Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG

Hurling

hurling

AIB Leinster Club SHC: Ballyhale Shamrocks advance

Ballyhale Shamrocks forward TJ Reid.

Ballyhale Shamrocks forward TJ Reid.

AIB Leinster Club SHC Quarter-Final

BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS 0-22 MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS 0-16

By Paul Keane at Netwatch Cullen Park

Ballyhale Shamrocks have extended their unbeaten run outside of Kilkenny to 14 games, a remarkable run that has yielded three AIB Leinster club titles, three All-Ireland wins and now a provincial semi-final spot.

James O'Connor's Shamrocks will return to Leinster duty tomorrow week to play St Rynaghs of Offaly in Tullamore though, in truth, they will hope for improvement after a surprisingly edgy conclusion to this game.

Leading by nine points at half-time, the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions - last beaten in Leinster way back in 2012 - were powerless to prevent the Carlow representatives from dominating the second-half, getting the margin down to just three points late on.

Mount Leinster Rangers had an opportunity to reduce it to just one in the 53rd minute but were denied a goal by Ballyhale goalkeeper Dean Mason.

The 2013 Leinster champions did get the gap down to three when free-taker Denis Murphy hit his 12th point of the game in the 59th minute but didn't score again as Ballyhale concluded with the game's last three points.

Rangers hadn't played a competitive game in almost 11 weeks since beating St Mullins 0-24 to 0-16 in the Carlow final on September 19, so their slow start was perhaps to be anticipated.

They did score the opening point of the game through Murphy but only added one more, from Fiachra Fitzpatrick, in the opening quarter.

Ballyhale, in turn, exerted their dominance immediately and reeled off bursts of three and then six points without response to lead 0-9 to 0-3 at the water break.

Already it was looking ominous for the back to back Carlow title holders who came into the game as considerable longshots to score a surprise win over the four-in-a-row Kilkenny champions.

Brian Cody contributed three of those early Ballyhale scores and added a fourth just before half-time while Adrian Mullen and Joe Cuddihy were prominent in attack too, splitting six first-half points evenly between them.

Ballyhale were initially clinical and efficient, Mullen punishing a stray pass in the 15th minute with a long range point while Cuddihy capitalised in the 22nd minute after Fitzpatrick was penalised for over-carrying.

They led 0-14 to 0-5 at the interval with midfielder Ronan Corcoran also getting his name on the scoresheet.

A clear cut goal opportunity was all that eluded Ballyhale though they seemed happy to pick off their points from medium and long-range.

The game turned in the third quarter and the wind advantage may have been a contributing factor. Mount Leinster Rangers won the third quarter by 0-7 to 0-4 with Murphy scoring six of those points, all from frees as they punished indiscipline in the Shamrocks defence.

They would go on to get the margin down to just three points but timely Ballyhale points from Eoin Cody and Evan Shefflin kept their noses well in front and those three late points from TJ Reid and Cuddihy ultimately sealed their progress to the semi-finals.

Scorers for Ballyhale Shamrocks: TJ Reid 0-6 (0-3f, 0-1 65), Brian Cody 0-4, Joe Cuddihy 0-4, Adrian Mullen 0-3, Eoin Cody 0-3, Evan Shefflin 0-1, Ronan Corcoran 0-1.

Scorers for Mount Leinster Rangers: Denis Murphy 0-12 (0-11f), Fiachra Fitzpatrick 0-1, Ted Joyce 0-1, Richard Coady 0-1, Gary Kelly 0-1.

Ballyhale Shamrocks: Dean Mason; Darren Mullen, Joey Holden, Kevin Mullen; Evan Shefflin, Richie Reid, Brian Butler; Darragh Corcoran, Ronan Corcoran; Brian Cody, TJ Reid, Colin Fennelly; Adrian Mullen, Eoin Cody, Joe Cuddihy.

Subs: Gavin Butler for Brian Butler 50, Eoin Kenneally for Cuddihy 64.

Mount Leinster Rangers: Dean Grennan; Michael Doyle, David Phelan, Gary Kelly; Gary Lawlor, Diarmuid Byrne, Richard Kelly; Paul Coady, Richard Coady; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Chris Nolan, Kevin McDonald; Denis Murphy, Edward Byrne, Jon Nolan.

Subs: Ted Joyce for Edward Byrne 14, Eoin Reid for Darren Mullen 24.

Referee: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly).