Ballyhale survive early scare to dispatch Naas at HQ

Naas 1-16 Ballyhale Shamrocks 3-22

Ballyhale Shamrocks remain on track for a four-in-a-row of AIB Leinster club SHC titles though they had to overcome an early scare at Croke Park to secure their place in next Sunday's final.

Trailing by 0-01 to 1-04 after just 10 minutes, it looked as if the 11-time provincial champions might struggle to come good on their 1/40 odds against the reigning All-Ireland intermediate club champions.

But goals from TJ Reid, who top scored for last season's All-Ireland runners up with 1-06 just days after the birth of his first child, Joey Cuddihy and Eoin Cody helped turn a difficult situation into what was ultimately another comfortable win.

Pat Hoban's side will return to Croke Park next Sunday to face the winners of this afternoon's second semi-final between Kilmacud Crokes and St Mullin's.

Naas, who compete as a club in Kilkenny at certain underage grades, will kick themselves for not making more of their great start though they had arguably the man of the match in centre-forward Jack Sheridan who impressed from frees and in open play, contributing 0-12.

Fresh off their four-goal quarter-final win over Shinrone, Naas came into the contest looking to make a mockery of the 9/1 long shot odds attached to them by bookmakers and hinted early on that they might just do so.

Perhaps drawing on the positive vibes from their intermediate final win over Kilmoyley at Croke Park last February - a number of their players also played for Kildare in the Christy Ring Cup final win - they burst out of the traps and into a shock 1-05 to 0-02 lead at the quarter hour mark.

Sheridan, who took over the free-taking duties from dual player James Burke after the county final, drilled two early points and Harry Carroll