Good afternoon and welcome to our live minute-by-minute coverage of the Leinster club senior hurling final between Ballyhale Shamrocks and Kilcormac-Killoughey.

Throw-in in Portlaoise is at 2pm.

Here are the teams:

Ballyhale Shamrocks

1. Richie Reid

2. Tom Coogan
3. Joey Holden
4. Alan Cuddihy

5. Paul Shefflin
6. Michael Fennelly
7. Bob Aylward

8. David Hoyne
9. Conor Walsh

10. James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick
11. Colin Fennelly
12. TJ Reid (c)

13. Eoin Reid
14. Henry Shefflin
15. Mark Aylward

Kilcormac-Killoughey

1. Conor Slevin

2. Con Mahon
3. Ger Healion
4. Alan McConville

5. Kevin Grogan
6. Peter Healion
7. Brian Leonard

8. Damien Kilmartin
9. Killian Leonard

10. Ciaran Slevin
11. Conor Mahon
12. Cillian Kiely

13. James Gorman
14. Dan Currams (c)
15. Peter Geraghty

Looks like a fine day down in Portlaoise:

Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Late change: Keith Nolan wearing 24 starts at corner-back for Ballyhale. Kilcormac-Killoughey line out as named.

The bookies have already made up their minds on this. Ballyhale are 1/5 favourites to clinch their eighth provincial crown, KK are 4/1.

Five points is the spread.

How do you see this one going?

We’re underway in Portlaoise

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-1 Ballyhale 0-0: Cillian Kelly snaps up a loose ball and points the opening score

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-2 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-0: James Gorman flicks over a second. Great start for the Offaly champions.

That’s a collector’s item — TJ Reid has missed a free. It wasn’t the easiest angle but we’re so accustomed to seeing TJ make them, it always comes as a surprise.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-2 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-1: KK get practically everyone back on the line as TJ Reid lines up a free from just outside the 21. Just in case. He takes the point.

Super defending by Ger Healion to deny Colin Fennelly a great goal chance. Fennelly puts the ball on the end of his stick and drives towards goal but Healion gets enough of his hurl behind the shot to stop it, and then reacts quickest to the rebound as well.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-2 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-2: Conor Walsh points from midfield.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-3 Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-2: TJ Reid points a free from inside his own half. Because he can.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-3 Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-3: Ciaran Slevin levels it up with a pointed free from just outside the 65.

There’s a scramble in front of the Ballyhale goal but Michael Fennelly comes away with the ball. He’s been everywhere in these first 15 minutes.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-4 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-3: Two out of two for Ciaran Slevin as he knocks over a simple free.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-4 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-4: TJ Reid draws the teams level with a 65. Just past the halfway point in this first half and Ballyhale aren’t having it all their own way, that’s for sure.

That should have been a marvellous point for KK. Conor Mahon wins possession with some brilliant battling, Ciaran Slevin gathers with a fine bit of skill and ships off to Killian Leonard, but his shot is off the mark.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-5 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-4: Great point by Conor Mahon off his right side. Lovely vision by James Gorman to switch the play out to him in the first place too.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-6 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-4: KK aren’t giving Ballyhale an inch in midfield. Damien Kilmartin emerges from a pile of bodies with possession and points.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-6 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-5: TJ Reid gets his first from play. For all of KK’s battling, it’s still only a one-point game.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-6 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-6: TJ Reid works a yard of space between himself and Damien Kilmartin and that’s enough. He points.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-7 Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-6: The King awakes! Shefflin gets his first of an otherwise quiet first half  and Ballyhale lead as we near half-time.

A snifter of a chance for KK as a Ballyhale defender slips under a high ball. Conor Mahon tries to pull on it on the ground but Joey Holden gets his hurl in first.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-7 Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-6

We’re back. Can Kilcormac-Killoughey build on that impressive first half?

SUBSTITUTION: Brian Cody — no, not that Brian Cody — is on in midfield for Ballyhale, replacing David Hoyne.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-8 Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-6: TJ Reid points the opening score of the seconds half.

