OB Construction Intermediate Football Championship
Naomh Padraig Lisburn 1-9 St Teresa’s 1-15
Two goals inside a minute from substitute Robert Gallagher late in the game, booked St Teresa’s place in the knock out stages of the Intermediate Football Championship at Kirkwood Park, Lisburn on Sunday. With just there minutes of normal time left to play St Teresa’s were holding onto a one point lead, but a great diagonal ball to John Mallon found the right half forward in space and he in turn sent Gallagher in on goal and the substitute made no mistake as he fired home past the Lisburn keeper to put his side four up. Lisburn were in deep trouble and in their anxiety to get back in the game the kick out was rushed and St Teresa’s intercepted to find Gallagher in behind the defence on his own again, and he gratefully accepted the gift to drill the ball home once again and seal the win. Naomh Padraig substitute Conor Dixon pulled a couple back to cut the gap to five in injury time but the damage had been done and St Teresa’s had secured their place in the knock out stages.
St Teresa’s had the better of things in the opening half and Niall McCann put them ahead on two minutes. Colm Burns brought the home side level a minute later but points from Luke Cassin, Conor O’Rawe, John Erskine and John Mallon had the visitors 0-5 to 0-1 clear by the 13th minute. A point from Francis McMeel kept the home side in touch, but when John Mallon and Philly Maguire tagged on two more for the Glen Road side the gap was out the five. (0-7 to 0-2).
The Lisburn men were in danger of losing touch, but they finished the half really well and three points on the trot from McMeel, Isin Gorman and Ben McMullan left just two between the team. Paul McGoldrick got it out to three when he pointed on 23 minutes and after McMeel brought the home side back within two Niall McCann came back with one from a free to his team a three point cushion in first half injury time.
Lisburn would probably have been happy enough with that considering how they had trailed badly for most of the first half but things got a lot better for them in the 34th minute when Eoin Dixon broke through on goals, and though his shot was parried by the St Teresa’s goalkeeper, right half back Oisin Gorman was on hand to palm the breaking ball to the net to send his team in at the break on level terms.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with St Teresa’s pushing ahead, with Lisburn reeling them in again. John Mallon (2) and Philly Maguire added points for the Belfast men, while Francis McMeel and Conor Dixon replied for Naomh Padraig. There was just a point in it when substitute Robert Gallagher struck his telling double and though the home side got a couple back for Conor Dixon, the damage had been done and St Teresa’s will now prepare for a semi-final
