Kilkenny CBS 0-16
Midleton CBS 2-9
Trevor Spillane reports from Clonmel Sportsfield
KILKENNY CBS ARE into final four of the All-Ireland post-primary schools senior hurling championship but they were made to sweat as Midleton CBS ran them all the way to the finish line.
The Cork side were 11 points down (0-14 to 0-3) going into the final quarter but went on a scoring charge that almost turned the game their way.
Kilkenny CBS, backed by the breeze and the accuracy of Conor Drennan, bossed the first half. With Drennan in fine free-taking form (0-8) they trooped in eight points up at half-time (0-10 to 0-2).
The Kilkenny side continued to keep a strong grip on the game at the start of the second half, pushing further ahead thanks to some more Drennan scores, but when Midleton found another gear they raced back into contention, Liam Gosnell leading the way with a 46th minute goal.
With more points from Gosnell, Sean O’Leary Hayes, Jamie Landers and Ger Millerick the Cork school cut the gap down to four points as the game tucked into injury-time (0-16 to 1-9).
When Liam O’Shea rattled the net with a stoppage time free they were just a point behind, but Kilkenny CBS held on for the final whistle.
Scorers for Kilkenny CBS: Conor Drennan (0-13, 0-10 frees); Conor Heary, Sean Boyd, Luke Hogan (0-1 each).
Scorers for Midleton CBS: Liam Gosnell (1-3, 0-2 frees); Liam O’Shea (1-1, frees); Sean O’Leary Hayes (0-2); Jamie Landers, Ger Millerick, Kian Farmer (0-1 each).
Kilkenny CBS
David McCormack
Mickey Byrne
Barrie Lawlor
Mickey Butler
Luke Hogan
Liam Stynes
Cillian Timmons
Shane Staunton
Joe Sheehan
Oisin Murphy
Conor Drennan
Conor Heary
Jamie Ryan
Tadgh Butler
Sean Boyd.
Subs: Jason Deveraux, Sean Kenny, James Dwyer.
Midleton CBS
Alan Power
Dylan Hogan
Sean O’Leary Hayes
Eoghan O’Sullivan
Jamie Landers
Daragh Moran
Aaron Walsh Barry
Ger Millerick
Olan Broderick
Joe Stack
Liam O’Shea
Cathal Hickey
Arthur Nganou
Liam Gosnell
Mark McCarthy
Subs: Kian Farmer, Ross O’Regan, Jason Hankard.
*******
In the day’s other quarter-final, St Kieran’s College defeated Gort CBS by 1-10 to 0-5 to book a semi-final against Ard Scoil Ris.
St Kieran’s led by 0-6 to 0-3 at the interval but dominated the second-half and restricted their opponents to just two points after the restart.