LEINSTER SHC SEMI-FINALS: Birr 2-19 St Martin's 2-15: DESPITE EVENTUALLY going to script in Tullamore, yesterday's AIB Leinster club hurling semi-final, protracted by extra-time and occasionally tumultuous, gave champions Birr plenty of anxious moments before they qualified to meet Ballyhale in this year's final at the end of the month.
The Offaly side never hit the heights of the previous week's win over Ballyboden, but equally they were challenged all the way by a committed St Martin's, who finally ran out of steam in extra-time.
Birr were missing their Team of the Millennium laureate, Brian Whelahan (who tore a knee ligament in the quarter-final) for the first time in 46 Leinster and All-Ireland club championship matches as well as Stephen Brown, away in the US, and they nearly came to grief at the end of normal time when Diarmuid Lyng was just wide with a free to win the match.
The Wexford side battled throughout and were economical with what attacking possession they enjoyed - not recording their first wide until the 34th minute - and managed to find scores each time it looked as if the champions were about to pull clear.
As in their surprise win in the county final, St Martin's relied a great deal on their centrefield pairing of Eoin Quigley and Diarmuid Lyng, forcing Birr into a couple of changes in the sector, and keeping supply lines open into the forwards. The inter-county duo served notice of their side's intent as they opened the scoring with two fine points.
In the 14th minute, Birr hit two inspirational points, one from his own 65 by the excellent Paul Cleary - whose command of hard ball at centre back and quality striking were outstanding - plus a supplementary from the puck-out by captain Rory Hanniffy to take the lead for the first time.
Martin's, however, delivered their riposte, as Páidí Kelly roofed a hopping ball within a minute and two minutes later, after Eoin Quigley's shot for a point came off the post, Birr 'keeper Brian Mullins failed to clear and Kelly was on hand to scramble home the second goal for a 2-3 to 0-5 lead.
The champions responded well. Dylan Hayden fired over a marginal goal opportunity, Simon Whelahan pointed one of eight frees and Cleary converted a 65 before Rory Hanniffy went on a powerful solo run down the right before placing corner forward Seán Ryan whose precise shot gave Martin's keeper Phelim O'Connor no chance.
The ground at O'Connor Park was heavy and Birr, unusually for them, appeared to be struggling more than their opponents to master the sliotar in the conditions. Yet again St Martin's refused to fall away and by half-time points by Lyng from frees and his brother Ciarán, a late addition to the team in place of James Boggan, helped level the match at 2-7 to 1-10 although the impressive Ryan's electric run through the defence in injury-time could have led to at least a free for Birr, but in the end the ball was cleared.
For the second half, Birr restored Gary Hanniffy to the half forwards and switched Hayden to centrefield. But St Martin's took the lead. Barry Lambert, quiet in the first half, went up a couple of gears and landed the first of three points from play, plus another in injury-time. Then six minutes into the half another long strike from Cleary dropped in on goal and Darragh Molloy, a replacement for an out-of-sorts Barry Whelahan, hit a shot that took a deflection into the net for a 2-10 to 2-8 lead for the champions.
Still Martin's resisted and trailing by two in the last five minutes, pulled back the deficit with two frees from Lyng, to send the match into extra-time. Before the whistle the Wexford side lost full back Ken Furlong to a second yellow card, but his extra-time replacement starting full forward Rory Quigley did a plausible job in the 20 minutes remaining.
Birr at last pulled clear with four unanswered points from the Hanniffys, a free from Whelahan and another 65 from Cleary.
This time there was no way back for St Martin's and Diarmuid Lyng received a straight red card for a reckless pull on John Paul O'Meara to compound their disappointment before the finish.
BIRR: B Mullins; JP O'Meara, N Claffey, M Verney; B Watkins, P Cleary (0-3, free and two 65s), B Harding; R Hanniffy (capt; 0-2), B Whelahan; P O'Meara (0-1), D Hayden, S Whelahan (0-9, all frees); S Ryan (1-0), G Hanniffy (0-3), B Lonergan (0-1). Subs: D Molloy (1-0)for B Whelahan (half-time); P Molloy for Harding (42 mins); B Whelahan for D Molloy (67).
ST MARTIN'S: P O'Connor; D Sane, K Furlong, D Hayes (capt.); W Deveraux, R McCarthy, J Coleman; E Quigley (0-1), D Lyng (0-6, four frees); P Kelly (2-0), T Waters (0-2), C Lyng (0-2); P Murphy, R Quigley, B Lambert (0-4). Subs: D Scallan for Coleman (25 mins); D Waters for R Quigley, K Price for Murphy (both 43), J Boggan for Sane (58); R Quigley for Furlong 15th man (60); R Wilson for Price (67).
Referee: D Connolly(Kilkenny).
