Old faithfuls ease Young Irelands to another final

Young Irelands 1-18 Tullaroan 1-9

DJ has been the main man for the Gowran side in this championship run and yesterday he again led by example - foraging, providing and winning the frees with Tullaroan full-back Ken Coogan in trouble throughout.

It was Carter, however, who really caught the eye. Six points from play in any company is good going; six points against a tough-tackling Tullaroan defence in a Kilkenny SHC semi-final, all under pressure, is pure class.

Carter still has it in abundance.

Young Irelands led 0-9 to 1-4 at the break, but given that they had been playing with the slight advantage of a breeze, that two point margin didn’t look conclusive.

As Tullaroan struggled for scores, the points started to come at the other end. Five from the Carter brothers Charlie (3), Ollie and David, to two for Tullaroan (one each from free-takers Coogan and Shane Hennessey), had it 0-14 to 1-7 in the 46th minute.

Young Irelands finished in total control. Four more points were followed by the coup de grace in the fifth minute of injury time when a low slider from corner-forward David Carter went between the legs of Tullaroan keeper Richie Holland for a goal.

Scorers: Young Irelands: C Carter 0-6; DJ Carey 0-6 (all frees); D Carter 1-2; O Carter 0-2; D Carroll, C Phelan, 0-1 each. Tullaroan: J Coogan 0-5 (0-3 frees); B Teehan 1-0; S Hennessey 0-3 (0-2 frees).

YOUNG IRELANDS: M Carey; C Carroll, E Farrell, C Fitzgerald; S Byrne, T Drennan, D Phelan; J McDermott, J Fitzgerald; T Carroll, O Carter, D Carroll; C Carter, DJ Carey, D Carter. Subs: C Phelan (T Carroll 24); M Carter (D Phelan 42); P Carroll (McDermott 60); P O’Neill (O Carter 60+4).

TULLAROAN: R Holland; E Campion, K Coogan, M Maher; T Walsh, S Maher, R Butler; E Brennan, C Maher (c); S Hennessy, J Coogan, P Doheny; B Teehan, M Walsh, N Maher. Subs: T Fitzgerald (N Maher 37); P Kennedy (Brennan 55); N Sweeney (Teehan 55).

Referee: J Guiney (Lisdowney).

O’Loughlin Gaels 2-13 James Stephens 2-13

A tremendous derby battle in the second of the two Kilkenny county hurling semi-finals in Nowlan Park yesterday saw a finish that had the 8,000-strong crowd on their feet in a standing ovation for both sides.

It was 2-12 to 0-13 entering the 59th minute in favour of O’Loughlin Gaels, the champions with an iron grip looking set fair to qualify for another final in a couple of weeks’ time. However James Stephens were not finished.

Wing-forward Gary Whelan began the fight-back with the first of two late goals. A pin-point cross-field ball from midfielder Brian McEvoy was snapped up by Eoin Larkin and the centre-forward saw his goal-bound shot saved by a diving Kevin Cleere.

Whelan was sharpest to react and that score made it 2-12 to 1-13, a dodgy lead to try and defend, but within seconds, wing-forward Seamus Cummins looked to have made it safe again for the Gaels, his superb shot from the right wing dropping just over the bar and nestling on top of the net.

“There will be at least three minutes of injury-time,” came the Nowlan Park announcement, to an anticipatory stir from the large crowd. Stephens needed almost every second of it.

Two 65s they forced in those three minutes, the first following a desperate goal-mouth 10-man scramble, the second after a sharp Richie Hayes shot was deflected out wide.

That second 65 was beautifully and dangerously dropped in around the kitchen by Larkin, again scrambled clear, but only to the waiting Brian McEvoy.

With a crisply-hit first-time shot, the former Kilkenny star tied it up. Goal, 2-13 apiece, second day out for both.

Scorers: O’Loughlin Gaels: S Cummins 1-1; J Lalor 0-3; A Geoghegan 0-3 (0-1 free); M Nolan 1-0; B Dowling 0-2; N Skehan 0-2 (frees); A Comerford, M Comerford, 0-1 each. James Stephens: E Larkin 0-8 (0-5 frees); B McEvoy 1-0; G Whelan 1-0; P Larkin, P Butler, E McCormack, J. Murphy, R Hayes, 0-1 each.

O’LOUGHLIN GAELS: K Cleere; B Kelly, B Hogan, B Murphy; S Dowling, A O’Brien, P Dowling; A Geoghegan, M Nolan; M Comerford, A Comerford, S Cummins; N Skehan, J Lalor, B Dowling. Subs: C Furlong (Skehan 45).

JAMES STEPHENS: F Cantwell; D Cody, M Phelan, D Grogan; P Larkin, P Barry (c), J Tyrell; P Butler, B McEvoy; E McCormack, E Larkin, G Whelan; J Murphy, R Hayes, D McCormack. Subs: N Tyrell (Butler 39); M Ruth (Murphy 48); J Mernagh (D McCormack 55).

Referee: D Connolly (Mooncoin).