No TJ, but Ballyhale Shamrocks cruise into clash with Naas

Ballyhale's Niall Shortall continued his fine form with 1-2

Leinster SHC quarter-final: Ballyhale Shamrocks 5-25 Castletown Geoghegan 0-15 

It was all one-way traffic as Ballyhale Shamrocks cruised to a facile 25-point victory over Westmeath's Castletown-Geoghegan in UPMC Nowlan Park.

The Leinster quarter-final tie was nothing more than a procession as the defending Kilkenny and Leinster champions controlled proceedings from start to finish.

Ballyhale came into the game on a Leinster winning streak that goes all the way back to 2012 and it was more of the same as Eoin Cody, Colin Fennelly and Niall Shortall all found the net in a five-star display.

Niall O'Brien's free-taking exploits were Castletown Geoghegan's main source of scores but credit must also go to corner forward Jack Gallagher who got five points from play.

Ballyhale lined up without the suspended Patrick Mullen and the injured TJ Reid with TJ's injury not thought to be serious and he should be available to face Naas - managed by Glenmore's Tom Mullally - in two weeks' time.

Castletown got the opening point of the game but once Colin Fennelly goaled in the second minute, the game took on a rather predictable outlook.

Castletown-Geoghegan remained competitive but with Eoin Cody proving deadly accurate on the frees, and the likes of Adrian Mullen, Killian Corcoran and Joey Cuddihy all chipping in with points, the Shamrocks soon eased clear on the scoreboard.

Niall Shortall continued a fine debut season for the Shamrocks when he got their second goal in the 24th minute as they took a 10-point lead into the half-time break.

A brace of scores at the beginning of the second half did give Castletown some hope but it wasn't long until Colin Fennelly and Eoin Cody added goals and it was exhibition stuff in the final few minutes as the Kilkenny side knocked over scores for fun.

Scorers for Ballyhale Shamrocks:  E Cody (2-9, 0-7f), C Fennelly (2-3), N Shortall (1-2), K Corcoran (0-3), J Cuddihy, A Mullen, R Corcoran (0-2 each), E Kenneally, E Shefflin (0-1 each) 

Scorers for Castletown-Geoghegan: N O'Brien (0-8, five frees), J Gallagher (0-5), P Clarke (0-2) 

BALLYHALE SHAMROCKS:  D Mason; D Mullen, J Holden, B Butler; E Shefflin, R Reid, D Corcoran; R Corcoran, K Corcoran; A Mullen, N Shortall, E Cody; E Kenneally, C Fennelly, J Cuddihy.

Subs:  K Mullen for D.Mullen (46), E Reid for Shortall (46), S Barron for D.Corcoran (49), L Barron for Cuddihy (52), Dara Mason for Butler (53).

CASTLETOWN-GEOGHEGAN:  K Glennon; N McKenna, B Carey, A Glennon; C Kane, L Varley, D Lynch; P Maxwell, J Clarke; P Clarke, A Clarke, S Clavin; N O’Brien, D O’Reilly, J Gallagher.

Subs: C Murphy for O’Reilly (40), M Heeney for J.Clarke (41), E Quinn for Carey (41), M Gavigan for Clavin (50), C Lynch for A.Clarke (51).

Referee: P Murphy (Carlow)