Shamrocks march on but injury jinx strikes star Cha

BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS remain on course to retain their Kilkenny, Leinster and All-Ireland senior hurling titles after this hard-fought Kilkenny semi-final win over James Stephens, but it came at a price, a huge price.

Twenty minutes into the semi-final in Nowlan Park yesterday, current young hurler-of-the-year James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick was in trouble. Having just suffered a hard pull — on the ball, let it be said — he went down clutching his foot and was stretchered off, to an ovation from the large attendance.

With hurler-of-the-year Henry Shefflin already sidelined, this comes as a second body-blow to Ballyhale.