De La Salle and Thurles Sarsfields win through to meet in Munster SHC final

Sarsfields (Cork) 2-15 De La Salle (Waterford) 0-22, (after extra-time)

Kilmallock (Limerick) 0-11 Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 2-10

2008 champions De La Salle battled past Sarsfields of Cork after extra-time this afternoon to book their place in the AIB Munster Club Senior Hurling Championship final on Sunday, November 28.

They will face Thurles Sarsfields in the decider, with second half goals from Lar Corbett and substitute Michael O'Brien proving crucial for the Tipperary side against Kilmallock.

Hosts Kilmallock started well courtesy of a couple of frees from Andrew O'Shaughnessy and a point from play from the roaming Graeme Mulcahy.

By the quarter hour mark, the sides were level as Johnny Enright (free), Denis Maher and Pa Bourke (free) opened Thurles' account.

Further efforts from Bourke and Enright (free) nosed the Tipperary champions into a 0-5 to 0-3 lead by the 24th minute. Thurles' Padraic Maher was the game's standout player in the first half, dominating from his centre-back position.

Kilmallock enjoyed a purple patch coming up to half-time, with Eoin Ryan, Shane O'Donnell and free-taker O'Shaughnessy pointing them back in front.

Their goalkeeper Barry Hennessy produced a fine save to deny Denis Maher a goal, but Bourke fired over the resulting '65' to level the sides for half-time at 0-6 apiece.

Kilmallock started strongly in the second half, thanks to points from Ryan, Mulcahy and O'Shaughnessy. But a 36th minute goal from Hurler of the Year Corbett boosted Thurles' hopes and they never looked back.

The goal was a scrappy one as Kilmallock failed to clear a long ball in from Denis Maher and it broke for Corbett to kick it to the net. Points from Aidan McCormack and Bourke had Sarsfields 1-8 to 0-9 ahead.

A second goal from substitute O'Brien effectively wrapped up the win for the visitors and Kilmallock finished down to 14 men. Substitute Kieran Kenneally received a straight red card in the closing minutes, for a wild pull across Seamus Maher.

Meanwhile, at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, midfielder Dean Twomey turned in a man-of-the-match display to help De Salle overcome a stern challenge from Cork champions Sarsfields.

The Waterford side pulled clear in the second half of extra-time, with players like John Mullane, Kevin Moran and Michael Doherty coming to the fore.

Sarsfields managed to open up a 1-3 to 0-3 lead by the 20th minute. Cian McCarthy, a son of dual All-Ireland winner Teddy McCarthy, cracked a ground shot past goalkeeper Stephen Brenner for a 15th minute goal.

Playing conditions were ideal, with no wind and a firm pitch. Sarsfields goalkeeper Alan Kennedy was on his toes to thwart a couple of De La Salle players, including Mullane, before Michael Cussen teed up his Cork colleague Kieran 'Fraggy' Murphy for the home side's second goal.

2-5 to 0-6 ahead at half-time, Sarsfields were looking good. But by the midpoint of the second half, their lead had been cut to three points. With Mullane scoring some vital points, De La Salle were beginning to turn possession into scores and a terrific point from centre-back Moran in the third minute of injury-time sent the game to extra-time (2-11 to 0-17).