Cuala (Dublin) 3-12

Clara (Kilkenny) 0-17

Cuala are through to the Leinster club senior hurling final after withstanding a second half rally from Clara at Parnell Park.

The odds on Mattie Kenny becoming the next Galway manager are likely to be slashed after he led the Dalkey men to only their second ever provincial final. That will be against Wexford's Oulart The Ballagh in a fortnight's time.

There was little to separate the sides until Cuala hit an unanswered 1-1 late in the first half to lead by 2-8 to 0-10 at the interval. A third goal from Mark Schutte early in the second half extended their advantage to seven points, but with Keith Hogan helping himself to a dozen points, the Kilkenny champions reduced the deficit to two before late efforts from Colm Cronin and top-scorer David Treacy sealed Cuala's final place.

The sides were level half a dozen times in the opening half, with the vistiors responding well to Colm Cronin's 15th minute goal to tie up the scoring at 0-10 to 1-7 coming up to half-time. But a 29th minute goal from Sean Treacy, which was immediately followed by a point from his brother David, gave Cuala some breathing space at the short whistle.

When Schutte grabbed the winners' third goal straight after the restart to put them 3-8 to 0-10 in front, the game looked over as a contest, but with Hogan unerring from frees, Clara battled back to within two points before late scores from Treacy and Cronin finally put a stop to their comeback.

Cuala - S Brennan; R Tierney, C O'Callaghan, S Timlin; S Moran, O Gough, J Sheanon; J Malone (0-2), D O'Connell (0-1); C Sheanon, C Cronin (1-2), C Waldron (0-1); S Treacy (1-0), M Schutte (1-0), D Treacy (0-6, 5f). Subs: C O'Callaghan for C Sheanon, N Kenny for C Waldron.

Clara - K Phelan; D Nolan, S O'Shea, T Ryan; N Prendergast, S Prendergast, D Langton; Lester Ryan (0-1), J Langton (0-1); Liam Ryan (0-1), C O'Shea, J Byrne; C Bolger (0-2), K Hogan (0-12f), C Prendergast. Sub: J Murphy for K Hogan.

Referee - G McGrath.

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