Colin Fennelly goal key as Ballyhale book Kilkenny final spot

Shamrocks had to battle hard to see off Tullaroan. 

ON COURSE: Ballyhale manager Pat Hoban.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-24 

Tullaroan 1-20 

Ballyhale are 60 minutes away from a fifth successive Kilkenny senior hurling title after fending off a stern challenge from Tullaroan in UPMC Nowlan Park.

After being level at half-time, the defending champions eased clear in the second half with Colin Fennelly's 38th minute goal giving them the edge in a tight affair.

Shamrocks raced into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead but by the halfway mark of the opening period the sides were tied at 0-5 apiece.

It remained nip and tuck until Mossy Keoghan scored a wonderful individual goal for Tullaroan but even at that Shamrocks were still back level by the interval through points from TJ Reid, Evan Shefflin and Eoin Cody.

Shamrocks then went into a two-point lead in the early stages of the second half before Fennelly scored his side's crucial goal.

As much as Tullaroan tried, they couldn't reel in that deficit over the course of the rest of the half as Shamrocks now look forward to a county final clash with James Stephens next weekend.

Scorers for Shamrocks Ballyhale: TJ Reid (0-11, 0-8f), C Fennelly (1-3), E Cody (0-3), J Cuddihy, E Shefflin (0-2 each), N Shortall, E Kenneally, R Corcoran (0-1 each) 

Scorers for Tulllaroan: S Walsh (0-10, 0-7f), M Keoghan (1-2), D Simpson (0-4), B Gaffney (0-2), Padraig Walsh, Peter Walsh (0-1 each) Shamrocks Ballyhale: D Mason; K Corcoran, J Holden, B Butler; E Shefflin, R Reid, D Corcoran; R Corcoran, D Mullen; A Mullen, TJ Reid, E Cody; E Kenneally, C Fennelly, N Shortall.

Subs J Cuddihy for Shortall (h-t), L Barron for Butler (53).

Tullaroan: P Buggy; G Luby, T Walsh, J Moore; M Walsh, Padraig Walsh, T Dunne; J Keoghan, J Coughlan; J Walton, M Keoghan, G Dunne; D Simpson, B Gaffney, S Walsh.

Subs: Peter Walsh for Walton (48), T Walsh for Coughlan (57), S Leahy for Simpson (58).

Referee: Owen Beehan