Kilkenny have booked their place in the Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship final after a 12 point win over Limerick at Croke Park.
The Cats' goals, coming from Jack Doyle and Billy Drennan proved to be the difference against the Treaty county, with the game ending 2-24 to 18 points.
Speaking after the game, the Kilkenny team manager Richie Mulrooney said, "there is a tradition and a system in Kilkenny of work rate and you just stay going, and you stay going.
"Before the lads would ever come in near us, they'd be going to matches with their parents from six years of age and see how Kilkenny teams perform. So they put on the black and amber jerseys themselves and they know what's expected of them."
The man of the match was Kilkenny's half-forward Timmy Clifford who got six points from play. Mulrooney says he is a very special player, "Timmy would have been on the panel from the start of the year but as a very young under-16.
"Couple of the early challenge matches, we didn't even bring him on the bus. Because we had to wait to see how he would develop as the months went by. He got a chance in May, and he took it. He's just been a revelation since he's been absolutely fantastic.
The Cats stormed to victory turning a half-time lead of just two points to 12 points in the end. The Limerick manager Diarmuid Mullins says it was disappointing, "it would be unrealistic to say today, that there wasn't a difference between the two teams.
"There was, the scoreboard doesn't lie in terms of that. I don't think it defines us as a group, I think we've been better throughout the year, but look we don't get any prizes for that today."
Kilkenny will meet either Galway or Wexford in the Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship final next month.
