In a repeat of last season’s final, where Doon annexed a maiden title by just a point, Na Piarsaigh battled strongly to claim a deserved point in Kilmallock.
There was a cloud over the game as with the sad passing of Brigid O’Neill, mother of Na Piarsaigh manager Shane O’Neill, earlier on Saturday.
With O’Neill understandably not present, his clubmates battled well despite being short Mike and Peter Casey, Jerome and Conor Boylan. The result is a point for both sides – with little ground lost in a group where four will qualify for the knockout stages.
Managed by former Waterford boss Derek McGrath, Doon will have liked their start, where they hit over five points in eight minutes but from here, their quality dipped somewhat and with it Na Piarsaigh’s improved.
Eight-time winners since their breakthrough more than a decade ago, the Caherdavin men finally got on the board through James Finn after nine minutes, and Man of the Match Kevin Downes quickly added another. This after a razor sharp start for Doon, where Jack Ryan (2), Adam English, Barry Murphy and Donal Coughlan all found the target with fine scores.
It would be level by half-time, with the champions failing to maintain the same level of dominance. A first sight at goal came for the city men, when Adrian Breen was fouled. Shane Dowling travelled up to take the penalty, but despite sending the keeper the wrong way, his effort cannoned off the post.
However, the maiden goal came shortly before half time from Keith Dempsey. Clever forward play from Breen, who broke it to the advancing Dempsey and he buried low beyond Darragh Stapleton. A free from Downes ensured parity at half time, 1-7 to 0-10, the first time the sides were level.
English hit the net, somewhat fortuitously early in the second half. Ignoring the option of a point, he drilled a 21-meter free goalbound and it went beneath Dowling and co. on the goal-line, despite not carrying the desired power.
Will Henn made a cameo from the bench. He immediately landed a quality point and had a hand in plenty of decent attacks for the Light Blues.
The 2016 All Ireland Club champions levelled again when Adrian Breen centred for Downes who picked at the second attempt before plundering to the net.
Another from Henn put them ahead. Frees from Kevin Downes and Ronan Lynch gave them a three-point advantage late on.
However, the final three points went to the men in red. A brace of Adam English points and then Pat Ryan’s sublime effort tied the game for the fourth and final time.
Doon meet Patrickswell next week in round two, while Na Piarsaigh will face Ballybrown.
A English 1-7 (all frees); D O’Donovan 0-3 (0-2 frees); J Ryan, P Ryan, C Thomas 0-2 each; B Murphy, G Thomas, D Coughlan 0-1 each.
K Downes 1-7 (0-5f); K Dempsey 1-2; W Henn 0-2; JJ Carey, D Dempsey, J Finn, D Lynch 0-1 each.
D Stapleton; E Fitzgibbon, T Hayes, C O’Donovan; C Thomas, B Murphy, R English; D O’Donovan, J Ryan; G Thomas, A English, E Stokes; Donal Coughlan, M O’Brien, P Ryan. K Maher for Stokes (32); A O’Connell for O’Brien (42), Dean Coughlan for Donal Coughlan (46); C Ryan for E Fitzgibbon (55).
S Dowling; E McEvoy, C King, R Lynch; M Foley, V Harrington, T Grimes; J Finn, W O’Donoghue, JJ Carey; K Dempsey, D Dempsey, K Downes, D Lynch, A Breen. W Henn for D Lynch (40).
John O’Halloran (Bruree)
