UNDER-21 HURLING ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINALS Kilkenny 2-14 Galway 1-13:HERE'S a thought. When the dust settles on the 2008 Under-21 decider, to be played at Croke Park on September 14th, Kilkenny could be celebrating an unprecedented clean sweep of hurling's four major All-Ireland titles.
The intermediates take on Limerick at Semple Stadium next Saturday, while the minors and seniors continue to prepare for their September 7th date with destiny.
In 2003, Kilkenny collected senior, minor and U21 titles but fell at the intermediate hurdle. Five years on, history and the magical quartet beckon once more.
"We were under a bit of pressure coming in here today to get there," admitted U21 team manager Michael Walsh. "We got there but we can play much better. If we don't, we won't win it."
Kilkenny produced some smashing passages of hurling on a greasy Semple Stadium sod but hit 12 of their 16 wides in the second half. Former All-Ireland minor medallist Richie Hogan racked up five of those on a forgettable day in the free-taking stakes but the young Danesfort star still scored 2-5, 2-4 of that from play.
Ballyhale wing forwards Colin Fennelly and TJ Reid hit six poor wides between them but also registering a combined seven points.
Reigning champions Galway were heavily reliant on the remarkable Joe Canning for inspiration.
The 20-year-old landed eight points of his side's total, including three trademark sideline cuts, but hampered by a groin injury, he collected just the one from play.
Fennelly could have buried Galway 12 minutes from home but blazed wide of the Killinan End one on one with James Skehill. Two points behind with five minutes left, Galway were clinging on to Kilkenny's coat-tails but Richie Hogan's second goal, swet up by Reid, killed the game.
Galway were sluggish right from the start and fell 0-7 to 0-02 behind after 22 minutes before Conor Kavanagh's goal on the stroke of half-time ensured parity at half-time, 1-4 to 0-7.
Galway inched ahead three times in a tit-for-tat opening 10 minutes of the second half but Hogan's first goal, after 40 minutes, paved the way for Kilkenny's win as they progressed to a final meeting with Tipperary.
KILKENNY: C McGrath; P Murphy, K Joyce, E O'Shea; N Prendergast, P Hogan (0-1, free), L Ryan; J Dowling, N Walsh; C Fennelly (0-4), N Cleere, TJ Reid (0-3); M Ruth, J Mulhall (0-1), R Hogan (2-5, one free). Subs: JJ Farrell for Cleere (41 mins), J Maher for Dowling (45 mins).
GALWAY: J Skehill; M McMahon, C O'Donovan, P Callanan; A Keary, K Kilkenny, A Leech; E Forde (0-2), A Harte; S Glynn (0-1), K Keehan, J Greene (0-1); C Kavanagh (1-1), J Canning (0-8, four frees, 3 sideline), E Concannon. Subs: S Óg Linnane for Concannon (27m), S Howley for Harte (44m), N Lynch for Keehan (58m).
Referee: M Wadding(Waterford).
Tipperary ease into final
Tipperary 1-20 Derry 0-10: TIPPERARY set up a date with Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final with a 13-point win at Mullingar on Saturday. The Premier County were full value for their expected win despite their complacency in the latter part of the match.
Indeed Derry outscored Tipp in the final 25 minutes of the game as the long-time leaders took their feet off the gas.
Early scores from Séamus Hennessy, Séamus Callinan and Pa Bourke set the tone as Tipp established control. A fine point from Shane Bourke had Tipp very much on the edge of the comfort zone before Derry finally got their opening score through Michael Kirpatrick.
However a 1-2 blast from Pa Bourke put Tipp well and truly on the winning trail. Derry refused to throw in the towel and despite facing into a 0-4 to 1-10 deficit in the second half and conceding the opening six points of the latter half they battled gamely to the finish.
TIPPERARY: M Ryan; M Cahill (0-1), P Maher, K Maher; K Lanigan, T Stapleton, B Maher (0-1); G Ryan (0-1), S Hennessy (0-4, two frees); P Maher, T McGrath (0-2), S Callinan (0-1); P Burke (1-5, two frees, one 65), S Bourke (0-3), J McLoughney. Subs: J OKeeffe for McLoughney (12 mins), G Hannigan and R McLoughney for P Maher and Lanigan (ht), J Ryan (0-2)for S Bourke (43 mins), T Hammersley for Callinan (45 mins).
DERRY: D McDermott; S McNicholl, S Henry, N ODoherty; S Dodds, M Craig, C McKenna; N Holley, O McCloskey; P Henry (0-1), B Dodds (0-3), R O'Kane; SL McGoldrick (0-2, one free); P McCloskey; M Kirkpatrick (0-3, two frees). Subs: C Murphy for O'Doherty (ht), D Brunton for Holley (38 mins), G Kelly (0-1)for Henry (50 mins).
Referee: J McGrath(Westmeath)
