Decisive flurry

Graigue-Ballycallan - 1-14, Fenians - 0-12

Graigue-Ballycallan put in a brilliant closing five minutes at Nowlan Park yesterday to brush past Fenians, of Johnstown, and earn their first Kilkenny senior hurling championship victory and first league and championship double. Four points from captain Damien Cleere and another from flying full forward Joe Young in the final five minutes brought Graigue the title.

Fenians looked winners for most of the opening half. After 27 minutes they had built up a lead of 0-7 to 0-4, which didn't at all flatter them. However, former county star Adrian Ronan silenced the crowd of 10,000 just before half-time when he plucked a goal from nothing. This cut the Graigue's deficit at half-time to a point, 1-3 to 0-7, and was crucial to the match's outcome. Scores were level five times in the second half, but a point from a free by Damien Cleere in the 55th minute put Graigue on the road to a fabulous victory.

Graigue-Ballycallan: J Ronan; J Butler, P O'Dwyer, P Hoyne; T McCluskey, T Comerford, A Hoyne; James Young, M Hoyne (0-1); A Ronan (1-0), J Hoyne, D Cleere (0-8); T Dermody (0-1), Joe Young (0-2), D Byrne (0-2). Sub: E O'Dwyer for T Dermody.

Fenians: A Behan; G Quinlan, P Phelan, L McElroy; B Power, PJ Ryan, J Carroll; D Garrett, S Grehan; Brian Ryan (0-1), M Walsh (0- 1), Brendan Ryan (0-8); K Power, B Purcell, PJ Delaney. Subs: P Delaney for Purcell, E Behan for Garrett.

Referee: P Dunphy (Carrigeen).