SO QUICK after annexing a historic first County Senior Hurling Championship, the task of conquering outright All-Ireland favourites Ballygunner in a pulsating opening round of the provincial competition proved too great of an ask for our superb ambassadors Doon at the Gaelic Grounds.
The tie came just a week after the east outfit mastered Na Piarsaigh, while Munster kingpins The Gunners won out in Waterford for a sensational 11th season on the trot way back on September 1.
Ahead of the fixture, even Déise legend Dessie Hutchinson sympathised with the plight of the Limerick flag-bearers.
“I suppose going from a county final where they’ll want to enjoy it to playing again in the first round of the Munster Club the week after, it’s not really fair on them,” he stated.
On Sunday, Darragh O’Donovan and Adam English-led Doon belied their rank outsiders tag to deliver a massive performance.
Derek McGrath’s side were 0-12 to 0-8 ahead at half-time and but for a five-star save by Stephen O’Keeffe from Jack Ryan just after the restart would have skipped further in front.
Thereafter, Ballygunner turned on the style, with Hutchinson contributing an important six points in a 0-25 to 0-20 win.
Eddie Stokes and Pat Ryan too were both denied goals with fine stops by an ‘unbeatable’ O’Keeffe.
In the Intermediate Championship, luckless Newcastle West suffered an agonising 0-20 to 2-13 home loss against Cashel King Cormacs, Tippeary.
A pair of quality goals from Bryan Nix and some neat points from Cathal Hayes and Eoin Hurley helped the Magpies into a strong position only for the visitors to stage a late winning comeback, and for whom both Eoghan Connolly (0-9) and Devon Ryan (0-8) were on fire.
At Junior, Feenagh/Kilmeedy were squeezed-out by Kilrossanty (Waterford) at Leamybrien, 0-19 to 0-17.
