LEINSTER SHC Clonkill1-21 Clough-Ballacolla 2-12 WESTMEATH SIDE Clonkill advanced with a deserved win over the Laois champions in Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday.
The home side got off to a great start when a seemingly innocuous shot from Brendan Murtagh squirmed to the net in the second minute. The wind-assisted visitors were very dependent on free-taker Damien Bergin and Clonkill led by 1-5 to 0-6 at the break.
Clough-Ballacolla got back into contention after the restart when Kevin Keyes poked the sliotar to the net and a great first-time pull from Bergin found the net again to put the Laois side ahead by two points midway through the half.
However, Clonkill got their noses back in front and, with four minutes left, led by a point when Bergin under-hit a routine free.
Buoyed by this let-off, the Westmeath men upped their game and outscored their opponents by six points to one in the closing stages.
CLONKILL:B Murray; S Cleary, A Price, F Fagan; E Price, A Mitchell (0-1), S Loughlin; J Fagan (0-1), S Power (0-2); A Dowdall (0-2), B Murtagh (1-9, 0-6 frees), P Dowdall (0-2); M Heffernan (0-1), L Donoghue (0-1), L Folan (0-1). Subs:A Price (0-1) for J Fagan, E Loughlin for Heffernan, A McGrath for Folan.
CLOUGH-BALLACOLLA:D Hanlon; D McEvoy, D Maher, John Doyle; JA Delaney, J Phelan, C Coonan (0-1); S Hanlon, Jim Doyle; D Bergin (1-6, 0-6 frees), M McEvoy, Tim Delaney; M Dunphy (0-1), W Hyland (0-3), W Dunphy. Subs:K Keyes (1-0) for Phelan, Tom Delaney (0-1) for Tim Delaney.
Referee:D Murphy (Wexford).
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