O'Loughlin Gaels and Oulart-the-Ballagh to battle for Leinster SHC crown
O'Loughlin Gaels (Kilkenny) 1-21 Ballyboden St. Enda's (Dublin) 3-11 (after extra-time)
Raharney (Westmeath) 4-8 Oulart-the-Ballagh (Wexford) 4-11
The champions of Kilkenny and Wexford will face off in the AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship final on Sunday, November 28, following two well-contested semi-finals this afternoon.
Brian Dowling, Martin Comerford and Mark Bergin (0-2) all pointed in the second half of extra-time to guide O'Loughlin Gaels to a gritty 1-21 to 3-11 victory over Ballyboden St. Enda's at Nowlan Park.
Ballyboden raced ahead in normal time. Opening points from David Curtin and James Doody were followed by Conal Keaney's well-taken fifth minute goal.
But the Gaels were sparked into life by successive points from Bergin, Danny Loughnane and Peter Dowling, towards the end of the half, and Brian Dowling's 30th-minute goal pushed them into a 1-7 to 1-6 half-time lead.
A nip and tuck second half followed, by the end of which Niall McEvoy had pointed the Kilkenny side level and forced extra-time (1-15 to 3-9).
McEvoy's levelling point came just moments after Paul Ryan, who top-scored with 2-5 (2-4f), had rocketed home his second goal direct from a free.
The sides shared out four points in the first period of extra-time - Bergin and Dowling were on target for the Gaels, and Shane Durkin and Ryan scored for Ballyboden. Bergin had seen his goal-bound shot saved by Ballyboden net minder Gary Maguire in the second minute of extra-time, but the Cats prevailed thanks to a strong spurt in the closing stages.
Westmeath champions Raharney and Wexford's Oulart-the-Ballagh played out an eight-goal thriller in Mullingar, with the visitors holding on to take a 4-11 to 4-8 victory.
