All-Ireland MHC semi-final: Kilkenny 2-23 Clare 2-20 (after extra-time)
Jake Mullen’s 13 points saw Kilkenny dethrone All-Ireland champions Clare after a titanic extra-time tussle at Semple Stadium on Sunday.
The brother of senior star Adrian got the key scores to set up a final against neighbours Tipperary, with the Cats now one game away from a first All-Ireland minor title since 2014.
After Mullen’s opening point, Kilkenny struck a remarkable 10 wides in a row across the next 15 minutes. Clare scored 2-3 in that spell to lead by eight, with goals coming off their first two scores via a Conor Ralph rebound and Paul Rodgers’ strike.
Kilkenny’s wides included a 10th-minute Mullen penalty miss after Ollie O’Donovan had been chopped down.
They got back on track with a goal when Conor Holohan bounced the sliotar through the keeper’s legs to leave them trailing 2-6 to 1-4 at half-time.
Mullen was brought out the field after the break and his six points drew the sides level by the three-quarter mark as Clare’s wide tally rose into double-figures.
In the 47th minute, Kilkenny moved ahead when O’Donovan found the bottom corner at the second attempt for a 2-11 to 2-8 lead.
They led by four as late as the 58th minute but Clare kept running at them and reeled off points from Darragh McNamara and Harry Doherty (0-3) to level.
Kevin Buggy looked like he had won it but Rodgers equalised again in the final seconds of the four added minutes to make it 2-15 apiece and trigger extra-time.
Kilkenny rebuilt their four-point lead with scores from Mullen (0-2), Buggy, and an incredible Patrick Lacey effort. It went from bad to worse for Clare when Rodgers received a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident at the end of the half with the scoreboard reading 2-20 to 2-16.
Matthew Corbett struck three frees but Kilkenny held on with scores from Mullen, Robbie Doherty, and Lacey’s second.
Kilkenny: J O’Doherty; O Henderson, L Phelan, B Brennan; D Barcoe, J Dollard, M Rohan; K Buggy (0-2), E Brennan; R Doherty (0-3), B McDermott (0-3), C Holohan (1-0); O O’Donovan (1-0), J Mullen (0-13, nine frees), J Cody. Subs: L Raggett for Dollard (12 mins-h-t, blood), Raggett for B Brennan (h-t), E Cahill for Cody (38), C Byrne for McDermott (58), P Lacey (0-2) for E Brennan (58), C McEvoy for Holohan (73), A Clifford for Cahill (73), D Behan for Barcoe (79, inj).
Clare: M Crotty; S Óg Kilkenny, S McNamara, D Moroney; R Mulcahy, J Cullinan (0-1), D Kennedy (0-1); G Ball, M Corbett (0-5, five frees); P Finneran (0-1), T Lohan, H Doherty (0-7, four frees); C Ralph (1-2), P Rodgers (1-1), L Murphy. Subs: R Hayes for G Ball (41 mins), D McNamara (0-1) for Lohan (45), D Ball for Corbett (52), J O’Connor (0-1) for Ralph (53), M Vaughan for Finneran (60), Finneran for Vaughan (66), E Crimmins for Kennedy (h-t e-t), Corbett for Finneran (h-t e-t).
Referee: C Cunning (Antrim).
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