An opportunist goal by Birr corner forward Rory Hannify on 45 minutes clinched this seven-point victory over Wicklow champions Kiltegan at Aughrim yesterday and booked their place in the semi-final of the Leinster club championship.
Kiltegan turned in a gritty performance throughout and were trailing by only three points, 0-9 to 0-6, when Hannify struck for goal.
Racing across field from his own corner, Hannify latched on to a breaking ball from a Brian Whelahan free before steering the ball to the left hand corner of Ned Cremin's net. Playing with a near gale force wind in the first half the Wicklow champions had led three times, and also missed a few other scoring chances, before three late points by Johnny Pilkington, Oisin O'Neill and Simon Whelehan gave Birr a 07 to 0-5 lead at the break.
BIRR: B Mullins; G Cahill, J Errity, B Hennessey; JP O'Mara, Brian Whelahan (0-1), N Claffey; J Pilkington (0-1), Barry Whelahan; O O'Neill (0-3), G Hannify (0-2), L Power; R Hannify (1-0), D Pilkington (0-2), S Whelahan (0-3). Subs: J O'Loughlin for Barry Whelahan P Murphy for L Power.
KILTEGAN: N Cremin; Lar Byrne, T Byrne, D Hayes (0-1); Lorcan Byrne, K O'Keeffe, G Wynne; C O'Toole, N Byrne; G Bermingham (0-1), J O'Toole, J Keogh (0-5); A Furlong, S Byrne, N Moran (0-1). Sub: M Cullen for A Furlong.
Referee: J Walsh (Kilkenny).
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)