Intermediate Football Championship semi-final
All Saints 0-13 St. Paul’s 0-6
All Saints produced a solid performance to overcome the challenge of St. Paul’s at sunny Hightown on Saturday and progress to the final of the Intermediate Football Championship.
The Ballymena side were in control from early in the game where they raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead against a strangely subdued St, Paul’s side who looked a little overawed by the occasion.
It would be 18 minutes before the Shaw’s Road outfit would raise their first score but by that time they had kicked half a dozen wides, some of them well off target.
It was All Saints who made most of the first half running as they dictated the tempo of the game, sitting deep to force turn over after turn over as they raced into a four point lead through Ronan McKillop, Paddy McAleer 0-2 f’s, and James McDonnell by the 10th minute.
The Slemish Park side looked to be in for the game’s opening goal but Patrick Ferris saw his rocket cannon back of the crossbar after a strong run from deep.
Connell Lemon added another point for All Saints before Mark Munce got a strangely subdued St. Paul’s off the mark with a point in the 18th minute.
Ruairi Hamill followed with another as the Shaw’s Road side appeared to find their feet and when Ronan McKillop saw his first time ground shot come off an upright things looked to be turning in favour of the West Belfast side.
Ruairi Hamill added another for the ‘Hoops’ to close the gap to two as they enjoyed their best period of the game but McKillop made up for that earlier miss as he stroked the final point of the half between the uprights to leave Baker Bradley’s side 0-6 to 0-3 ahead at half time.
The division 1 side were first to emerge from the half time dressing room with St. Paul’s taking a time to join them and it was All Saints who were first to threaten as Jack McAufield got down to turn a Ronan McKillop shot for a ‘45’.
Conor Stewart, who had been quiet up to this point fired over All Saints opening score of the second half and a superb effort from Emmet Killough after a deft side step moved the Ballymena men five in front again after 9 minutes.
Patrick Ferris fisted over after a lung bursting run to increase the gap to six at the end of the third quarter and Conor Stewart struck a fine long range effort as the St. Paul’s challenge continued to come unstuck on a solid All Saints defensive wall.
At this stage the Ballymena management rang the changes with Michael McCarry, Benny McDonnell and Matty Downey replacing Sean McVeigh, Ronan McKillop and Ciaran Campbell while Conor Hughes and Shea Burns were introduced by their opponents.
Conall Duffy finally got St. Paul’s going again as he pointed a free in the 17th minute but Stewart hit another monster of a point to keep his side seven in front with seven remaining.
The Shaw’s Road side were still giving it everything but were continuing to be turned over by an All Saints defence where Michael Read, Peter McNicholl and Sean O’Callaghan were giving nothing away but Ruairi Hamill pointed from a 24th minute free as Charlie Metrustry replaced Paddy McAleer.
Another Duffy free left just five in it with five minutes of normal time to play but there was a feeling that only a goal would resurrect their chances and it never looked like coming.
Instead it was All Saints substitutes McCarry and Metrustry who would add points for the Ballymena men in the closing stages as they eased into the final where they will meet St. Teresa’s in two weeks-time.
All Saints: 1 Ryan Stewart, 2 Michael Read, 3 Cal O’Brien, 19 Rian Tom, 5 James McDonnell, 6 Sean O’Callaghan, 7 Patrick Ferris, 8 Sean McVeigh, 9 Peter McNicholl, 10 Connell Lemon, 13 Emmet Killough 14 Conor Stewart, 15 Paddy McAleer, 21 Ciaran Campbell, 24 Ronan McKillop,
St. Paul’s: 1 Jack McAufield, 2 Aodhan Kavanagh, 3 Stephen Rooney, 4 Diarmuid O’Sullivan, 5 Miceal Duffy, 6 James Farrell, 7 Niall Ward, 8 Mark Munce, 9 Ciaran McAlea, 10 Conall Duffy, 11 Niall McStravick, 12 Ruairi Hamill, 13 Caoimhin Duffy, 14 Liam McLarnon, 15 Lorcan Phillips
Referee: Patrick Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)
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