Glenmore (Kilkenny) 2-8
Eoghan Rua (Derry) 0-12

Kilkenny champions Glenmore held off a second-half revival from Eoghan Rua of Derry this afternoon to clinch the All-Ireland club junior hurling championship at Croke Park.

Alan Murphy's 2-2 tally proved salient for the winners, who had led by six at half-time thanks to the corner-forward's majors in the eighth and 18th minutes which opened up a nine-point gap against their Ulster counterparts.

Minus the services of captain and Kilkenny star Ger Aylward, who suffered cruciate damage in the semi-final, Glenmore only added two more points to the 2-6 tally they brought in at the interval as the Coleraine men ensured a tense finish at HQ.

Points from Sean Leo McGoldrick and Ciaran Gaile narrowed the difference down to three with 15 minutes to go before the latter's seventh free of the afternoon made it a two-point game approaching injury-time.

It was in those late minutes that the favourites' defence came up trumps as Murphy's goals, along with the sound free-taking of Mark Aylward, made all the difference for Leinster champions in the end.

The victory sees Glenmore, senior club winners in 1991, become the seventh Kilkenny side to claim the All-Ireland junior crown in 13 finals.

Glenmore - D Aylward; S Duggan, F Freyne, S Doherty; P Roche, R Mullally, M Phelan; S Murphy (0-1), D Aylward; J Cody, E Murphy (0-1), E Vereker; A Murphy (2-2), M Phelan, M Aylward (0-4f). Subs: L Hennessy for D Aylward, B Doherty for M Phelan, D Croke for S Murphy.

Eoghan Rua - P Mullan; C Lagan, B McGoldrick, L McGoldrick (0-1); A Rafferty, N Holly, P Dallas; SL McGoldrick (0-2), R Leonard; C Gaile (0-7f), R Mooney, D Mullan; Ciaran McGoldrick, Colm Mc Goldrick (0-1), T Magee (0-1).

Referee - J Clarke.

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