Ballyhale survive scare to reach Leinster decider as St Martin's cruise into final

St Martin’s marched on with a 10-point win over Naas while Ballyhale squeezed through a tight battle with Clough Ballacolla of Laois.

Leinster SHC Semi-Final Results

St Martin’s (Wexford) 0-21 Naas (Kildare) 0-11
Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 1-18 Clough Ballacolla (Laois) 1-15

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Paul Keane reports from Chadwicks Wexford Park

YOU MIGHT HAVE imagined that if there was going to be a Leinster club SHC semi-final upset today, it would come at Chadwicks Wexford Park.

Naas certainly fancied their chances but were comfortably despatched by an impressive St Martin’s side who were led by the excellent Rory O’Connor.

The Wexford star struck 0-14 in total though equally impressive on the day was the performance of the St Martin’s defence, holding the seven-in-a-row Kildare champions to just four points from open play.

St Martin’s are through to the Leinster final on December 6 and will play Shamrocks Ballyhale at Croke Park, just about as everyone expected.

But Henry Shefflin’s Ballyhale lived on their wits at UPMC Nowlan Park and had to conjure the last three points of the game to see off raging underdogs Clough Ballacolla of Laois by 1-18 to 1-15.

Without the suspended Adrian Mullen and also Colin Fennelly – the pair scored 3-1 between them when Ballyhale hammered Clough Ballacolla in the 2021 provincial final – it was far tighter this time.

ronan-corcoran-with-lee-cleere-and-diarmuid-conway Action from the clash of Ballyhale Shamrocks and Clough Ballacolla. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

St Martin’s, meanwhile, were entirely at their ease as they strode to back-to-back provincial wins at their county ground.

Ex-AFL player Barry O’Connor was influential again, wearing number 10 but starting at full-forward and opening the scoring before winning a free that cousin Rory converted.

Those scores put St Martin’s into a lead that they held onto throughout and they were 10 points clear at half-time, 0-15 to 0-5.

Joe McDonagh Cup winner Jack Sheridan was the key Naas man and he scored eight points overall but it told a tale of their desperation that he went for goal from a free as early as the 46th minute.

Naas were 11 behind at that stage and the goal they needed to ignite the contest never arrived.

St Martin’s continued to pick off the points at their ease, mainly from frees, though Rory O’Connor did provide a sumptuous score from the right wing in the 42nd minute. Jack O’Connor provided a highlight too with a line ball that he cut over in the first-half.

It’s just a fourth win in Leinster in the history of St Martin’s whose footballers exited the provincial intermediate championship last weekend after fielding what was considered to be a weakened team.

As for Ballyhale, they breathed sighs of relief after dodging the Clough Ballacolla bullet. The hosts led by four points at half-time in that one but Clough Ballacolla got it back to a level game late on before grabbing points from Darragh Corcoran, Eoin Cody and leading scorer TJ Reid to win it.

St Martin’s scorers: Rory O’Connor 0-14 (9f, 2 65), Jack O’Connor 0-3 (0-1 s/l), Barry O’Connor 0-1, Diarmuid O’Leary 0-1, Aaron Maddock 0-1, Michael Coleman 0-1.

Naas scorers: Jack Sheridan 0-8 (0-5f, 0-2 65), Michael Purcell 0-1, Cian Boran 0-1, Brian Byrne 0-1.

ST MARTIN’S

1. Callum Quirke

2. Eoin O’Leary
3. Conor Firman (Captain)
6. Philip Dempsey

7. Diarmuid O’Leary
4. Joe Barrett
5. Daithi Waters

8. David Codd
18. Aaron Maddock

11. Darren Codd
14. Jack O’Connor
12. Jake Firman

13. Michael Coleman
10. Barry O’Connor
15. Rory O’Connor

SUBS

17. Ben Maddock for David Codd (30)
21. Ben Stafford for Coleman (54)
23. Paddy O’Connor for Eoin O’Leary (58)
9. Michael Codd for Diarmuid O’Leary (60)
29. Sam Audsley for Darren Codd (62)

NAAS

1. Cormac Gallagher