Adam English shrugs off injury to inspire Doon

Adam English shook off an early ankle injury to lead Doon to a Limerick SHC semi-final against Na Piarsaigh on Saturday week.

The inter-county starlet was hampered at times by the strain picked up inside the first few minutes but showed no ill effects as his virtuoso goal in the 42nd minute sent Doon into a seven-point lead.

Turning before soloing and finishing the ball low past Conor O’Brien, English gave another illustration of his obvious talents, and while the ankle issue meant he played most of the game at inside forward he was a nuisance throughout.

With four of the five points before English’s intervention, Doon had been moving well in what had been a ding-dong battle up to that point. Level 11 times beforehand, it was no surprise Mungret St Paul’s fought back from the goal to make it a three-point game by the 48th minute.

However, there was no panic from Doon as English added to his free total with a brace within a minute and Donal Coughlan and Barry Murphy sent over further points to put the game well and truly beyond Mungret.

It’s a seventh consecutive semi-final for Doon who have spluttered on occasions in this championship but will relish the crack at Na Piarsaigh providing English’s reaction to playing on with his injury isn’t too serious.

Former Limerick forward Pat Ryan helped himself to four points and was unfortunate not to add a goal but it was the engine led by Darragh O’Donovan that provided the platform for this victory. Their middle third negated the supply line into Mungret dangerman Niall Mulcahy in the second half and Doon were able to take advantage at the other end.

Square on nine occasions in the opening half, Mungret St Paul’s would have been more rueful at the break given their heavy wide count of seven. Sure, Doon had the only two goal openings of the half but their opponents’ conversion rate was poorer.

Mungret also opened the brighter with three of the first four scores before Doon settled and levelled matters in the fifth minute.

From early doors, English was forced to transform from playmaker to target man but he did more than that when teeing up Ryan for a strike only for goal attempt to spring off the crossbar and Mungret’s crisis was averted.

Both teams led in the middle of the half before a rasping English drive was pushed aside over the endline in the 17th minute. He converted the subsequent 65, though, and team-mates Kevin Maher and Eddie Stokes followed up with further points.

However, the balance tilted towards Mungret St Paul’s for a three-minute spell as they sent over four points without reply to go ahead by two. By the 28th minute, Doon had evened up the game once more via a couple of English frees.

Both teams had brief spells in the ascendancy before the end of the half prior to Fintan Fitzgerald’s second point ensuring the teams went into the interval at 0-11 apiece.

Scorers for Doon: A. English (1-8, 0-7 frees, 0-1 65); P. Ryan (0-4); K. Maher, D. Coughlan (0-3 each); B. Murphy (0-2); D. Stapleton, E. Stokes, J. Ryan, B. Purcell, D. O’Donovan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Mungret St Paul’s: L. Lynch (0-9, 6 frees, 1 65); N. Mulcahy (0-4); B. Duff (0-3); F. Fitzgerald, P. O’Brien (0-2 each); L. Harrington (0-1).

DOON: T. Lynch; C. Ryan, E. Fitzgibbon, J. Cummins; D. Cummins, E. Stokes, C. O’Donovan; D. O’Donovan, A. English; B. Murphy, D. Stapleton, J. Ryan; P. Ryan (c), K. Maher, D. Coughlan.

Subs for Doon: B. Purcell for J. Cummins (28); T. Whelan for D. Cummins (h-t); G. Thomas for D. Stapleton (55); S. O’Donnell for A. English (59).

MUNGRET ST PAUL’S: C. O’Brien; L. Harrington, M. O’Sullivan; C. Archer; E. O’Doherty, P. Begley (c), B. Barry; B. Duff, R. Duff; B. O’Meara, F. Fitzgerald, S. Barry; P. O’Brien, L. Lynch, N. Mulcahy.

Subs for Mungret St Paul’s: J. McCarthy for P. Begley (inj 39); B. Giltenane for S Barry (45); C. O’Halloran for C. Archer (51); K. O’Dowd for S. O’Brien (56); O. O’Dwyer for L. Harrington (59).

Referee: J. O’Halloran (Bruree).