014 against Galway’s Portumna. Can they triumph at the third attempt?
Here’s the starting teams:
Oulart-The-Ballagh
1. Conor O’Leary
20. Anthony Roche
3. Keith Rossiter
4. Barry Kehoe
5. Eoin Moore
6. Shaun Murphy
7. Kevin Sheridan
8. David Redmond
9. Michael Jacob
10. Garrett Sinnott
11. Tommy Storey
12. Des Mythen
13. Rory Jacob
14. Peter Murphy
15. Nicky Kirwan
Game on in Thurles.
Na Piarsaigh
1. Podge Kennedy
2. Mike Casey
3. Kieran Breen
4. Kieran Kennedy
5. Mike Foley
6. Ronan Lynch
7. Cathal King (C)
8. Alan Dempsey
9. Will O’Donoghue
10. Shane Dowling
11. David Breen
12. Kevin Ryan
13. Kevin Downes
14. David Dempsey
15. Peter Casey
Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-1 Na Piarsaigh 0-0
2 mins – First blood to the Wexford side as Garret Sinnott points.
Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-2 Na Piarsaigh 0-0
3 mins – Shaun Murphy splits the posts from distance, great start by the Wexford champions.
Early chance for point from free for Na Piarsaigh’s Shane Dowling but his effort goes wide.
Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-3 Na Piarsaigh 0-0
Nicky Kirwan converts a free and Oulart go three clear.
Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-3 Na Piarsaigh 0-1
8 mins – Na Piarsaigh needed something to settle them and David Dempsey supplies the vital point.
Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-4 Na Piarsaigh 0-2
Points traded by Nicky Kirwan and Shane Dowling.
Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-4 Na Piarsaigh 0-4
Signs that Na Piarsaigh are coming to terms with the challenge they are facing. Dowling slots a free and then Peter Casey scores from play. All square.
15 minutes gone in Thurles.
Na Piarsaigh 0-6 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-5
22 mins - Oulart go in front through Tommy Storey but then Na Piarsaigh bag a brace courtesy of Kevin Downes and David Breen.
Na Piarsaigh 0-7 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-5
David Breen latches on to the ball and picks off another tidy point for the Limerick kingpins.
Na Piarsaigh 0-7 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-7
After conceding three on the bounce, Oulart’s nerves are eased as Kirwan knocks over a pair of frees. They may be underdogs but they’re not going down lightly. All square again.
Na Piarsaigh 0-8 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-7
He’s centre-back today but you can’t forget Ronan Lynch’s scoring abilities as he fires over a long-range free for Na Piarsaigh.
Goal for Na Piarsaigh from David Breen!
Na Piarsaigh 0-8 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-8
Level again, Des Mythen on target for Oulart.
Well, that was a dramatic conclusion to the half? Mythen pointed to nudge Oulart ahead but then Ronan Lynch sized up a free from halfway for the chance to tie the teams at the break. But Lynch didn’t connect properly with his strike and the ball arrowed towards goal when fortunately for Na Piarsaigh, David Breen fetched it and swivelled before smacking a left-hand shot to the net. Big boost for Na Piarsaigh before half-time.
Half-time: Na Piarsaigh 1-8 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-9
We’re back under way for the second-half in Thurles.
36 mins – At the other end a bad wide from Nicky Kirwan, who has been very reliable today, for Oulart from a free.
Na Piarsaigh 1-9 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-9
33 mins – Shane Dowling knocks over an early second-half free and it’s a three-point lead now for Na Piarsaigh.
Na Piarsaigh 1-10 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-9
38 mins – The biggest lead there has been in the game so far. Na Piarsaigh go four clear thanks to a fine point from David Dempsey.
Sub: Adrian Breen is in for Na Piarsaigh for Kevin Ryan.
Na Piarsaigh 1-11 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-10
44 mins – Finally after a string of missed opportunities, Oulart get off the mark in the second-half through Nicky Kirwan.
