Kerry SHC: Shane Conway steers Lixnaw into county final after win over Ballyduff

KEY MAN: Kerry star Shane Conway hit nine points as Lixnaw reached the Kerry SHC final. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Kerry SHC semi-final 

Lixnaw 0-17 Ballyduff 1-12 

Lixnaw booked their ticket for the Kerry SHC final as they beat the 25-time winners Ballyduff by two points in a dramatic and closely fought semi-final in Austin Stack Park.

Lixnaw controlled the opening half of this semi-final, leading 0-10 to 0-5 at the break, shooting with the aid of the breeze.

It was an electric start for them as John 'Tweak' Griffin rolled back the clock for the opening score after 20 seconds. They were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead minutes later despite hitting a flurry of wides. Points from Shane Conway and Colin Sheehy kept Lixnaw in front as we passed the first quarter.

Shane and Darragh Conway both found the blackspot to make it a 0-7 to 0-3 lead after 22 minutes. It was almost another score minutes later for Shane Conway, he took a close range free and opted for goal, the shot cannoning off the crossbar.

Dylan Moriarty and Aidan O’Connor added scores to cut the gap to five at the break, Lixnaw turning over their puck outs in that first half, a worry for the Duffers.

Podge Boyle hit two points at the start of the second half. A marauding run and point by full back Darragh Slattery left two between them after seven minutes of the second half.

Conway got Lixnaw off the mark with two frees, to pull out a four point lead, but the game remained on a knife edge. Lixnaw 'keeper Martin Stackpoole saved from Aidan O'Connor in the 49th minute after he got his attempt away amongst a sea of bodies.

Inside the final five minutes Shane Conway and Jamie Galvin pointed to swing the tie in Lixnaw's favour for a five point lead, but a Kevin Goulding goal in the 56th minute showed the tie was far from over.

Looking to work scores for a lead, Eoin Ross fired a shot from range that was swatted down by Stackpoole inside the square, but that crucial second goal would not come, Shane Conway and Eoin Ross shared points late on, but Lixnaw held out to make the final.

Scorers for Lixnaw: S Conway (0-9, 7fs), D Conway (0-2), C Sheehy, M Kelliher, J Griffin, J Buckley, R Heffernan, J Galvin (0-1 each).

Scorers for Ballyduff: P Boyle (0-7, 5fs), K Goulding 1-0, D Moriarty (0-2, 1s/l), A O’Connor, D Slattery, E Ross (0-1 each). 

Lixnaw: M Stackpoole; C O’Sullivan, C O’Keeffe, J Griffin; A Shannahan, D Shannahan, J McKenna; S Conway, J Buckley; J Brosnan, D Conway, E Stack, C Sheehy, R Heffernan, M Kelliher. 

Subs: T Foley for C O’Keeffe (inj 45), J Galvin for J Griffin (inj 47), K Molloy for C Sheehy (55), M Conway for J Galvin (61). 

BALLYDUFF: D Quinlan; T Slattery, D Slattery, J P O’Carroll; K O’Connor, A Segal, J Enright, E Ross, J O’Sullivan; A O’Connor, D O’Carroll, K Goulding; P Boyle, M Boyle, D Moriarty.

Subs: T O’Grady for J O’Sullivan (53), A Curley for J Enright (62). 

Referee: K Jordan (Tipperary).