UNDER-21 HURLING ALL-IRELAND FINAL:CLARE AND Kilkenny meet in the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland under-21 hurling final for the second time in four seasons this evening.

Since they last met in 2009 there hasn’t been a competitive final with firstly, Tipperary and then Galway registering big wins since the final was moved to Thurles as a long-term venue.

The counties have history at under-age level having contested the minor final two years ago and no fewer than 10 of the Kilkenny side that started then will line out tonight whereas six of their Clare counterparts do likewise. Despite being favourites Kilkenny needed two goals from one of the players who’s not starting tonight, Michael Brennan, to see them past a spirited challenge.

Clare have visibly gone up the gears in the past few years at under-age level and the emerging talent has been needed to bolster the seniors. Seven of this evening’s team have played regularly in this summer’s championship whereas just Richie Doyle and Cillian Buckley of their opponents have seen game time for Kilkenny.

The Leinster champions have benefited from the prevented disruption of a senior All-Ireland fall-out in the wake of last week’s draw and to an extent from the strong sense that semi-final opponents Galway, with their strong senior representation, weren’t as focused as they should have been.

Nonetheless, there was a unity and coherence to Kilkenny’s play that was impressive. The movement and team work left Galway clutching at straws and the specific performances of the full-back line, imported from the 2010 minors, and the forwards hallmarked their superiority.

Any questions surrounding the manner in which Galway hauled themselves back to within three points in the final quarter were well answered by the late scoring that re-asserted the winners’ grip on the match.

Clare weren’t tested at all in the semi-final against Antrim but had a harder job than Kilkenny had in their provincial campaign. They beat Waterford decisively but the final against a well-organised Tipperary was just about rescued when Niall Arthur got a late goal.

Two of the match’s outstanding talents, Séadna Morey and Cillian Buckley, are listed to mark each other in what would be a terrific battle, as will the flagged clash of Clare’s senior forward Conor McGrath and Willie Phelan.

Kilkenny have scored goals with abandon during this campaign and containing that aspect of the attack will be crucial for the Munster champions but their defence will be the most competitive the favourites have encountered and they are unlikely to concede cheap scores.

Nonetheless Richie Mulrooney’s team still look to have an edge in the forwards and are likely to make that count even if, as expected, the match goes all the way to the whistle.

KILKENNY: D Walsh; J Corcoran, W Phelan, B Kennedy; L Harney, R Doyle, J Lyng; G Brennan, O Walsh; K Kelly (capt), P Walsh, C Buckley; W Walsh, J Power, G Aylward.

CLARE: R Taaffe; P Flanagan, D McInerney, K Ryan; S Morey, C Ryan, P O’Connor; C Galvin, S Golden; A Cunningham, P Collins, T Kelly; C O’Connell, C McGrath (capt), C McInerney.

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork).

In the curtain-raiser at Semple Stadium today, Roscommon take on Kildare in the All-Ireland under-21 B hurling final (throw-in 5pm, live on TG4). Kildare player Martin Fitzgerald yesterday lashed out at his county’s officials over their failure to pay expenses. “I’m not saying that we should be on an equal footing to the footballers as they compete at a higher level, but it’s just about getting what you are entitled to – expenses.”