AIB All-Ireland Intermediate club hurling semi-final result

THOMASTOWN 6-26 SETANTA 1-8

AIB All-Ireland Junior club hurling semi-final result

TULLOGHER-ROSBERCON 3-20 CASTLEBLAYNEY 1-11

It will be Cork versus Kilkenny on the double on Saturday, January 13th in Croke Park, after Thomastown and Tullogher-Rosbercon from the Marble County followed Castlelyons and St. Catherine’s into the AIB All-Ireland Intermediate and Junior club finals.

Unlike the Munster dup however, who struggled to overcome Connacht opposition yesterday, it was much more straightforward for Thomastown and Tullogher-Rosbercon, particularly the intermediate club, who made short work of Setanta at Páirc Esler in Newry.

The Donnelly brothers were all in sensational form, with John striking 3-2, Stephen on the mark with 1-5 and Robbie adding five points.

Luke Connellan opened the scoring before Stephen Donnelly raised the first green flag of the day, and it seemed as if Thomastown had the ability to engineer gilt-edged scoring opportunities at will, right from the start.

Gerry Gilmore’s goal from a tight angle was a brief respite for Setanta, but John Donnelly hit back with two goals in a minute, and the lead was already out to double figures with just 13 minutes played.

It didn’t get any better for Setanta from there as John added his third goal en route to Thomastown taking a 5-14 to 1-6 half-time lead.

Setanta were a bit better defensively in the second half but Thomastown also shut down their opponents almost completely, restricting them to just two second half points. On the other side, Alex Cass added a late goal while John Joe Farrell was on the mark with four from play, offering further warning to Castlelyons, who will meet Thomastown in the decider in four weeks’ time.

At the Downs GAA club in Westmeath, Castleblayney’s dreams of causing an upset against Tullogher-Rosbercon were alive and well when they exploded out of the blocks with the first four points of the game, albeit wind-assisted.

Conor Hennessy’s goal for Tullogher-Rosbercon after seven minutes settled the Kilkenny side into the game however, and they looked to be in complete control when Cian O’Donoghue added a second midway through the half.

Fergal Rafter replied in kind, scored from a sideline cut after the ball deflected off a Tullogher-Rosbercon hurl, to give Castleblayney a lifeline and level the game. However the last three points of the half went the way of the Leinster champions to make it 2-8 to 1-8 at the interval, and the favourites powered on with the breeze at their backs in the second half. 

Walter Walsh had a solid game and caused problems for the Monaghan side, but it was his fellow attacking giant Marty Murphy who wreaked havoc, with Colman O’Sullivan and Jamie Lyng controlling the game from midfield.

O’Donoghue added another goal to bring has tally to 2-9 for the afternoon, as they march on to a Croke Park showdown where they will aim to make it 11 wins in 20 renewals of this championship for Kilkenny clubs.