Leinster IHC: The Village tested all the way by Wexford opponents at Kilkenny GAA HQ
James Stephens 0-20 Cloughbawn 1-13
James Stephens (The Village) withstood a difficult Cloughbawn (Wexford) challenge to book their place in the semi-finals of the AIB Leinster Intermediate Club Championship for the first time in the club’s history.
Cloughbawn brought great physicality to proceedings at UPMC Nowlan Park, offering very little space for the Village forwards to operate in.
Martin Kehoe’s team pushed their hosts all the way, and a Connal Flood goal in the final quarter certainly had their supporters dreaming of a winter hurling calendar.
The Village had goal chances of their own through Eoin Guilfoyle and Stephen Manogue and will no doubt will be keen to sharpen up in front of the posts for the next round.
The visitors, who were crowned both intermediate hurling and football champions in 2026, showed little sign of a taxing calendar and were quick out of the blocks, leading by 0-3 to 0-0 after seven minutes.
Cian Kenny settled his side with a free soon afterwards before Barry Carton hit back to restore the Wexford outfit’s three-point advantage.
Ed Lauhoff and Conor Heffernan opened their accounts to register the city side’s first points from play by the 13th minute (0-4 to 0-3).
However, as the half developed, Eoin Larkin’s men began to take a grip on proceedings. Four points on the trot saw them move ahead on the scoreboard by the 23rd minute (0-7 to 0-5).
Connal Flood, who was one of several Cloughbawn forwards to threaten throughout, ended a nine-minute wait for an away score in the 24th minute. But, another impressive scoring spell from The Village left them with a four-point advantage at the interval (0-10 to 0-6).
The teams traded scores during the opening five minutes of the second half, with Cian Kenny and Tadhg O’Dwyer (Village), along with Shane Kehoe and Connal Flood, each sending the umpires reaching for the white flag (0-13 to 0-8).
As the half wore on, it appeared The Village had done enough to pull away, holding a six-point advantage with ten minutes remaining. However, any such thoughts were well and truly dismissed as the closing stages unfolded.
Connal Flood breathed new life into his side with 1-2 in the space of just 60 seconds to blow the game wide open.
But if anything, Flood’s goal sparked the Kilkenny side back into life. Four late points, courtesy of Ed McDermott, Luke Scanlon and Cian Kenny (x2), secured The Village’s passage into a provincial semi-final and a historic place in the last four.
James Stephens - Cian Kenny (0-6f); Ed McDermott (0-4); Tadhg O’Dwyer (0-3f); Luke Scanlon, Conor Heffernan, Stephen Manogue (0-2); Ed Lauhoff (0-1).
Cloughbawn - Connal Flood (1-5); Barry Carton, Shane Kehoe (0-2 each); Bob Whitty (0-2f), Liam Flood, Harry Kehoe (0-1 each).
Referee - Colm McHale (Dublin)