GOAL FOR KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY! Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-6 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-8: Here we go. Richie Reid makes a great stop to deny James Gorman but Dan Currams is able to bundle the ball home. KK back in front.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-6 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-9: TJ Reid points another free and we’re level.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-10 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-6: Another free, another TJ Reid point. That’s eight in total for him by my count.

Ciaran Slevin stands over a long free to level things up but it’s right and wide. That’s six wides for KK now to Ballyhale’s five.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-11 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-6: TJ Reid sends over his ninth point of the day, another free. This second half hasn’t really caught fire, despite Currams’ goal, but it’s still very much in the balance.

Ciaran Slevin misses a 65. KK are leaving points out there and they really can’t afford to do that.

Ciaran Slevin looks to have whatever the hurling equivalent of the yips is. He has a long, straight free but puts it right again.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-12 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-7: Mark Aylward points. It’s a two-point game again.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-12 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-8: Brilliant running by Peter Geraghty who skins Keith Nolan and then pops it across for Dan Currams who bats it towards goal — it’s over rather, than under, the bar.

Ciaran Slevin goes some way towards makes amends for his missed frees with a super score and KK are back within one.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-12 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-9: Cillian Kiely takes over free-taking duties and points the equaliser. Ten minutes to play — are we looking at extra time again?

Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-10 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-12: Super score from James Gorman. The Offaly men lead! Six left.

Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-10 Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-13: Level again! Eoin Reid

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-14 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-10: Enter the King! Shefflin scores a superb point from out on the right touchline, reminiscent of the one scored by Joe Canning against Kilkenny in the Championship earlier this season. Will that be the winner or is there another twist?

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-14 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-11: ALL SQUARE! Ciaran Slevin is back on free-taking duty and he makes no mistake this time.

Two added minutes to be played.

KK on the attack but the Ballyhale defence holds firm. For now. One minute to play.

Hang on – Ballyhale think they should have a free in for a foul on Colin Fennelly but it’s not given and as play breaks back into midfield, Kilcormac get a free and a chance to win it. It will be Ciaran Slevin from a long, long way out…

Short.

Free out to Ballyhale for overcarrying. That should be that.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-14 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-11

Nailbiting stuff there at the end. There’ll be extra-time in Portlaoise.

It was almost the perfect ending.

Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

And off we go again. Sixty minutes couldn’t separate these two — will an additional 20 do the trick?

“Balls like a Bengali tiger” – couldn’t have put it better myself.

Leon Mc Gilton: Great performance from kk so far, only for a few missed frees be Leinster champions by now, balls like a Bengali tiger on slevin to step up for that free to draw it after missing his previous three… Hope they do it in extra time..

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-15 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-11: Sub Ronan Corcoran gets the first score of extra time and Ballyhale lead.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-15 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-12: What a superb score by Ciaran Slevin. We’re level again.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-17 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-12: Mark Aylward and Cha Fitzpatrick point in quick succession and for the first time in a long time, there’s two between the teams.

SAVE! Super stop by Conor Slevin to deny a certain goal. If KK get themselves back into this, they’ll owe their keeper big time for that.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-18 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-12: Shefflin gets his third of the day, another beaut. Three in it now as we head towards the break.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-18 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-12

Quick turnaround and we’re off again.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-19 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-12: I’m telling you something you already know here but if Henry Shefflin gets a couple of millimetres of space, that’s all he needs. Alan McConville gave him those millimetres and, well, you know the rest.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-20 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-12: Cha points again and it looks like this one might be in the books already. Do KK have a third wind?

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-20 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-13: Ciaran Slevin sends over a free. Four points down, three minutes left — the maths aren’t in KK’s favour.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-20 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-14: Another Slevin free, this one from a very difficult angle. Three points, 80 seconds…

Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-21 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-14: TJ Reid point a free to make it safe. We’re into one additional minute.

FULL TIME: Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-21 Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-14

Ballyhale Shamrocks are the Leinster club senior hurling champions once again!

So that’s it from us. TJ Reid is a deserved man of the match and Ballyhale Shamrocks are Leinster champions for an eighth time.

Kilcormac-Killoughey will reflect on their missed chances in the second half of normal time as it’s the Kilkenny champions who can set their sights on the All-Ireland semis in February.

Thanks for reading and for commenting.