Ballyhale hold the edge over Crokes

BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS (Kilkenny) 2-15 KILMACUD CROKES 0-12

Two first half goals put Kilkenny champions, Ballyhale Shamrocks, on the road to victory in this AIB Leinster Club SHC semi-final at Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

Henry Shefflin rose highest to bat a Conor Walsh point effort dropping short to the net in the fifth minute to rock Kilmacud back after a decent start.

Crokes battled manfully in defence doing well in defence but that goal tended to separate the sides for much of the first half but Crokes always had to work that bit harder to create scoring opportunities while the deadball accuracy of TJ Reid kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Cats.

A superb Dillon Mulligan point in the 26th minute might have lifted Crokes but disaster struck two minutes later when goalkeeper Matt Collins seemed to lose sight of the sliotar in the sun as Reid's 70-metre free bounced off his chest and into the net to push Ballyhale into a 2-7 to 0-6 lead.

Bu the interval two points from Mark Aylward moved the Kilkenny champions nine points clear, 2-9 to 0-6.

Crokes, however, started the second half in determined fashion and Seanie McGrath had his goalbound snapshot parried out for a '65' by Richie Reid.

The resultant '65' was worked short by Crokes for Mulligan to add his second point of the day.

Points followed from Crokes with two Ryan O'Dwyer points to cut the deficit to two clear goals by the 43rd minute, 2-9 to 0-9.

But that was as good as it got for Crokes and despite all their industry the goal they required to really ignite a fightback never materialised with James Burke having a call for a penalty turned down three minutes from time arguably as close as they got.

SCORERS - Ballyhale Shamrocks: TJ Reid 1-8 (1-6f), H Shefflin 1-2, M Aylward, C Fennelly 0-2 each, J Fitzpatrick 0-1. Kilmacud Crokes: R O’Dwyer 0-5 (0-4f), S McGrath (0-2f), C Conway, D Mulligan 0-2 each, D Kelly 0-1.

BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS: R Reid; A Cuddihy, J Holden, T Coogan; P Shefflin, M Fennelly, C Walsh; B Awlard, D Hoyne; J Fitzpatrick, C Fennelly, TJ Reid; E Reid, H Shefflin, M Aylward. Subs: B Cody for Hoyne (41), R Corcoran for Aylward (54), A Cummins for Cuddihy (56).

KILMACUD CROKES: M Collins; N Corcoran, Rory O’Carroll, J Clinton; R O’Loughlin, J Dougan, C MacGabhann; D Kelly, D Mulligan; Ross O’Carroll, C Clinton, R O’Dwyer; C Conway, S McGrath, J Sweeney. Subs: B O’Carroll for J Clinton (14 inj), O O’Rorke for C Clinton (39), B Mulligan for MacGabhann (47), J Burke for McGrath (51).

REF: J Keenan (Wicklow).