Next stop Croke Park as St Kieran's book place in All-Ireland Colleges decider

St Kieran's College are into a second successive All-Ireland PP Croke Cup Final after running out seven point winners over Cashel Community School in Birr this afternoon.

While the seven point success was fairly decisive in the windup, the Kilkenny school had to come back from a nightmare beginning to the game.

First time Harty Cup winners Cashel raced out of the traps and were ahead 1-4 to 0-1 halfway through the opening period.

Cashel's Ronan Connolly was proving to be a real handful for Kieran's and his well taken 8th minute goal had the Tipperary side in seemingly pole position.

The Kieran's response was emphatic however and they went up a few gears in the second quarter with Ted Dunne, Donagh Murphy and Harry Shine all netting goals before the break and Brian Dowling's side held a 3-6 to 1-6 half-time advantage as a result.

The second half wasn't as hectic as the first and although Bobby Power netted Cashel's second goal , their entire scoring was done by just two players and that was never going to be enough to defeat a side of the calibre of St Kieran's.

St Kieran's were far from their best in the second half but with Harry Shine impressing on the frees and Ben Whitty also returning from injury, the Leinster Finalists look in good shape ahead of a St Patricks Day tussle with either Thurles CBS or Presentation College, Athenry.

Teams and Scorers

St Kieran's College- Harry Shine (1-6, five frees), Ted Dunne (1-2), Donagh Murphy (1-0), Killian Corcoran, Jeff Neary, Padraig Naddy, Anthony Ireland Wall, Aaron McEvoy (0-1 each)

Cashel Community School- Ronan Connolly (1-6, four frees), Bobby Power (1-3)

St Kieran's College- Stephen Manogue (James Stephens); Bobby Murphy (The Harps, Laois), Killian Corcoran (Shamrocks), Timmy Kelly (Bennettsbridge); Bill Hughes (Bennettsbridge), Jeff Neary (Graigue-Ballycallan), Padraig Naddy (Young Irelands); Tom McPhillips (Dicksboro), Killian Doyle (Emeralds); Anthony Ireland Wall (Danesfort), Harry Shine (Dicksboro), Aaron McEvoy (Graigue-Ballycallan); Niall Shortall (Shamrocks), Ted Dunne (Graiguenamanagh), Donagh Murphy (Mount Leinster Rangers, Carlow).

Subs- Ben Whitty (Danesfort) for Shortall h-t, Rory Glynn (Clara) for Murphy 47 mins, Sean Hunt (St Martins) for Ireland Wall 57 mins, Sean Keenan (Dicksboro) for Doyle 59 mins.

Cashel Community School- Tommy Breen; Cian Ryan, Jack Quinlan, Ciaran Byrne; Daragh Spillane, Ger O'Dwyer, Dylan Fogarty; Ronan Connolly, Shane Buckley; Eanna Ormond, Ben Currivan, Oisin O'Donoghue; Bobby Power, David McGrath, Adam Daly.

Subs-Padraig Dalton for Ormond 42 mins, Anthony Walsh for McGrath 50 mins, Ross Darcy for Ryan 62 mins, Jack Dalton for Quinlan 62 mins.

Referee- Niall Malone (Clare)