Larkin Cassidy Solicitors Intermediate Football Championship semi-final
St Pauls 2-07-3-08 Aldergrove
From Kevin Herron at Corrigan Park
A late Seamus McGarry goal capped a second-half comeback which saw Aldergrove book their place in the final of the Larkin Cassidy Solicitors Intermediate Football final after a 3-08-2-07 win over St Pauls at Corrigan Park this afternoon.
St Pauls dominated the opening quarter and Liam McKenna’s goal gave his side a 1-03-0-01 lead, though goals from McGarry and Ronan Hanna saw a rejuvenated Aldergrove hold a slender 2-04-1-05 advantage at the interval.
Liam McLarnon nudged his side ahead again with an early second-half goal and the Shaws Road side held the lead until injury-time when Conor Morris drew the sides level with McGarry sealing the deal moments later to see his side into the decider with Moneyglass.
The semi-final was very much bonus territory for St Pauls – who had already achieved their season objective with promotion from Division Three and were impressive in their quarter-final victory over Glenavy. Whilst Aldergrove came into the semi-final off the back of a splendid comeback against All-Saints Ballymena.
Aldergrove almost hit the net within the opening two minutes as Brian McQuillan popped the ball into the path of Chris O’Kane whose low shot sailed inches past Kiefer Toolan’s near post.
But St Pauls settled into the game quicker and were dominant in the opening quarter. Liam McKenna converted a free to get his side off the mark and a terrific point from Liam McLarnon doubled their lead.
McKenna almost conjured up the opening goal on 8 minutes- but after twisting and turning his low shot was held by Shane O’Neill.
At the midway point in the opening half St Pauls extended their lead as Liam McLarnon fielded a high ball and laid the ball off to Liam McKenna whose shot rose high over the bar to make it 0-03-0-00.
Chris O’Kane got Aldergrove off the mark on the 16th minute, collecting a quick-free from Seamus McGarry and shooting high between the posts.
The opening goal arrived on the 17th minute at Corrigan Park and fell to St Pauls. Micky-Joe Cooper popped a quickly taken free into the path of Liam McKenna who raced clear and powerfully rifled to the net past Shane O’Neill to give his side a 1-03-0-01 lead.
McLarnon brothers Liam and Colm then combined with the later registering a further point, that was responded to by Ryan Owens.
St Pauls extended their lead to six-points as Niall Peoples cut back and angled the ball over the bar, but Aldergrove hit back instantly with a goal.
Brian McQuillan’s superb pass released Ronan Hanna who in turn found Seamus McGarry and the corner-forward’s low shot flashed past Toolan in the St Pauls goal to make it 1-05-1-02.
McGarry closed the deficit with a converted free and a minute before the break Aldergrove hit the front for the first time.
Full-forward Gerard Mallon slipped an inside pass to Ronan Hanna and the provider of the opening goal shot sailed into to the corner of the net to give his side a 2-03-1-05 lead.
A further point from McGarry before the break would ensure that Aldergrove led 2-04-1-05 at the break, despite being second best for the majority of the opening half an hour.
Micky-Joe Cooper reduced the deficit to the bare minimum with a converted free four minutes into the second period and sixty seconds later the Shaws Road side regained the lead.
A sideline free from Cormac O’Hanlon was gathered by Liam McLarnon who took off towards the target and let fly with a low shot that squirmed away from Shane O’Neill and into the net to give St Pauls a 2-06-2-04 lead.
Brian McQuillan saw his stinging shot rattle the crossbar in response and Ronan Hanna’s fisted effort was inches away after a high hanging ball into the St Pauls defensive third.
With little under a quarter of an hour remaining Liam McKenna converted his second free of the afternoon to extend his sides lead to three, but a quick-fire double from Seamus McGarry (free) and Conor Morris had a single point separating the sides with ten minutes remaining (2-07-2-06).
Aldergrove went all out for the equalising point although St Pauls defended robustly and restricted any clear cut opportunities.
It looked as though their best opportunity came and gone on the 58th minute as Ronan Hanna slipped the inside pass to Ryan Owens who appeared to panic and blasted wide from a promising position.
As the game ticked into added time St Pauls still held their narrow lead – but Aldergrove pulled level sixty seconds into the additional period.
Gerard Mallon collected a kick-out from Shane O’Neill and scurried forward before fisting to Conor Morris, the reintroduced corner-forward got himself into a shooting position and landed the equalising score to draw the sides level at 2-07 apiece.
St Pauls reached this stage courtesy of an injury-time Liam McLarnon strike but as fate would have it, they were about to experience the other end of a late Championship goal.
A stray pass in the St Pauls defensive third was intercepted by Oisin Graham and he picked out Seamus McGarry who slotted to the net for the second time to give his side the lead for just the second time.
Aldergrove successfully managed out the remaining minutes and the insurance score arrived through a McGarry point seven minutes into added time as Paddy Nugent’s side pulled off the great escape for the second successive Championship outing to seal a place in the decider with Moneyglass in a few weeks time.
St Pauls: K Toolan, P Copeland, S Bradley, A Kavannagh, J Duffy, D Burns, N Ward, C O’Hanlon, J Farrell, D McWilliams, N Peoples (0-01), C McLarnon (0-01), MJ Cooper (0-01f), L McLarnon (1-01), L McKenna (1-03, 0-02f). Subs: C Finnegan for D McWilliams (40); A Brady for MJ Cooper (40).
Aldergrove: S O’Neill, P Cushley, F Carson, R Wilkinson, O Graham, C McVeigh, C Totten, R Owens (0-01), B McQuillan, K Jones, C O’Kane (0-01), R Hanna (1-00), C Morris (0-02), G Mallon, S McGarry (2-04, 0-03f). Subs: F Burke for R Wilkinson (23); S Fay for C Morris (38); C Morris for K Jones (47); C Fogerty for C Totten (66).
Referee: Eamonn McAuley (Cargin).
