Ballyclare are through to the final for the first time in their history, having twice come from behind to edge out Connemara 14-12 in a thrilling contest at the Cloughan.
Winger Scott Martin’s intercept try brought the hosts level at seven-all, before captain Joel McBride ran in the match-winning score, with Mark Jackson adding the all-important conversion.
The last Saturday in January will see Clogher Valley make their second ever All-Ireland Junior Cup final appearance. They were beaten 10-9 by Enniscorthy in the 2014 decider.
Valley claimed a 14-7 victory at home to Ballyclare in the Ulster Rugby Championship last week, and they followed up this afternoon with a convincing 47-9 semi-final triumph over Newcastle West.
Sean Herlihy landed three penalties for the Limerick men, but the Valley side, led superbly by captain Paul Armstrong, again displayed the free-scoring form which has seen lose just one game so far this season.
Newcastle West got off to a strong start, but Sean Murphy’s 16th-minute sin-binning hurt them and Clogher scored soon after from pretty much their first visit to the 22.
Full-back Ewan Haire swooped on Matthew Bothwell’s kick over the top to notch the opening try, and the latter used a nice dummy and turn of pace to run in the second to make it 14-3 for half-time.
The Co. Tyrone outfit pushed clear in the second half courtesy of an intercept try from Haire and a Stuart Brown effort from a kick through.
David Sharkey and pacey replacement Ryan Wilson also dotted down before a sidestepping Haire completed his hat-trick. He added his sixth conversion to take his tally to a superb 27 points.
So. we are guaranteed the first Ulster winners of the prestigious national cup competition since City of Derry in 2010, when they overcame provincial rivals City of Armagh on a 19-17 scoreline.
ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND JUNIOR CUP RESULTS:
SEMI-FINALS: Saturday, December 18
CLOGHER VALLEY 47 NEWCASTLE WEST 9, the Cran
Scorers: Clogher Valley: Tries: Ewan Haire 3, Matthew Bothwell, Stuart Brown, David Sharkey, Ryan Wilson’ Con: Ewan Haire 6
Newcastle West: Pens: Sean Herlihy 3
HT: Clogher Valley 14 Newcastle West 3
CLOGHER VALLEY: Ewan Haire; Regan Wilkinson, Paul Armstrong, Reece Smyton, Stuart Brown; David Maxwell, Matthew Bothwell; Michael Treanor, Kyle Cobane, Neil Henderson, Eugene McKenna, David Sharkey, David Stinson, Aaron Dunwoody, Callum Smyton.
Replacements: Aaron Crawford, Richard Primrose, Jamie Allen, Tommi Coulter, Ryan Wilson, Daryl Liggett, Neil Trotter, Adam Boles.
NEWCASTLE WEST: Sean Ivess; Michael Bourke, Cian Tierney, Sean Murphy, Darragh Fox; Shane Airey, Sean Herlihy; TJ Relihan, Sean Corbett, John Walsh, Alan O’Riordan, Gerald Griffin, Keelan Headd, Donal O’Sullivan, Jason Woulfe.
Replacements: Christopher Walsh, Evan Donovan, Liam Tierney, Cian Mulcahy, James Guina, Alex O’Halloran, Darragh O’Brien, Jack Kenny.
BALLYCLARE 14 CONNEMARA 12, the Cloughan
Scorers: Ballyclare: Tries: Scott Martin, Joel McBride, Cons: Mark Jackson
BALLYCLARE: Mark Jackson; Owen Kirk, Joel McBride, Matthew McCullough, Scott Martin; Matthew McDowell, James Creighton; Adam Barron, Matthew Coulter, Jack Black, Joshua Young, Grant Bartley, Ryan Tweed, Aaron Playfair, Jack Gamble.
Replacements: Harry Mawhinney, Richard Lutton, Willie Rea, Ross Johnston, Matthew Robson, Angus Robson, Robbie Reid, Ross Patterson.
