Mount Sion cruise past Kilmaley of Clare
Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:00Waterford's Mount Sion look on course for a repeat of their 2002 provincial success after coming through their Munster Club Hurling semi-final against Kilmaley of Clare on a scoreline of 4-13 to 0-9.
However Jim Greene's side, helped to their win by three second half goals from Eoin and Dan Kelly and Barry Brown, could be without star performer Eoin McGrath for their final date against Toomevara after the midfielder broke a finger late in the game.
They ran up a 1-9 to 0-6 half time lead with McGrath and his brother Ken chief amongst their scorers.
The sides were level at 0-4 apiece after 18 minutes with both McGraths grabbing an early brace and Kilmaley's Alan Markham, Kenneth Kennedy (0-02) and Colin Lynch on target.
A Ken McGrath free from halfway and efforts from Dan Kelly and Brian Greene pushed Sion in front before Eoin McGrath was cynically brought down by Kilmaley's Anthony Cahill, who received a yellow card, for the goal.
Brown and Diarmuid McMahon swapped late scores in the first half and although Lynch pulled a point back at 1-11 to 0-7 down twelve minutes into the second half, the local side always looked the likely winners.
Seconds later an Eoin Kelly shot flew past Kilmaley 'keeper Ciaran Dillon and two goals in sixty seconds from Dan Kelly and Brown with little over four minutes remaining, settled the issue.
Afterwards, victorious manager Greene commented: "We're seasoned campaigners in Munster and Kilmaley are only fresh out of Clare. That was the difference - we hurled for 60 minutes and had the scoring forwards.
"It's our third Munster final this century and I'm delighted for the players," he added.
