It will be Kilkenny v Dublin in the 2015 MyClubShop.ie All-Ireland Mens 60x30 Doubles Final on Saturday 17th October in Abbeylara, as last nights exciting SF action.
Kilkenny will be back in the final for the first tie since 2010, as Michael Walsh & Ciaran Neary teamed up to defeat Limerick's young duo CJ Fitzpatrick & Evan Murphy 21-19, 21-14. It could have been a much different story in the first game as the Limerick lads held a 19-16 lead but couldn't convert their chances and allowed their opponents to chip away at the lead and score the last five unanswered points. The scores were close throughout the second game until Kilkenny stole a march late on and sealed their final spot after a testing outing that will do them no harm come two weeks time.
The second SF looked on paper to be the match of the day, and it proved to be a very enjoyable and competitive match as Dublin's Eoin Kennedy bid for the Slam in this years Championship was kept alive when he and partner Carl Browne took out Mayo's Dessie Keegan & Joe McCann in the third game. Kennedy, off course is in next weekends Singles final, and the St Brigid's clubman showed glimpses of his class throughout this SF. With scores level at 14-14 in game one, Dublin upped their play to reel off 7 unanswered points, winning the opener 21-14.
The audience may have thought the Dubs would have pushed on to seal a two game win given the momentum they were showing, but the Mayo men were by no means finished yet! Scores were tied at 6, 9 & 11 before Keegan & McCann surged ahead 19-13. Dublin fought back to 19-18 as the nerves were starting to jangle, but momentum turned ad Mayo sealed the next three points to force a third, 21-18.
Similar to the previous two games, the game was tight in the opening stages, eventually level at 9-9. But it was Dublin's turn to turn the screw and make the break for the finish line, seeing out the match with a 21-11 win and setting up the all Leinster All-Ireland Final.
MyClubShop.ie All-Ireland 60x30 Men's Doubles Semi-Finals:
- SF 1: Kilkenny (M D Walsh/C Neary) dft Limerick (CJ Fitzpatrick/E Murphy) 21-19, 21-15
- SF 2: Dublin (E Kennedy/C Browne) dft Mayo (J McCann/D Keegan) 21-14, 18-21, 21-11