James Stephens reach All-Ireland final
Sunday, 13 February 2005 17:23James Stephens 0-17 O'Donovan Rossa 1-06
Kilkenny kingpins James Stephens are through to their first AIB All-Ireland Club hurling final since 1982, after a power-packed first half display helped them past O'Donovan Rossa - 0-17 to 1-06 - at Parnell Park.
Eoin Larkin - with six sure-fire points - and Eoin McCormack (0-4) were their chief scorers in a first half which they dominated 0-14 to 0-0.
The Antrim side simply had no answer - against the wind - but did come back into it on the restart. Chris McDonald pocket batted home Paul Graham's high, lobbing free into Stephens' net for an early goal in the second half and it was tit-for-tat from then on.
Stephens' Whelan traded a point with Joe O'Neill, then Chris Hamill and McDonald struck efforts for the Belfast men, before Larkin added to his tally from a placed ball.
Rossa skipper Jim Connolly, Seamus Shannon and Graham tagged on further scores but the Ulster champions were just too far behind.
