IHC SEMI-FINALSMIDDLETOWN FROM Armagh will meet Carlow's Mount Leinster Rangers in the All-Ireland Intermediate hurling final following their respective semi-final victories over the weekend.
Middletown struck two goals in a minute to book their final place on February 11th when they surprised Munster champions, Effin from Limerick, by 3-14 to 2-10 at Birr.
It was a deserved win for the Ulster champions. Three pointed frees from David Carville and two points from Barney McCann put them into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead and Cathal Carville added a goal to make it 1-5 to 0-1 after 11 minutes.
Tommy Quaid pointed five first -half frees for the Limerick side. At the interval Middletown led 1-9 to 0-6 but it was Effin’s turn to play with the strong wind.
Eight minutes into the second half Martin Moran and Barney McCann added two quick goals for Middletown in 60 seconds. Effin’s Nicky Quaid moved from centre-back to grab two goals for his side but it was too little too late.
Mount Leinster Rangers meanwhile survived a ferocious battle from Robert Emmets of London to earn a 0-13 to 0-11 victory at Parnell Park and become the first Carlow team to reach the final.
The London champions were made pay a very high price for shooting 12 poor wides.
The steady marksmanship of Denis Murphy kept the Carlow men close in what was a fiercely contested game and they trailed 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval.
Eoin Doyle helped Rangers turn their deficit into a three-point lead but points by Tipperary native Aidan Fitzgerald and Kilkenny man Eddie Brennan hauled Robert Emmets level before sublime points by Derek Byrne and Hugh Patrick O’Byrne secured the spoils for the Carlow men.
