WATCH: Kilmallock senior hurling manager James Hickey: 'They're an unbelievable group of players'

"I'm delighted with the boys, all we asked for all week was to do Kilmallock proud and that's what they done. It's very much a player led enviroment, they're an unbelievable group of players, after today we have 30 players used in championship. It's proud town for hurling and how much hurling means to Kilmallock is unreal. My big thing is I just love going down there going training and seeing young fella's around and seeing older fella's around," said Kilmallock senior hurling manager James Hickey after his side's victory over Monaleen. 

Kilmallock booked their place in the semi-finals of this year's Whitebox Propertly Developments Ltd Limerick senior hurling championship after recording a dramatic 2-27 to 0-30 extra-time quarter-final victory over Monaleen at Bruff on Sunday evening.

James Hickey's side battled to a hard-earned three-point win over Monaleen in the south Limerick venue on Sunday, showing great resolve despite the absence of Micheál Houlihan, Gearóid Enright, and Graeme Mulcahy. Limerick senior hurler Shane O’Brien, who hit 2-13, proved the decisive figure in driving Kilmallock over the line. 

It took 80 minutes to seperate the sides and in the end Shane O'Brien's goal in extra time proved to be the difference between the sides. The sides had been deadlocked 1-21 to 0-24 at the end of normal time.

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Kilmallock's reward for their nail-biting victory is a semi-final showdown with Na Piarsaigh on the weekend of October 4/5 in what is a repeat of last year's county semi-final. 

After Kilmallock's victory over Monaleen in the Limerick SHC quarter-final, James Hickey caught up with Paul Shaughnessy of Leader Sport.