BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS (Kilkenny) 4-18 BALLYBODEN ST ENDAS 0-18
Ballyboden St Endas made their exit from the Leinster Club SHC when they fell to Kilkenny champions Ballyhale in this provincial semi-final at Nowlan Park on Sunday afternoon.
In typical Cats fashion they went for the jugglar from the first whistle and Colin Fennelly goaled inside the opening minute.However, Boden responded with some excellent freetaking from Paul Ryan to nose in front 0-4 to 1-0.
Henry Shefflin cracked home a second goal for Ballyhale but against Boden responded but their inside line failed to threaten from play and the scoring burden fell to shoots from distance, with Dave Sweeney and Conal Keaney striking beauties, or the freetaking of Ryan.
But to concede three first half goals is always going to leave a team on the back foot and in the 19th minute Shefflin set up Eoin Reid to fire to the net from close range. At half-time Boden trailed 3-8 to 0-13 but disaster struck again just 24 seconds into the second half when TJ Reid beat Gary Maguire. That effectively ended the glimmer of hope Boden had of staging a dramatic recovery.
SCORERS – Ballyhale Shamrocks: H Shefflin 1-6 (0-4, 0-1 65), E Reid 1-3, TJ Reid 1-2, C Fennelly 1-0, P Reid, J Fitzpatrick 0-2, M Fennelly, D Hoyne, M Aylward 0-1 each. Ballyboden St Endas: P Ryan 0-8 (5f, 3 ’65), D Sweeney 0-4 (0-1 sideline), C Keaney 0-2, M Travers, D Curtin, N McMorrow, E Carroll 0-1 each.
BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS – K Connolly; A Cuddihy, A Cummins, P Holden; P Shefflin, E Walsh, B Aylward; J Fitzpatrick, M Fennelly; C Fennelly, H Shefflin, TJ Reid; E Reid, P Reid, D Hoyne. Subs: M Aylward for C Fennelly (49), K Nolan for E Reid (53).
BALLYBODEN ST ENDAS – G Maguire; J Duffy, S Perkins, M O’Sullivan; S Hiney, T Sweeney, M Travers; S Durkin, D Curtin; D Sweeney, C McCormack, S Lambert; P Ryan, C Keaney, N McMorrow.
Subs: D O’Connor for T Sweeney (23), J Doody for Durkin (47), D Spain for Ryan (49), E Carroll for C McCormack (50).
(Hill16)
