Cian Lynch, Patrickswell, and Billy O'Keeffe, Ballygunner, in AIB Munster Club action at Walsh Park.
AIB Munster Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals
BALLYGUNNER (WATERFORD) 0-17 PATRICKSWELL (LIMERICK) 0-9
BORRIS-ILEIGH (TIPPERARY) 1-17 GLEN ROVERS (CORK) 3-8
Ballygunner will play Borris-Ileigh in the AIB Munster Club Hurling Final on November 24th.
Ballygunner put in a business-like performance against Limerick champions Patrickswell in their semi-final victory at Walsh Park, winning out 0-17 to 0-9.
Dessie Hutchinson and Michael O’Mahony scored a combined nine points from play, while Pauric O’Mahony put in a man-of-the-match performance at centre forward, finishing with five points to his name.
Ballygunner burst out of the blocks and held a 0-6 to 0-1 lead by the 22th minute, with Hutchinson landing four points.
Patrickswell soon jolted into life after landing their first point from play several minutes later, and they went on to register five of the next six points to bring the score back to 0-7 to 0-6 before halftime, with Aaron Gillane and Diarmuid Byrnes providing scores.
The regroup at halftime allowed Ballygunner to gather their bearings again and they got the first four points of the second half to push their lead to five.
Patrickswell responded with Gillane and Kelleher points, but the Waterford men were in firm control, firing over the game’s last few scores to keep themselves well out in front by the final whistle.
Niall Kenny of Borris-Ileigh is tackled by Donal Cronin of Glen Rovers during the AIB Munster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship Semi-Final at Semple Stadium in Thurles.
They take on Borris-Ileagh, who had to resist a brave Glen Rovers fight back to see out a 1-17 to 3-8 win at Semple Stadium.
The Tipp kingpins, aiming to bridge a 33-year gap since their last Munster final appearance, led Glen by 0-10 to 1-03 at the interval at Semple Stadium, with Conor Kenny landing four points from play.
Borris-Ileigh got off to a great start with the first four points of the game, but a goal and a point from Glen’s Patrick Horgan had them all square. Borris though got back on top and teenager Kevin Maher was on target with a few frees to give them a four-point advantage going in at the break.
A goal from JD Devaney seconds after the restart stretched Borris-Ileigh's lead even further, but Rovers captain Horgan was doing his best to keep his side in the hunt, firing in a goal from a free.
Rovers continued to ramp up the pressure and with ten minutes left it was 1-14 to 2-8. Kevin Maher and Conor Kenny though landed vital scores to push the gap out to five as the game entered its closing stages.
Glen though were refusing to give up the fight, and sub Mark Dooley flicked in his side’s third goal to bring them back into it once again. The Cork side’s dramatic comeback would come up just short with a few goal opportunities spurned, and Jerry Kelly pointed for Borris-Ileigh in added time to see them out as three-point winners.
