Larkin goal sparks late James Stephens scoring spree

TWO late goals gave James Stephens a flattering victory margin in yesterday’s Kilkenny SHC semi-final, the city club ending with a nine-point win over St. Martin’s after an entertaining battle which could have gone either way until Eoin Larkin’s crucial 57th-minute strike.

James Stephens faced the wind in the first-half and settled quickly. Their intercounty forwards Eoin Larkin and Matthew Ruth switched at the start of the game, with Larkin playing left-half-forward and Ruth at full-forward, and the city club benefited immediately, running up a three points to nil lead in the first five minutes thanks to Larkin (free), David Walton and Ruth.

The impressive John Maher settled St Martin’s with a fifth-minute free and Kilkenny senior John Mulhall added another two minutes later. With Mulhall roving to good effect, St. Martin’s availed of the space up front to take control, brothers Joe and John Maher scoring two points apiece. The score was 0-6 to 0-4 on 19 minutes when John Maher tried a speculative shot from distance which dropped short; the bounce deceived James Stephens ‘keeper Derrick Brennan and squirted over the line: goal.