HIGHLIGHTS | Na Piarsaigh see off Ballina after penalties to seal Munster Intermediate final berth

The Caherdavin side went one better than 2014 to reach a maiden Munster football final.

Na Piarsaigh will contest the 2022 Munster Intermediate Club Football Champiomnship final after besting Ballina in penalties in Kilmallock.

There was nothing to separate the sides at the end of normal and extra-time as the Caherdavin men sealed a 4-2 victory in the shootout.

Goalkeeper Eoghain Sherlock saved a brace of penalties while Na Piarsaigh were only erring with one of their efforts. They will move on to play Kerry champions Rathmore in the final on December 10/11.

In a low-scoring opening half, it was Na Piarsaigh who found the net with Dylan Cronin teeing up Kieran Daly who saw his shot saved before Cronin followed up for a 1-1 to 0-1 lead. But they wouldn’t find the target again in the half with Ballina drawing level in the 27th minute.

Ballina could have taken the lead shortly after the restart but Sherlock saved from a Steven O’Brien penalty. At the other end Cronin made the Tipp champions pay with a converted mark. O’Brien nearly did breach the Na Piarsaigh rearguard but his stunning effort rebounded off the post and into the grateful arms of the Caherdavin men.

O’Brien did level with a free but Cronin replied to keep Na Piarsaigh in front. Ballina had to wait for the final minute of normal time for the equaliser with Jack O’Mahony ensuring an additional twenty minutes.

Ballina struck first in extra time and that was to be the only score of the first period as the teams changed ends at 0-7 to 1-3. O’Brien then gave the Tipp side their first two point lead of the afternoon but Na Piarsaigh first replied with a Kieran Daly free before Evan Sweeney sent the game to a shootout.

And so it went to penalties where Sherlock once more proved his worth as he saved a pair of spot kicks to go with his earlier save from O’Brien. Gordon Browne got Nap off the mark before O’Brien was once more denied. Jack Barry made it 2-0 before Sherlock saved his second. Kieran Daly had Na Piarsaigh cruising before Ballina got off the mark. But Ballina keeper Jack Brady saved Cronin’s penalty before slotting home himself to make it 3-2.

Nonetheless, Evan Egan had the chance to seal the result and he made no mistake in booking Na Piarsaigh’s final spot.

Scorers Na Piarsaigh: Dylan Cronin (1-2, free, mark), Kieran Daly (0-2, free), Evan Sweeney 0-1.

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