Murphy's law as Kilkenny champs end Celbridge's Leinster hopes with strong finish

Graigue Ballycallan (Kilkenny) 0-16 Celbridge 0-13 Leinster IHC quarter-final Graigue Ballycallan found that little bit extra in the closing stages of a hotly contested Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-final to edge by Celbridge and end the Kildare champions' Leinster adventure in its infancy. The north Kildare men travelled to the heart of hurling country in Kilkenny as a wet and windswept Callan played host to a really competitive clash. The Kilkenny side were littered with a sprinkling of star quality throughout their ranks, with former county stars James Ryall and Eddie Brennan very much in the veteran stage of their careers, while the young Ryan brothers, Billy and Sean, offered pace and panache in the attack. It was Conor Murphy who proved their biggest scoring threat once again however, and the man who scored 2-10 in the Intermediate Championship final last week was on song again six days later. It was Murphy's 10-point haul that ultimately proved the difference between the teams, with Celbridge's large tally of wides coming back to bite them in the end. When the Kildare champions picked off three points in a row to pull themselves level with 15 minutes left to play it looked like they were primed to pull off a shock, but Graigue Ballycallan settled in the final quarter and outscored their opponents by four points to one down the home straight. The defeat will be a bitter one to swallow for Damien Byrne's side, who had standout performances from the likes of Patrick Curtin and Niall O'Muineacháin at the back, while Tom Fitzgerald and Sam White were prominent in attack. After a couple of early wides for the visitors they eventually got off the mark as Mark Moloney fired over a fine point from distance, but that was the last time Celbridge would lead in the game. 40-year-old Brennan opened the scoring for Graigue Ballycallan with a fantastic point at the other end, and Aaron Brennan soon sent them into the lead with his solitary score of the afternoon. Murphy then flicked over his first point from a free, with Celbridge sending four efforts wide during that spell. Sam White eventually hit the target when a poor clearance fell to him, but a couple of converted frees from Murphy had Graigue Ballycallan well in control midway through the half. Celbridge were showing some serious intensity in the tackle, and they soon started to turn the tables as they became a little more efficient up front. Tom Fitzgerald blazed over a point from close range, before Billy White got his first of the day with a superb score after some good work from Kevin Murphy. Eddie Brennan and White then traded scores at either end,  before Murphy raised three white flags in succession to send Graigue Ballycallan into a four-point lead as half-time approached. White narrowed the gap on the stroke of half-time with a pointed free, leaving Graigue Ballycallan with a 0-9 to 0-6 advantage at the turnaround. Celbridge has the assistance of the wind in the second half however, but a relatively tame opening 10 minutes of the second half saw them make little inroad. Murphy and White both tagged on a couple of points from placed balls, but the latter cut the deficit to two points when he stroked over another in the 40th minute. Celbridge were starting to grow in confidence, and while the impressive Billy Ryan sent over a fine score from the right wing for the home side, they were looking a little lethargic. The six-day turnaround from their county final win was suddenly looking like it could play a big factor as the Kildare men were winning most of the 50/50 balls, and their best spell of the game arrived between minutes 42 and 46. Sam White fired over an inspirational score, before Fergal Conway blazed one over off his right on the turn soon after. Fitzgerald then levelled matters with him second of the day, but their challenge dropped off after that. Billy Ryan, who came up with some big plays near the end, moved the Kilkenny champions back into the lead before full-forward Sean O'Dwyer doubled their advantage. Moloney responded for Celbridge,  but that score - coming in the 55th minute - proved to be their last. Murphy delivered the final blows for Graigue Ballycallan as he slotted over two late frees to ensure his side of the win and send Celbridge crashing out at the first hurdle. Scorers for Graigue Ballycallan: C Murphy 0-10 (9f), E Brennan and B Ryan 0-2 each, A Brennan and S O'Dwyer 0-1 each. Scorers for Celbridge: B White 0-7(6f), T Fitzgerald, S White and M Moloney 0-2 each, F Conway 0-1. Graigue Ballycallan Ciaran Hoyne; Dara Walton, Bob Murphy, Tommy Ronan; Eamon Egan, Conor Flynn, James Ryall; Shane Butler, Eddie Brennan, Conor Murphy; Aaron Brennan, Sean O'Dwyer, Sean Ryan. Subs used: Willie O'Connor for O'Dwyer 52mins. Celbridge Niall Lanigan; Patrick Curtin, Fiachra O'Muineacháin, Sean O'Sullivan; Kevin Murphy, Niall O'Muineacháin, Michael O'Donovan; Shane O'Flynn, Billy White; Sam White, Mark Moloney, Fergal Conway; Leo Quinn, Tom Fitzgerald, Tom Finnerty. Subs used: Liam O'Flynn for S O'Flynn 42mins.