FULL-TIME: Kilkenny 2-26 Clare 0-20. A truly impressive display by Kilkenny in defence and attack saw them comfortably beat Clare in a one-sided All-Ireland semi-final. This was no real contest as Kilkenny led by 14 points at half-time. Clare showed spirit in the second half but were plagued by wasteful finishing. More than 20 wides in an All-Ireland semi-final is not good enough and Brian Lohan will be very disappointed with that. Onwards and upwards for Brian Cody and Kilkenny, who have given the winners of Limerick and Galway tomorrow an awful lot to think about after their complete display, led by the infatiguable TJ Reid.
Watch Cian Kenny’s goal for Kilkenny
FULL-TIME: Kilkenny 2-26 Clare 0-20. Brilliant performance by Kilkenny. But as Ger Canning said, you can’t win a game with 23 wides and Clare were too wasteful today.
70 mins: Ten points on the day for TJ Reid, a masterful performance. Showing his class. Shane O’Donnell gets his fourth point.
Kilkenny 2-26 Clare 0-20
65 mins: Ryan Taylor scores for Clare but it’s 19 wides. Fine save by Eoin Murphy and Kilkenny get it up to Reid who puts it over the bar. A complete team performance by the Cats. Tony Kelly scores a close-range free.
Kilkenny 2-25 Clare 0-19
61 mins: Clare competing better but need a goal to have a chance. A superb point by Cian Kenny from the middle of the pitch, that’s 1-2 for the day now. TJ Reid puts another point over the bar. Clare can’t afford to be giving away these scores.
Kilkenny 2-24 Clare 0-17
57 mins: Fifth point for Adrian Mullen on the day. Mark Rodgers has come off the bench and has scored two beautiful points. Much better second half by Clare. TJ Reid scores from a free, seven points today. Four wides for Kilkenny, 17 for Clare is an incredible stat.
Kilkenny 2-22 Clare 0-17
53 mins: Shane O’Donnell finally gets going with two good points and a nice break and point by Fitzgerald. Good spell for Clare.
Kilkenny 2-20 Clare 0-15
49 mins: Peter Duggan scores a free after Kilkenny were strangely penalised. Walter Walsh scores a point, after assisting the goal.
Kilkenny 2-20 Clare 0-12
47 mins: Tony Kelly put over a free and misses another, lots of unforced errors and misses by Clare, but credit to Kilkenny’s defending for putting the pressure on.
Kilkenny 2-19 Clare 0-11
43 mins: GOAL BY KILKENNY! Walsh catches and plays to Kenny who is unmarked and scores easily past the goalkeeper. Earlier, Ryan went for goal and cut back but puts over the bar. David McInerney scored from range.
Kilkenny 2-19 Clare 0-10
40 mins: Some 13 wides by Clare so far. The wastefulness against Wexford has continued today. They had a barnstorming finish to that win over Wexford but surely they have too far to come back this time. Tony Kelly puts it over the bar from a free.
Kilkenny 1-18 Clare 0-9
38 mins: Two quick-fire points by Clare to start the second half. Diarmuid Ryan and then Rory Hayes from miles out. Ideal start to the battle to come back. TJ Reid scores another great free though in response.
Kilkenny 1-18 Clare 0-8
Quilligan’s save one of the few highlights for Clare in the first half.
35 mins: GOAL for Kilkenny! Keoghan scored in the rebound after a save from the keeper. Earlier Mullen had scores his fourth point of the game. Duggan had appeared through but more great defending by Kilkenny led to the goal. What a trouncing. It’s half-time
Kilkenny 1-17 Clare 0-6
33 mins: Tony Kelly scores an easy free but Padraig Walsh scores another for Kilkenny. Clare need a goal or at least the half-time whistle because there’s only one winner the way it’s going.
Kilkenny 0-16 Clare 0-6
30 mins: Cian Kenny gets among the scorers as well. Kilkenny dominant in the air today. A brilliant save by Clare’s Quilligan denies Kilkenny a goal that almost would have ended the game. They get a point though and it’s a 10-point lead.
