THE LINE-UP for the 2020 All-Ireland intermediate and junior club hurling finals was completed this afternoon with Cork’s Russell Rovers booking their spot in the junior showdown after semi-final victory in Kilmallock.
Their success means there will be two Cork-Kilkenny showdowns for the double-header that will take place in Croke Park on Saturday 18 January.
Russell Rovers won out after extra-time against Galway’s Micheal Breathnach, 1-26 to 1-15, and will now face Conahy Shamrocks, successful against Derry’s Eoghan Rua Coleraine yesterday, in the junior final.
The intermediate game will see Kilkenny’s Tullaroan go up against Cork’s Fr O’Neill’s, after they both triumphed in their semi-final ties which were also played yesterday.
It took a special scoring display by Brian ‘Bud’ Hartnett, a former Cork minor and U21 forward, to help Russell Rovers triumph. He shot 0-12, split evenly between open play and placed balls, with attacking colleagues Kevin Walsh and Kevin Moynihan also impacting in the scoring stakes.
Micheál Breathnach were on the verge of the final when Ronan Ó Beoláin’s late goal capped a comeback as they went ahead in normal time but Hartnett nailed a free from the sideline in the 66th minute to rescue his team as it finished 1-15 to 0-18.
Fair play to @BudHartnett incredible score in last puck to send game to extra time. Massive composure from @rovers_abu to work the score... pic.twitter.com/NdUHk4TNHc
— Conor Cusack (@Conor14Cusack) January 5, 2020
In extra-time the East Cork club took over with James Kennefick scoring their goal and they will join neighbours Fr O’Neill’s in the Croke Park finals
These grades have been dominated by Kilkenny and Cork clubs of late. Kilkenny sides have won eight All-Ireland intermediate crowns and six junior titles with Cork’s record standing at three intermediate and five junior.
Between the two grades there have been eight previous finals contested by representatives of the two counties.
All-Ireland club weekend results
Intermediate
Fr O’Neill’s (Cork) 0-19 Tooreen (Mayo) 1-12
Tullaroan (Kilkenny) 3-20 Naomh Éanna (Antrim) 0-14
Junior
Russell Rovers (Cork) 1-26 Micheál Breathnach (Galway) 1-15
Conahy Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 3-18 Eoghan Rua Coleraine (Derry) 1-12
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