St Martin's (Wexford) 0-21 Naas (Kildare) 0-11
This was an Leinster club SHC semi-final that had banana skin written all over it for St Martin's.
Fresh from knocking out holders Na Fianna, they could have been a little complacent against the visiting underdogs, but there was no sign of any over-confidence as they cruised through to next month's final.
Rory O'Connor led the charge with 14 points in a terrific individual display while his brother Jack and cousin Barry were to the fore also.
The win was built on a huge defensive platform with St Martin's conceding just four points from play.
St Martin's will meet Ballyhale Shamrocks at Croke Park on 6 December in what will be the Wexford club's first ever final.
It's also the first time a Wexford club has reached the decider since 2015 and, truth be told, St Martin's always looked like taking care of business here in a one-sided encounter.
A bad day for Naas was compounded by the dismissal of Harry Carroll four minutes from time.
St Martin's came into it as favourites but both sides arrived armed with similar provincial records.
Naas were upgraded to the senior ranks after winning the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2022 and picked up three wins at the senior grade since.
Their most recent was the quarter-final win over Mount Leinster Rangers while St Martin's had won three of their eight games in Leinster since first competing in 1999.
St Martin's, significantly, took out holders Na Fianna last time out and returned to Chadwicks Wexford Park desperate to reach a first ever final.
They led virtually from pillar to post, save for a brief period early on at 0-01 apiece.
St Martin's had the stiff wind behind them and used it to power to a 0-15 to 0-05 half-time lead.
It wasn't vintage stuff from St Martin's but it hardly needed to be as they picked off point after point, opening up a 0-09 to 0-02 lead by the end of the opening quarter.
Ex-AFL player Barry O'Connor wore number 10 but started in the inside line and caused havoc initially, pinching a score and winning a free for his cousin Rory to convert.
Jack O'Connor raised the temperature among the St Martin's supporters with a sumptuous score from a line ball in the 15th minute.
Jack Sheridan hinted at great gains for Naas when he burst onto an Evan O'Brian pass for his opening score in the third minute.
But the visitors only added one more point from open play in the half, from Michael Purcell, as they hit the interval 10 points adrift.
Rory O'Connor accounted for all of the St Martin's points in the second half and while five of the six points were from placed balls, his 42nd-minute score from out on the right wing was a beauty.
Naas desperately needed a goal to gain a foothold in the game but Sheridan's 46th-minute shot from a free was taken off the line by Joe Barrett.
The St Martin's defence was superb and their mentality was summed up by Aaron Maddock blocking down a shot by Naas captain Brian Byrne in the 61st minute, punching the air in delight after denying the Kildare men a goal.
St Martin's: Callum Quirke; Eoin O'Leary, Conor Firman, Philip Dempsey; Diarmuid O'Leary (0-01), Joe Barrett, Daithi Waters; David Codd, Aaron Maddock (0-01); Darre Codd, Jack O'Connor (0-03, 0-01 s/l), Jake Firman; Michael Coleman (0-01), Barry O'Connor (0-01), Rory O'Connor (0-14, 0-09f, 0-02 65).
Subs: Ben Maddock for David Codd (30), Ben Stafford for Coleman (54), Paddy O'Connor for Eoin O'Leary (58), Michael Codd for Diarmuid O'Leary (60), Sam Audsley for Darren Codd (62).
Naas: Cormac Gallagher; Liam O'Reilly, Rian Boran, Peter O'Donoghue; Daire Guerin, Ross Kelly, Harry Carroll; Evan O'Brian, Simon Leacy; Killian Harrington, Cian Boran (0-01), Charlie Sheridan; Jack Sheridan (0-08, 0-05f, 0-02 65), Michael Purcell (0-01), Brian Byrne (0-01).
Subs: Richy Hogan for Purcell (h-t), Cathal Dowling for Charlie Sheridan (45), Fionn Maher for Harrington (53), Kevin Whelan for O'Brian (60).
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 1-18 Clough-Ballacolla (Laois) 1-15
In the final, St Martin's will face 12-time champions Ballyhale, who came through a stiffer than expected test from the Laois kingpins Clough-Ballacolla in Nowlan Park.
The visitors took an early lead through Lochlainn Conway's goal but a green flag raised by Niall Shorthall gave Shamrocks, who head both the Leinster and All-Ireland rolls of honour, a 1-12 to 1-08 advantage at half-time.
Clough stayed battling in the second half and Wille Dunphy (0-04 from play) levelled the match at 1-15 apiece with just four minutes remaining.
However, Ballyhale showed why they have been so dominant over the years, scoring the last three points through Darragh Corcoran and county stars Eoin Cody and TJ Reid.
Ballyhale's first Leinster final appearance since 2023 will be at Croke Park on Saturday 6 December.
Shamrocks Ballyhale: Dean Mason; Killian Corcoran, Joey Holden, Brian Burtler; Eoin Kenneally (0-01), Richie Reid, Darragh Corcoran (0-01); Evan Shefflin (0-01), Ronan Corcoran (0-02); John Fitzpatrick, Eoin Cody (0-02), TJ Reid (0-10, 9fs 1 '65'); Liam Barron, Brian Cody (0-01), Niall Shortall (1-00).
Subs: Dara Mason for Butler (HT), Finnian Shefflin for Fitzpatrick (42), Conor Phelan for Barron (63).
Clough Ballacolla: Cathal Dunne; Joseph Pearson, Darren Maher, Diarmaid Conway; Lochlainn Conway (1-00), Lee Cleere (0-01), Cormac Hogan; Aidan Corby (0-02), Kevin Mulhall; Mark Hennessy, Jordan Walshe, Robbie Phelan; Cillian Dunne (0-02), Willie Dunphy 0-04, Stephen Bergin (0-06fs).
Subs: Stephen Maher for L.Conway (49), Joe Corby for Mulhall (54), Padraig Brennan for Phelan (56).
