Champions St Joseph's Doora-Barefield and Sixmilebridge, the only two clubs to have brought the All-Ireland club hurling title to Clare, will meet in the county final on Sunday week. St Joseph's defeated Clarecastle in a thrilling semi-final at Shannon yesterday while on the previous evening Niall Gilligan was the star of the show as Sixmilebridge defeated Kilmaley.
Title holders St Joseph's beat Clarecastle by 2-13 to 2-9 led all the way in this crashing semi-final played before a huge attendance at Shannon. They had seven points on the scoreboard before Clarecastle opened their account and it was 10 points to two as the end of the first half approached. Then, in stoppage time, Pat Healy finished an Anthony Daly delivery to the net to leave five points between them at half-time. Four points from Ken Ralph cut the margin to two by the end of the third quarter, but then the champions struck two vital blows inside a minute to seal a place in the final. Jamsie O'Connor was hugely involved in setting up goals for Andrew Whelan and Lorcan Hassett to give his side an eight-point advantage.
Sixmilebridge edged out Kilmaley, 1-15 to 0-14, on Saturday evening at Newmarket-on-Fergus. With just over a minute remaining, however, the outstanding Niall Gilligan scored the game's only goal to send Sixmilebridge through to the final for the first time in four years.
In Cork, Blackrock made full use of their narrow escape the last day, when reaching their second consecutive final after a well-deserved win over St Finbarr's in their semi-final replay at Pairc Ui Rinn yesterday. Blackrock meet UCC in the decider in three weeks.
The decisive score came after 20 minutes, when Alan Browne set up man of the match Brian O'Keeffe, who beat Ger Cunningham for the only goal. O'Keeffe's goal separated the sides at the interval with Blackrock leading by 1-10 to 0-10.
St Finbarr's, denied by an injury-time goal in the drawn game, managed to pull level with three early second-half points, but they could only add another 0-2 as the wides mounted.
O'Keeffe regained the lead for Blackrock and fittingly he and Browne knocked over the clinching points near the end to seal victory.
In Galway, Abbey-Duniry coasted to a 10-point win over Sarsfields at Ballinasloe yesterday in a semi-final replay and will meet Athenry in the decider for the second successive year. The winners, aided by a strong breeze, took command from the outset and led at the interval by 2-6 to Sarsfields' solitary point.
Scorers
Cork - Blackrock 1-17 (B O'Keeffe 1-4; A Browne 0-4; A Coughlan 0-3; B Hennebry 0-2; A Ryan, F Ryan, L Meaney, N O'Leary 0-1 each) St Finbarr's 0-15 (M Ryan 0-5; C McCarthy, T Olden, B Cunningham, I O'Mahony 0-2 each; C McCarthy, E Fitzpatrick 0-1 each).
Galway - Abbey-duniry 2-13 (M Kenny 1-5; K Broderick 1-2; T Kavanagh 0-2; F Flynn, M Sheil, PJ Kenny, D Power 0-1 each) Sarsfields 2-3 (J Cooney 1-1; J McGrath 1-0; P Kelly, P Cooney 0-1 each).
