Cuala (Dublin) 3-17

St Martin's (Wexford) 0-15

Con O'Callaghan was the star of the show yet again as All-Ireland champions Cuala qualified for their third Leinster club SHC final in-a-row thanks to an impressive victory over 13-man St. Martin's at Parnell Park.

As well as scoring 1-3, the young dual star was involved in Cuala's other two goals as they set up a provincial final showdown with a resurgent Kilcormac/Killoughey on December 3. Mattie Kenny's charges never looked back after Jake Malone and O'Callaghan raised green flags in the space of 90 seconds midway through the first half. Colm Cronin got a third goal in the second half and a bad day for St. Martin's was compounded by the second half dismissals of Michael Codd and Jack O'Connor.

Mark Schutte was a notable absence from the Cuala starting line-up with an ankle injury, but his replacement Nicky Kenny stepped up to the plate by scoring two of their first three points. The accurate free-taking of Joe Coleman had the Wexford champions 0-5 to 0-4 ahead after 20 minutes, but they soon found themselves 0-5 to 2-4 in arrears after Malone and O'Callaghan struck for quick-fire goals.

The Dalkey outfit went on to lead by 2-7 to 0-8 at the interval before substitute Darren Codd opened the second half scoring for St. Martin's. But that was as close as they would get and it was all over bar the shouting when O'Callaghan put Cronin through for Cuala's third goal 10 minutes from time.

Subs Brian Fitzgerald and Niall Carty both got in on the scoring act in the closing stages as Cuala cruised to victory.

Cuala - S Brennan; O Gough, Cian O'Callaghan, S Timlin; J Sheanon, S Moran, P Schutte; D O'Connell, S Treacy; Colum Sheanon (0-1), C Cronin (1-1), J Malone (1-1); N Kenny (0-3), Con O'Callaghan (1-3), D Treacy (0-6, 4f, 1'65). Subs: N Carty (0-1) for Con O'Callaghan, C Waldron for C Cronin, R Tierney for Cian O'Callaghan, S Stapleton for C Sheanon, B Fitzgerald (0-1) for N Kenny.

St Martin's - L White; W Devereux, C Firman, P Kelly; D Waters (0-1), A Maddock, B O'Connor; H O'Connor, M Maloney; J Firman, Joe O'Connor (0-1), J Coleman (0-11, 7f, 1sl); M Coleman, Jack O'Connor (0-1), C Lyng. Subs: D Codd (0-1) for M Coleman, M Codd for J Firman, B Maddock for B O'Connor, P Dempsey for W Devereux.

Referee - D Hughes.

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