PREVIEW | Kilmallock and Doon battle it out for a place in Limerick SHC final

Kilmallock will be looking to retain their Senior Hurling Championship crown as they meet Doon in a repeat of last year’s tie.

The second semi-final tie of the 2022 Limerick Senior Hurling takes place this Sunday as holders Kilmallock take on Doon in Bruff.

The fixture is a repeat of the last year’s semi-final when the two sides faced off in the TUS Gaelic Grounds, with Kilmallock coming out on top with a 4-20 to 2-16 victory.

Doon are off the back of a narrow 1-20 to 0-19 win in the quarter-final over Kildimo-Pallaskenry last Saturday with a Dean Coleman goal ensuring a place in the last-four for the sixth successive season.

Kilmallock will be the fresher of the two sides on Sunday with their last fixture being the draw between the two teams in the last round of the group stages. That draw would in turn ensure a place in the semi-final for Kilmallock on points difference.

Both sides had matching records in the Group One of the SHC with three wins, a loss and a draw. Both teams’ loss came against favourites Na Piarsaigh with Kilmallock losing out by a mere point in round two.

Na Piarsaigh will be seeking a place in the final for the tenth time since 2009 when they take on South Liberties in the first of the semi-finals on Saturday.

Doon and Kilmallock have become accustomed to the SHC semi-final berths with both sides being in the last four every year since 2016. For Kilmallock, that record stretches all the way back to 2011 when the defending champions were beaten by Patrickswell in the quarters.

Since that defeat, they have reached the final in 2012, ’14, ’15, ’17 and ’21, winning the decider three times including last years. Doon have reached a pair of finals in the same time, in 2018 and ’20, losing to Na Piarsaigh on both occasions with their wait for a maiden title still ongoing

Since 2016, this Sunday’s opponents have faced each other twice in the last four, 2020 and 2021, with both sides winning a semi-final apiece.

Kilmallock were dominant in meetings between the sides in the early 10’s but Doon have brought it back in recent years winning three of the last five meetings between the sides.

The two teams are very familiar with each other, meeting in each of the last nine SHC campaigns between both group stages and knockouts.

Recent Meetings

• 2022 SHC Group Stage Doon 1-21 : 0-24 Kilmallock
• 2021 SHC Semi-Final Doon 2-16 : 4-20 Kilmallock
• 2020 SHC Semi-Final Kilmallock 1-17 : 2-20 Doon
• 2019 SHC Group Stage Doon 0-17 : 1-14 Kilmallock
• 2018 SHC Group Stage Doon 0-17 : 0-10 Kilmallock
• 2017 SHC Group Stage Kilmallock 2-17 : 3-10 Doon
• 2016 SHC Group Stage Kilmallock 4-17 : 1-12 Doon
• 2015 SHC Quarter-Final Kilmallock 1-14 : 0-15 Doon
• 2014 SHC Semi-Final Doon 0-16 : 0-18 Kilmallock
• 2010 SHC Group Stage Doon 1-08 – 4-21 Kilmallock

According to the bookmakers, Kilmallock are the favourite of the two sides to go the whole way in the competition with the holders being priced at 3/1. Their opponents, on the other hand, are priced at 8/1. Na Piarsaigh are 2/5 favourites with Liberties 20/1.

Matching records in this year’s group stage as well as a draw between the two sides would signify that there’s nothing to separate the two heavyweights but there can only be one winner this Sunday.

Doon v Kilmallock in the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship semi-final throws in at 3:30pm this Sunday in Bruff.