Kilkenny advance to All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Final

The Kilkenny Footballers are bound to Croke Park after they had five points to spare over London in Friday night's All-Junior Football Championship semi-final in Abbotstown.

The Kilkenny team were able to call on the likes of Paul Murphy and Ciaran Wallace who are better known for their fortunes with the senior hurlers but it was Mick Kenny and Mick Malone who stood out as they scored 3-7 between them in a thrilling clash.

The Cats were playing in the first competitive game of the year against a second string London selection that had already won the British Championship and the Irish side dominated the opening stages as they raced into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead.

It took 11 minutes for London to register on the scoreboard when Shay Rafter fisted a point and that was the catalyst for the visitors to work themselves into the game.

Lisdowney's Mick Kenny starred with three points for Kilkenny in the opening half as the teams went into the break level at 0-7 apiece.

Kilkenny manager Christy Walsh made a couple of changes at the start of the second half and it appeared to make all the difference as his side scored 1-4 without reply to move seven points clear with Mick Malone getting the goal.

In a topsy turvy period of play, Kilkenny then went through a scoreless 10 minutes and London overturned the seven point deficit when Shay Rafter netted two quickfire goals in 50th and 51st minutes.

London led 2-9 to 1-11 at that stage but Kilkenny found another gear in the final few minutes when Mick Kenny and Mick Malone netted late goals to secure the victory.

London's fate was sealed as a result and they finished the game with 13 men after Matthew Tierney was red carded for an off the ball incident while Conor Spinks also received a black card in stoppage time.

Kilkenny will now go on to face New York in the final on Sunday after they secured a 1-8 to 0-6 victory over Warwickshire in the other semi-final.

Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny- Mick Malone (2-2), Mick Kenny (1-5, 0-3f), Conor Hennessy, Jamie Holohan, Jamie Monks, Shane Stapleton (0-1 each)

London- Shay Rafter (2-3, 0-2f), Conor Spinks (0-5, 0-3f), Thomas Waters (0-1)

Kilkenny- Killian Dunphy; Shane Kelly, Paul Murphy, Tom Kenny; Kevin Blanchfield, Ciaran Wallace, Joe Fennelly; Jim Culleton, Tom Aylward; Mick Kenny, Mick Malone, Conor Hennessy; Adam Mansfield, Jamie Holohan, Rory Monks.

Subs- Shane Stapleton for Holoha h-t, Shane Murphy for Kelly 33 mins, John Walsh for Monks 45 mins, James Dermody for Malone 61 mins.

London- Kieran Cunningham; Eoghan Reilly, Patrick O'Connor, Ryan McCready; Rhys Lennon, Ryan O'Connell, Matthew Tierney; Sean O'Halloran, Ryan Forde; Coalan Doyle, Shay Rafter, Darren Lynch; Alfie McNulty, Conor Spinks, Thomas Waters.

Subs- Josh Obahor for Doyle h-t, Tighe Barry for Waters 38 mins, Matthew Joyce for Lynch 54 mins, Ryan Kearney for McNulty 61 mins.

Referee- Kevin Faloon (Armagh)