Mount Sion 4-13 Kilmaley 0-9: Mount Sion qualified easily for the Munster Club Hurling final, dealing comfortably with Kilmaley at Walsh Park yesterday.
The Clare champions were at their best early on, with Alan Markham particularly impressive at centre back. He struck the first score after earning a free in the second minute.
The score stood at 0-4 to 0-4 after 20 minutes, but with Tony Browne becoming increasingly influential at centre back and Ken McGrath shining at midfield, Mount Sion began to take the initiative. After Dan Kelly and Brian Greene put them two points ahead, McGrath, whose brother Eoin also had a fine match, blasted a 20-metre free to the net.
That helped Mount Sion to a 1-9 to 0-6 interval lead and although Kilmaley switched Colin Lynch from wing forward in an attempt to curb McGrath's influence in the centre, it was to little avail and the home side's dominance became more apparent as the second half progressed.
There were a couple of early clashes after the break which resulted in Lynch and McGrath being yellow carded, followed shortly afterwards by Mount Sion's Tony Browne and former Clare player Conor Clancy. But things settled down and the Waterford side continued to impress.
Eoin Kelly, sick with flu all week, found the net in the 45th minute, after great work outfield by McGrath.
That effectively ended the contest, and two further goals in the final five minutes by Kelly's brother Dan and corner forward Sean Ryan were academic.
Apart from Browne and the McGraths, Mount Sion had big performances from full back Anthony Kirwan, wing back Kenny Stafford and Eoin Kelly.
Kilmaley, who had an 18-year old (Ken Kennedy) and a 16-year old (Conor Neylon) among their forwards, were best served by Markham, full back Anthony Cahill, Clancy and Lynch , although the latter was not quite the force of old.
MOUNT SION: I O'Regan, J O'Meara, A Kirwan, K Flynn, B Flannery, T Browne, K Stafford, K McGrath (1-4, f) F O'Shea, E Kelly (1-3), E McGrath (0-3), D Kelly (1-1), B Browne, B Greene (0-1), S Ryan (1-1). Subs: R McGrath for B Browne; M Frisby for E McGrath; M Hoban for E Kelly; J Cleere for O'Meara; M Gaffney for T Browne.
KILMALEY: K Dillon, C Murphy, A Cahill, C McMahon, E Burke, A Markham (0-1,f),E Slattery, D McMahon (0-1), C Sexton, C Lynch (0-2), C Clancy (0-2), K Kennedy (0-3, 2f), C Neylon, B McMahon, B Healy. Subs: S Murphy for Slattery; S Talty for Sexton; R Kennedy for Neylon; M McGuane for Healy.
Referee: G Harrington (Cork).
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