Na Piarsaigh 1-22
Oulart-The Ballagh 0-20

(after extra-time)

Na Piarsaigh are Croke Park bound following a hard-earned extra-time semi-final victory over Oulart-The Ballagh in Semple Stadium today.

The Limerick champions qualified for their first ever All-Ireland final appearance after breaking their Wexford opponents' brave resistance when outscoring them by nine points to four in extra-time.

Na Piarsaigh held a four point lead with 12 minutes left on the clock in normal time but an Oulart comeback culminated with Nicky Kirwan holding his nerve to point a late free and force extra-time.

It finished Na Piarsaigh 1-13, Oulart-The Ballagh 0-16 at the end of 60 minutes but, as events transpired, it proved to be nothing more than a temporary stay of execution for Frank Flannery and his players.

The pendulum had swung back in the favour of Shane O'Neill's charges by the end of the first period of extra-time.

Kevin Downes, Alan Dempsey, Shane Dowling and Will O'Donoghue found the target and three points (1-17 to 0-17) separated the sides.

Midfielder Dempsey opened up a four point gap with the first point of the second period and, on this occasion, the team in sky blue refused to ease their foot off the pedal.

Further points from Dowling (2, frees), Peter Casey, Adrian Breen and Kevin Downes secured their safe passage to Croke Park for St Patrick's Day.

Earlier in proceedings, Oulart's Garret Sinnott got the scoring underway in the second minute but a goal against the run of play from David Breen gave Na Piarsaigh a 1-8 to 0-9 interval lead.

Dowling and David Dempsey extended Na Piarsaigh's advantage before Kirwan opened the Wexford side's second-half account.

But, it's Na Piarsaigh who will take on surprise packets Cushendall in the final on St Patrick's Day.

Na Piarsaigh - P Kennedy; M Casey, K Breen, K Kennedy; M Foley, R Lynch (0-1f), C King; A Dempsey (0-4), W O'Donoghue (0-1); S Dowling (0-5, 4f), D Breen (1-2), K Ryan; K Downes (0-4), D Dempsey (0-2), P Casey (0-2). Sub: A Breen (0-1) for K Ryan.

Oulart-The Ballagh - C O'Leary (0-1f); B Kehoe, K Rossiter, A Roche; K Sheridan, S Murphy (0-1), E Moore (0-2, 1f); D Redmond, M Jacob; T Storey (0-1), D Mythen (0-3), P Murphy; R Jacob, G Sinnott (0-1), N Kirwan (0-10, 8f). Subs: T Dunne for P Murphy, K Nimmo for M Jacob, B Dunne (0-1f) for D Redmond, D Stamp for T Dunne, S Doyle for G Sinnott, D Redmond for D Mythen, D Nolan for D Mythen.

Referee - F Horgan.

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