Clough-Ballacolla 1-16

Kilmacud Crokes 1-13

CLOUGH-BALLACOLLA are off to Croke Park after they defeated Kilmacud Crokes in O’Moore Park this evening in the Leinster Club SHC semi-final.

Declan Laffan’s charges were immense once again as they upset the odds, coming in as 3/1 outsiders. They led from start to finish with another amazing performance from captain Stephen Maher as he hit 1-8 of their tally.

The result means Clough-Ballacolla are the first Laois team since 2001 to reach a Leinster final and will play either Ballyhale Shamrocks of Kilkenny or St Rynagh’s of Offaly in Croke Park next Sunday.

The first half began like a train with four points in the opening three minutes of the game.

Stephen Maher and Stephen Bergin were on target for Ballacolla in between efforts from Ronan Hayes and Caolan Conway for Kilmacud Crokes.

And a minute later we had a goal. An excellent ball from Robbie Phelan resulted in Stephen Maher shrugging off his man and burying the ball into the net.

Fergal Whitely replied for Kilmacud but Ballacolla got the next four points with Maher scoring three and Stephen Bergin pointing again to open a big lead.

Cian O Cathasaigh finally responded for Kilmacud but they trailed 1-6 to 0-4 at the water break.

The second quarter was tit-for-tat with Kilmacud possibly shading it but their shooting let them down as they fired six wides in the first half alone.

Oisin O’Rorke, Whitely and Hayes did manage to score for them but Jordan Walshe, Aidan Corby and Stephen Maher replied for Ballacolla.

That left the Laois side 1-9 to to 0-8 at half time and half an hour away from a Leinster final and Corke Park appearance.

Caolan Conway and Stephen Maher traded points when play resumed and it stayed that way until the 43rd minute when a loose ball broke to Oisin O’Rorke who rattled the net for Kilmacud Crokes.

Maher replied with a free but sub Mark Howard fired over from a tight angle soon after.

But Maher took his tally to 1-7 as we headed for the second water break with the score at 1-13 to 1-11.

We went 10 minutes without a score then before Stephen Bergin made it a three-point game with a screamer.

Kilmacud tried to respond through Ronan Hayes but Maher replied again and Ballacolla saw out three minutes of injury time to win.

SCORERS – Clough-Ballacolla: Stephen Maher 1-8 (six frees), Stephen Bergin 0-3, Jordan Walshe 0-2, Willie Dunphy 0-1, Aidan Corby 0-1, Brian Corby 0-1 Kilmacud Crokes: Ronan Hayes 0-5 (four frees), Oisin O’Rorke 1-1, Fergal Whitely 0-3, Caolan Conway 0-2, Cian O Cathasaigh 0-1, Mark Howard 0-1

CLOUGH-BALLACOLLA: Cathal Dunne; Diarmaid Conway, Darren Maher, Eoin Doyle; Brian Corby, Mick McEvoy, Lee Cleere; Aidan Corby, Willie Hyland; Robbie Phelan, Jordan Walshe, Mark Hennessy; Stephen Bergin, Willie Dunphy, Stephen Maher. Subs: Cillian Dunne for A Corby (50), Ronan Broderick for McEvoy (56), Tom Delaney for Hyland (59), Sean Corby for Doyle (62, inj)

KILMACUD CROKES: Eddie Gibbons; Davy Crowe, Bill O’Carroll, Jamie Clinton; Cian O Cathasaigh, Mark Grogan, Brian Sheehy; Oisin O’Rorke, Dillon Mulligan; Dara Phelan, Fergal Whitely, Caolan Conway; Lorcan McMullan, Ronan Hayes, Alex Considine. Subs: Mark Howard for McMullan (39), Padhraic Linehan for Mulligan (47), James Dillon for O’Carroll (58)

Referee: David Hughes (Kilkenny)