Colleges SHC All-Ireland semi-final/ St Flannan's 1-11 Kilkenny CBS 0-13: St Flannan's booked their place in the All-Ireland Colleges senior A final following a hard-earned victory over a determined Kilkenny CBS in Nenagh yesterday.

Playing with the strong breeze, St Flannan's opened their account with a John Conlon point after just 50 seconds and Conor Nealon added a second minutes later. But the Ennis side hit seven wides in the first quarter which meant they could not pull clear.

In first half injury-time Mark Kelly found the target for Kilkenny to see them trail by four at the break, 0-6 to 0-2.

A pulsating second half saw St Flannan's withstand a strong Kilkenny fightback. Three successive Mark Bergin frees brought Kilkenny CBS to within one point before Colm Madden netted for St Flannan's in the 40th minute.

Kilkenny got back to within one point again in the 56th minute, aided by two points from sideline cuts from John Fitzpatrick. St Flannan's again dug deep and staved off Kilkenny's final challenge with points from Ross Horan and Conor Tierney.

ST FLANNAN'S: D Touhy; C O'Doherty, C Cooney, S O'Regan; E Glynn, S Hickey, D Ryan (0-1, free); M Earley, D Stack; R Horan (0-1), C Madden (1-0), B Coffey (0-1); J Conlon (0-3), C Tierney (0-2), C Nealon (0-3). Subs: E Barrett for O'Reilly (half-time), C O'Connell for Coffey (42 mins).

KILKENNY CBS: D Molloy; J Creane, S Maher, D Webster (0-1); P Nolan, D Langton, J Cleere; S Tyrell, J Comerford (0-1); M Kelly (0-2), M Bergin (0-6, five frees, one 65), J Fitzpatrick (0-2); C Starr, E Cody, A Stapleton (0-1). Subs: L Ryan for Tyrell (30 mins), P Guinan for Starr (56 mins).

Referee: B White (Tipperary).