Kilkenny 0-15 Clare 0-5
27 mins: Eoin Cody having a good game and puts another over the bar. The Kilkenny forward line of Cody, Mullen and TJ Reid in fine fettle. Another wide for Clare from McInerney, the puck out goes straight to Padraig Walsh for an easy point. Clare all over the place at the moment. Eight-point lead for Kilkenny.
Kilkenny 0-13 Clare 0-5
24 mins: Kilkenny will be happy with their start. TJ Reid scores his fifth point, deadly accurate so far. Galvin and Kelly miss two more for Clare, eight wides so far. Adrian Mullen puts it over the bar under no pressure.
Kilkenny 0-11 Clare 0-5
21 mins: Diarmuid Ryan scores a nice point after Duggan gives him a pass with no hurley. TJ Reid puts over a free for Kilkenny, while the puckout is caught and put over by Diarmuid Ryan.
Kilkenny 0-9 Clare 0-5
18 mins: High skill level on show this evening with great fielding. Clare captain Tony Kelly misses a makeable point from a free, which will concern Clare. Six wides for Clare so far.
Kilkenny 0-8 Clare 0-3
15 mins: Conor Browne scores as Kilkenny break again, five points in a row. Superb long-range point by David Fitzgerald gets Clare back on the board but TJ Reid gets his third point of the game from the resulting puck out.
Kilkenny 0-8 Clare 0-3
12 mins: TJ Reid puts the ball over from a free. Kilkenny backs doing a great job so far in limiting Clare as Cody puts another point over
Kilkenny 0-6 Clare 0-2
9 mins: Another few wides to start for Clare after a wasteful game last time out against Wexford. Kilkenny punish after some nice skill by Eoin Cody and a point after Hawkeye.
Kilkenny 0-4 Clare 0-2
7 mins: Another point by Adrian Mullen, overlapping after a great catch by TJ Reid.
Kilkenny 0-3 Clare 0-2
5 mins: Good tussle so far. Shane O’Donnell does some beautiful dribbling and makes space for a shot over the bar for a point. Adrian Mullen responds quickly for Kilkenny.
Kilkenny 0-2 Clare 0-2
2 mins: Kilkenny score the opening point of the match, a free by TJ Reid. Clare immediately respond with a great point from play by David Fitzgerald.
Kilkenny 0-1 Clare 0-1
There is one late change on the Clare team as Páidí Fitzpatrick starts in place of John Conlon. That means the Clare team is as follows:
1. Éibhear Quilligan 2. Rory Hayes 3. Conor Cleary 4. Paul Flanagan 5. Diarmuid Ryan 17. Páidi Fitzpatrick 7. David McInerney 8. David Fitzgerald 9. David Reidy 10. Cathal Malone 11. Tony Kelly (c) 12. Shane O’Donnell 13. Ian Galvin 14. Peter Duggan 15. Ryan Taylor
The Kilkenny team:
1. Eoin Murphy 2. Mikey Butler 3. Huew Lawlor 4. Tommy Walsh 5. Michael Carey 6. Richie Reid (c) 7. Paddy Deegan 8. Adrian Mullen 9. Conor Browne 10. Eoin Cody 11. Padraig Walsh 12. TJ Reid 13. Billy Ryan 14. Martin Keoghan 15. Cian Kenny
Kilkenny are still looking to veteran TJ Reid to deliver when it counts, writes Malachy Clerkin, and he will be a key player this evening. In 10 campaigns since the start of 2013, Kilkenny have scored 79 goals in the championship. Of those, Reid is responsible for 25 of them.
Joe Canning writes that Kilkenny are in the perfect place for an ambush. “Overall I’m just not fully convinced by Clare. Whereas Kilkenny come into this in the perfect position. They are underdogs, which they will be both delighted and annoyed by.”
Nicky English writes that a liberated Clare can take off but it may be a bumpy flight against Kilkenny. He says Kilkenny will “harass, turn up the heat, inflict that claustrauphobic hooking and blocking defence and TJ Reid will pick off points all afternoon” if Clare aren’t careful. He writes that Croke Park will suit Clare’s pace and athleticism but they need to get away from Kilkeny because there’s no team better in a close contest.
