No Reid, no problem as rampant Ballyhale stroll through to Leinster semi-finals

Even without All-Star and regular top gun, TJ Reid, Kilkenny champions Ballyhale Shamrocks blitzed the opposition and cruised into the Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals.

Reid warmed up with the squad before the game, but he was rested because he is nursing a slight muscle strain.

It didn't make any real difference as the game and lively Castletown Geoghegan (Westmeath) were put to the sword at UPMC Nowlan Park today as the defending Leinster champions booked a semi-final place against Naas (Kildare) in Croke Park on November 27.

The losers had played well enough during the opening half, with the impressive Niall O’Brien and Jack Gallagher sharing six points equally. Still they found themselves 2-13 to 0-09 behind at the break.

Goals from Colin Fennelly Niall Shortall did the real damage and took the shine off the losers' good efforts.

Early in the new half, the Westmeath men let rip, but they shot two wides and the lively Peter Clarke sent a decent effort for a goal wide as they tried to get back into the game.

For nearly 10 minutes, Shamrocks failed to add to their total, and then bang, bang, bang… they reeled off 3-12 during the next 20 minutes as they over-ran the opposition.

Full-forward Colin Fennelly and Eoin Cody were unstoppable. The former finished with 2-3 to his credit from play, while Cody, who took over the freetaking duties from the absent Reid, walked off the field with 2-09 to his credit.

Castletown opened with a point after only 40 seconds from Niall O’Brien (free). That was the only time they led. Within two minutes Shamrocks had the ball in the net at the other end.

Eoin Cody drilled an accurate hurley driven pass from 40 metres on the right into full-forward, Colin Fennelly, who powered his