Na Piarsaigh 1-11 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-9
41 mins – Na Piarsaigh are taking their chances when presented with them as Kevin Downes points.
Sub: Kevin Nimmo on for Oulart-the-Ballagh for Michael Jacob.
Na Piarsaigh 1-12 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-11
47 mins – That’s an inspirational point by Alan Dempsey for Na Piarsaigh at a time when Oulart were really coming back into it.
Na Piarsaigh 1-13 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-13
50 mins – Kirwan hits a free for Oulart, Dempsey converts from play for Na Piarsaigh before Mythen flights one over from the right wing for Oulart. Three points in it, ten to go.
Sub: Billy Dunne comes in for Oulart-the-Ballagh for David Redmond.
Na Piarsaigh 1-13 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-14
52 mins – Kirwan points and there’s only two between them now!
Na Piarsaigh 1-13 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-15
56 mins – Just the minimum between them now as Kirwan converts a free. Great spirit shown by Oulart in coming back here.
Na Piarsaigh are still holding on to a one-point lead, just a minute left of normal time.
Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-16 Na Piarsaigh 1-13
60 mins – It’s level! Nicky Kirwan points another free for Oulart.
So who’s the advantage with now? Na Piarsaigh were five points up at one stage in that second-half and held a four point lead with twelve minutes remaining. But Oulart-the-Ballagh’s spirit saw them finish in terrific fashion. We’ll follow all the extra-time action.
Full-Time: Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-16 Na Piarsaigh 1-13
Extra-time beckons.
Extra-time time about to get under way in Semple Stadium.
Na Piarsaigh 1-14 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-16
61 mins – Ideal start for Na Piarsaigh to extra-time as Kevin Downes tears clear from the centre after gathering the ball and taps over his point.
Na Piarsaigh 1-15 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-16
64 mins – That’s superb interplay by Na Piarsaigh as a move started in goal by Podge Kennedy culminates in Alan Dempsey launching his shot between the posts. They’ve gained a grip of this game again.
Na Piarsaigh 1-16 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-16
69 mins – And there’s a goal between the teams again. Peter Casey is fouled, Shane Dowling points the resultant free and Na Piarsaigh have a nice three-point cushion.
Na Piarsaigh 1-17 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-16
70 mins – He’s had a storming extra-time so far and now William O’Donoghue is on the scoresheet as he raises a white flag following good work by Shane Dowling.
Half-Time (Extra-Time)
Na Piarsaigh 1-17 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-17
Oulart-the-Ballagh goalkeeper Conor O’Leary comes upfield to take a 20-yard free.
But his shot flies over the bar, it never threatened the Na Piarsaigh rearguard.
Na Piarsaigh 1-18 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-17
72 mins – Stray clearance from the Oulart-the-Ballagh defence and the underhit shot is collected by Alan Dempsey, who deposits it over the bar for his fourth point of the game. A big scoring contribution from the midfielder.
Na Piarsaigh 1-18 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-18
74 mins – Still three points between the sides.
Na Piarsaigh 1-21 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-20
78 mins – Billy Dunne strikes a point for Oulart to cut the deficit to four.
Na Piarsaigh 1-19 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-19
76 mins – Neat point by Peter Casey for Na Piarsaigh at one end, cancelled out at the other end by Eoin Moore.
Na Piarsaigh 1-21 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-19
77 mins – But Na Piarsaigh are able to summon a response each time. The approach work is by Shane Dowling and the finish is by substitute Adrian Breen for a point that precedes a great score from the opposite wing by Kevin Downes.
Na Piarsaigh 1-22 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-20
80 mins – That should be the insurance score. Dowling taps over a free after Casey is fouled.
Full-Time: Na Piarsaigh 1-22 Oulart-the-Ballagh 0-20
All over and eventually Na Piarsaigh get over the line as they claim a five-point victory over Oulart-the-Ballagh after extra-time. It’ll be Na Piarsaigh v Cushendall in the final on St Patrick’s Day.
