All-Ireland JFC: London through to Croke Park final

​All-Ireland JFC Semi-Final

London 1-17 Kilkenny 0-17

By Paul Keane at the GAA National Games Development Centre

Two pointers proved the difference, and Noel Maher grabbed the majority of them, as London finished strongly to book their return to the All-Ireland junior football final.

London struck five two-pointers in total and midfielder Maher converted four of them to get the better of a Kilkenny side containing three-time MacCarthy Cup winner Walter Walsh.

Former All-Star Walsh had a strong first-half, scoring two points, and lined out in Abbottstown alongside Ciaran Wallace, another ex-county senior hurler.

Kilkenny, the 2022 junior winners and 2023 finalists, led by four points with 39 minutes on the clock, 0-12 to 0-8.

But they were powerless to prevent London from grabbing four of their two-pointers in the remaining time while Ali Carney also grabbed a crucial goal.

Former London senior manager Paul Coggins is in charge of the London juniors who will advance now to Sunday's Croke Park final against holders New York, a repeat of last year's showpiece.

Maher finished with 0-9 for London while Carney contributed 1-1 and Conor Redican, who struck the winning point in last month's All-Britain final win, weighed in with a couple of scores too.

Walsh had an immediate impact on the game, wearing number 11 but contesting the throw-up and winning the ball to get Kilkenny on the attack.

He scored his first point in the sixth minute, contributed to two more first-half points for Fionn Cody and Caleb Byrne and won a free that Donegal native James Carroll converted for an orange flag.

Walsh also flashed a snapshot just wide and later in the half had a shot at goal blocked by a London defender.

Carroll was influential for Kilkenny too, the 2010 All-Ireland U-21 finalist with Donegal scoring three first-half points.

Carroll's two-point score in the 23rd minute put Kilkenny 0-8 to 0-4 ahead but they didn't score again until the start of the second-half.

In the meantime, London reeled off four points in a row to tie it up at half-time, 0-8 apiece.

The second-half started in similar fashion, Kilkenny getting a run on London with points from sub Mick Malone, Walsh, Dylan Simpson and Carroll to reopen a four-point lead.

And London then coming back strongly at them with three terrific two-pointers from Maher, two from placed balls and one from play.

Carney drilled a 43rd minute goal for London too, finishing off a free-flowing move involving Ryan McCready and Christopher Morris with a drilled finish.

Now London were in the driving seat with a 1-14 to 0-13 lead and 10 minutes remaining.

Kilkenny threw the kitchen sink at it late on and with three points between them when the siren sounded, and Kilkenny in possession, they tried for several minutes to recycle the ball around and score a goal.

But it never materialised and goalkeeper Caolan Doyle's 56th minute two-pointer for London ultimately provided a vital cushion in the closing stages.

Scorers for London: Noel Maher 0-9 (3 tpf, 1 tp), Ali Carney 1-1, Sean Hickey 0-2, Caolan Doyle 0-2 (tp), Conor Redican 0-2 (2fs), Christopher Morris 0-1.

Scorers for Kilkenny: James Carroll 0-8 (1tpf, 5sf), Darragh Hartley 0-2 (tp), Walter Walsh 0-2, Mick Malone 0-1, Fionn Cody 0-1, Caleb Roche 0-1, Dylan Simpson 0-1, Karl Downey 0-1 (45).

London: Caolan Doyle; Jack Power, Patrick O'Connor, Eoghan Reilly; Eoin McGivney, Ryan McCready, Donncha Byrne; Noel Maher, Conor Redican; Matthew Joyce, Christopher Morris, Matthew Tierney; Ryan Kearney, Sean Hickey, Ali Carney.

Subs: Brendan Rice for Joyce 39, Ryan O'Connell for Kearney 39, Kieran Clarke for Hickey 55, James Cawley for Carney 55, Niall Duggan for Redican 59.

Kilkenny: Karl Downey; Oisin O'Reilly, Ciaran Wallace, Ned Kirwan; Darragh Hartley, Nathan Sherry, Harry Roche; Alex Cass, Ger Malone; Tommy Coogan, Walter Walsh, Dylan Simpson; James Carroll, Caleb Roche, Fionn Cody.

Subs: Mick Malone for Cass h/t, Thomas Mullally for Coogan h/t, Conor Walsh for Caleb Roche 47, James Coogan for Simpson 57.

Referee: Andrew Smith (Meath).