KILKENNY SHC SENIOR FINALS: O'Loughlin Gaels 2-16, Ballyhale Shamrocks 3-10: A LATE goal from Niall McEvoy saw O'Loughlin Gaels end Ballyhale Shamrocks' hopes of five Kilkenny SHC titles in a row.
The half-forward broke Ballyhale hearts when he got a vital touch on a Mark Bergin free and flicked it to the net to edge a tense county semi-final at Nowlan Park.
After a tight opening quarter – Mark Bergin and Maurice Nolan helped O’Loughlin’s into a 0-6 to 0-5 lead – the city side received a huge boost when Danny Loughnane fired home a fine goal.
Bergin, Loughnane and Alan Geoghegan added points to push them seven clear (1-9 to 0-5) but Shamrocks responded when Eoin Reid diverted brother TJ’s 30th minute ‘65’ into the net, before David Hoyne added a point.
Another good Loughnane point left O’Loughlin’s 1-10 to 1-6 ahead at the break but a terrific Michael Fennelly goal put Ballyhale back in it after 47 minutes and Eoin Reid scooped a low shot to the net to edge them 3-10 to 1-14 in front.
But O’Loughlin’s fought back with points from Nolan and Bergin before McEvoy got the key goal.
SCORERS:O'Loughlin Gaels – D Loughnane 1-3, M Bergin (0-6, four frees, one 65), M Nolan (0-4) N. McEvoy (1-1), A. Geoghegan (0-2). Ballyhale Shamrocks: E Reid 2-1, TJ Reid 0-5 (four frees), M Fennelly 1-0, D Hoyne 0-2, J Fitzpatrick, J. Walsh (0-1 each).
Carrickshock 1-16, Erin's Own 1-14
TWELVEpoints from Richie Power helped Carrickshock get into their first Kilkenny senior hurling final in over 50 years.
Power was on top form, hitting 11 frees as his team got the better of Erin’s Own (Castlecomer) at Nowlan Park yesterday.
The winners made a nightmare start – they were five points down inside six minutes, much of the damage coming through an early Martin Boran goal.
Three Power frees got Carrickshock off the mark before they took the lead for the first time, John Power racing through to bat the sliotar to the net after 22 minutes. Further points from Michael Rice, David Franks, Jamie and Richie Power helped make it 1-8 to 1-4 at half-time.
A sharp Carrickshock stretched their lead to seven points within minutes of the restart, but Erin’s Own responded and five unanswered points, including three from full-forward Michael Moran, closed the gap to just two points with 20 minutes left. But five more Richie Power frees helped Carrickshock over the winning line.
SCORERS: Carrickshock – R Power (0-12, 0-1 frees), J Power 1-0, D Franks, P Tennyson, M. Rice,, Jamie Power (0-1 each). Erin's Own – . M Boran 1-4, M . Murphy 0-3 (one free), D Fogarty 0-2 (two frees), R Ryan 0-2, G. Byrne 0-2, P Boran (0-1).
