AIB Leinster Club SHC semi-final

Clough-Ballacolla (Laois) 1-16 Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 1-13

By Paul Keane at MW Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise

A year of years will end for Clough-Ballacolla at Croke Park next weekend after overcoming the odds once again to secure a historic AIB Leinster club hurling championship final place.

Since mid-August, Declan Laffan's side have won two Laois SHC finals - the 2020 final was delayed because of the pandemic - and recorded their first ever wins in the provincial championship, making light of their underdogs tag to defeat the Wexford champions and now the Dublin representatives.

They won this one the hard way too and watched a six-point lead at one stage get whittled down to just one in the third quarter of the game but it was no great surprise to see them finish strongly and to secure victory.

Stephe 'Picky' Maher led the line superbly again and added 1-8 to the 1-9 he scored against Rapparees on the same pitch a fortnight earlier.

There were huge performances all around the field and whether it's holders and back to back All-Ireland winners Ballyhale Shamrocks or St Rynaghs that they face next weekend at GAA headquarters, they will travel with confidence and precious momentum.

It's the end of the road for Dublin champions Crokes who trailed virtually throughout and were undone by errors and missed opportunities on a difficult night for hurling.

Crokes arrived in Portlaoise as favourites after hitting Raharney for 5-19 in the quarter-finals but these were two evenly matched teams with similar historical records - Crokes had recorded two previous wins in Leinster to Clough Ballacolla's one - and the hosts certainly didn't view themselves as underdogs.

They tore into the Dubliners from the off, initially overwhelming them with their brand of hungry hurling on a heavy, rain-sodden pitch.

The hosts laid down an early marker with Maher's fifth minute goal. He could have popped a handy point from the right but literally threw his marker Davy Crowe to the ground and burst through to fire a low finish beyond goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons.

Four points in a row then, including three from Maher, put clear daylight between the teams at the first water break, 1-6 to 0-4.

Crokes were struggling in a number of areas. Jamie Clinton, for example, was surrounded by a posse of backs and blown for overcarrying, to the delight of Maher who pointed the free.

On another occasion in the second quarter, Lorcan McMullan, wearing 13 but playing in midfield, was flattened with a huge hit from behind. It drew a free for Crokes but was also a statement of intent from the Colla.

Crokes were better in the 10 minutes or so before half-time. They opted again for a two-man full-forward line of twin towers Ronan Hayes and Alex Considine.

Between them, they'd struck 4-7 against Raharney though took their time to get into this game with Hayes suddenly coming alive late in the first-half.

He pointed one free before forcing defender Eoin Doyle to spill possession and finished off that play with another morale boosting point.

Fergal Whitely then hit his second point to leave just four between the teams at half-time, 1-9 to 0-8.

It was a manageable gap for Crokes though they would have to improve their shooting following half a dozen first-half wides.

Crokes duly adjusted their radar and recorded just one wide in the third quarter. Crucially, they outscored their opponents in this period with Oisin O'Rorke's 44th minute goal coming as a lifeline for them.

Like Maher earlier, he had no interest in taking a point and burst through the centre of the Clough-Ballacolla defence, controlling the sliotar on his hurl before volleying it beyond Cathal Dunne.

That brought the gap down to a point though a couple of Maher frees left Clough-Ballacolla 1-13 to 1-11 up at the second water break.

Crokes didn't get any closer again with Laffan's side picking off timely points in the closing minutes to remain well in control at all stages.

Scorers for Clough-Ballacolla: Stephen Maher 1-8 (0-6f), Stephen Bergin 0-3, Jordan Walshe 0-2, Aidan Corby 0-1, Brian Corby 0-1, Willie Dunphy 0-1.

Scorers for Kilmacud Crokes: Ronan Hayes 0-5 (0-4f), Oisin O'Rorke 1-1, Fergal Whitely 0-3, Caolan Conway 0-2, Cian O Cathasaigh 0-1, Marc Howard 0-1.

Clough-Ballacolla: Cathal Dunne; Diarmaid Conway, Darren Maher, Lee Cleere; Brian Corby, Michael McEvoy, Eoin Doyle; Willie Hyland, Aidan Corby; Robbie Phelan, Jordan Walshe, Mark Hennessy; Stephen Bergin, Willie Dunphy, Stephen Maher.

Subs: Cillian Dunne for Aidan Corby 51, Ronan Broderick for McEvoy 57, Tom Delaney for Hyland 60, Sean Corby for Doyle 62.

Kilmacud Crokes: Eddie Gibbons; Davy Crowe, Brian Sheehy, Jamie Clinton; Cian O Cathasaigh, Bill O'Carroll, Mark Grogan; Dillon Mulligan, Lorcan McMullan; Caolan Conway, Oisin O'Rorke, Fergal Whitely; Alex Considine, Ronan Hayes, Dara Purcell.

Subs: Marc Howard for McMullan 40, Padhraic Linehan for Mulligan 48, James Dillon for O'Carroll 59.

Referee: David Hughes (Kilkenny).