Quirke points way for DLS

De La Salle Waterford 1-15 Our Lady’s Templemore 1-8

Operating out of full-forward, Quirke scored 10 points as the Waterford side brushed aside the challenge of Our Lady's to reach their first final.

In conditions far from ideal for hurling, the physically stronger DLS side were never headed when Quirke landed his first point after 50 seconds, and while Our Lady's did make a game of it for 15 minutes of the second half, the nine point half time deficit was too much.

DSL revelled in the heavy going and Our Lady's had no answer to the powerfully-built Quirke, whose excellence from long range frees, in particular, broke Templemore’s hearts. Full-back Peter Kelly and centre-back Noel Delahunty were never beaten; Kevin Moran and Sean Wall won the midfield exchanges, while up front Kevin Kelly and John Kearney, along with Quirke, did all the damage.

But the lighter Templemore side couldn’t be faulted for effort, and, in Paudie Burke, Colin Campion, Diarmuid Brennan and Ian Delaney, they had excellent defenders. Their main problem was a lack of scoring power up front where only Jodie Ryan had the physical presence to get past the DLS defence. Unfortunately, he was forced off with a leg injury 10 minutes from time.

With Quirke hugely influential, DLS raced to a 0-8 to 0-1 lead after 20 minutes, and only a superb save by keeper James Cody denied him a goal.

A couple of bad wides from scoreable frees didn’t help Our Lady's cause and as Quirke continued to find the target from play and frees, DLS turned over 0-13 to 0-4 in front.

With the wind to their backs in the second half, Our Lady's enjoyed their best spell and three points in a row gave them some hope. But they needed a goal if they were to have any chance and that was never going to come as the DLS defence, with Kelly and Delahunty outstanding, dealt with any threat that was offered.

Midway through the half the heavens opened, and it was DLS who grabbed the first goal when Sean Wall’s long delivery broke out to John Kearney who first-timed the sliothar to the net.

There was no way back for Our Lady's and their cause was further compounded when Niall Russell was sent off for a second book offence, and Ryan hobbled off injured.

The goal they craved all afternoon finally came in the 29th minute when the impressive Ian Delaney’s free went all the way to the net, and he added a point from another free on the stroke of full time. But both scores only served to put a more respectable look on the scoreboard.

Scorers for DLS: J Quirke 0-10 (0-6 frees, 0-2 65s); J Kearney 1-1; M Power 0-2; S Ivory, K Kelly 0-1 each.

Our Lady's: I Delaney 1-1 (frees); Jodie Ryan 0-4 (0-1 free); N Russell, S Scully (free), K McGrath 0-1 each.

DLS: J Coady; P Laffan, P Kelly, A Dunne; A Walsh, N Delahunty, D Ellis; K Moran, S Wall; S Ivory, K Kelly, J Kearney; N Walsh, J Quirke, M Power. Subs: C Moloney for Walsh; S Cowman for Kearney; A Carroll for Wall.

OUR LADY'S: J Cody; P Burke, C Campion, D Brennan; J Harkin, I Delaney, M Ryan; K McGrath, N Russell; John Ryan, Jodie Ryan, M Lawlor; S Scully, J Scully, M Ryan. Subs: R Webster for Harkin; J Coughlan for J. Scully; M Rhan for Jodie Ryan.

Referee: M Meade (Ballylanders).