AIB Ulster Club IFC quarter-final: St Mary’s, Aghagallon (Antrim) 2-8 Brian Boru’s, Kinawley (Fermanagh) 1-9
Antrim champions St Mary’s, Aghagallon deservedly took their place in the last four of the Ulster intermediate club football championship at the expense of Kinawley with a two-point win at Corrigan Park, Belfast yesterday.
Goals in each half from Ruairi McCann and a Davy McAlernon penalty paved the way for the victory after Kinawley had reeled in a six-point deficit to level on 48 minutes.
The first half was a slow burner. After two points in the opening four minutes for Aghagallon through Eunan Walsh and Caolan Farr, the crowd waited 19 minutes for the next score.
In-between Aghagallon had more of the play but couldn’t make their possession count on the scoreboard, while Kinawley amassed seven first half wides.
The Fermanagh men finally sprung to life on 23 minutes, registering their first score through a Shaun Doherty free. Two minutes later they were level when the best move of the game involving Doherty, Aaron O’Reilly and Conor Murphy was completed by Shea Keenan to level the scores at 0-2 apiece.
A Doherty free put Kinawley ahead for the first time but their lead lasted less than a minute with McCann raising the first green flag of the game. Aghagallon opened the Kinawley defence with Ruairi Loughran putting Ciaran Brady in the clear. Brady could have taken a shot himself but passed out to McCann who made no mistake from close range.
There was time for Kinawley to reply through Keenan to leave his side trailing by the minimum at the break, 1-2 to 0-4.
Aghagallon got the perfect start to the second half with McCann extending the lead to two points. The same player was fouled minutes later to earn a penalty for the Antrim men which was superbly dispatched by captain Davy McAlernon.
McAlernon added another point from play to open a six-point lead and that gap remained midway through the half before a Kinawley comeback which saw the Fermanagh men add 1-3 without reply in a five-minute spell.
Sean Leonard and Shaun Doherty added points and Murphy then punished a poor kick-out by firing past Gavin O’Neill.
Keenan levelled matters on 48 minutes but Loughran and sub Francis Bustard stretched the Antrim side into the lead once more.
Doherty cut the gap to the minimum on 55 minutes but Gareth Magee added an insurance point for Aghagallon who controlled possession for the final minutes to ensure their passage to the semi-final.
Aghagallon co-manager Neil McStravick is now looking ahead to the last four meeting with Monaghan champions Donaghmoyne on November 13.
“We had a lot of possession wasted in the first half and all we really said at half-time was to look after the ball a bit better. Kinawley are a good side, very physical in the tackle and gave us a lot of problems,” said McStravick.
“They had more chances in the first half and we played a lot better in the second half, we were always a goal threat and in the end the goals won the game for us.
“We knew that it would come down to the last 10 minutes, games like always do. We had prepared for that and we closed down the game well when it came to it.
“There’s nothing easy in this competition and Donaghmoyne will be just as difficult to beat in the next round."
MATCH STATS
Aghagallon: G O’Neill; M McKenna, C Loughran, L McCrory; E Walsh (0-1), P Branagan, D Donnelly; D McAlernon (1-1, 1-0 free), O Lenehan (0-1); G Magee (0-1 free), C Brady, D Marshall; C Farr (0-1), R McCann (1-1), R Loughran (0-1) Subs: S Russell for C Farr (45), F Bustard (0-1) for D Marshall (45), P Mulholland for E Walsh (55)
Kinawley: F Leonard; N Bogue, J Allen, D McGovern; S McManus, C Murphy (1-1), P McGovern; S McManus, C Murphy, P McGovern; C Breen, S Leonard (0-1); A O’Reilly, D Ó Cathain, D Owens; D Gormley, S Doherty (0-4 frees), S Keenan (0-3) Subs: G McHugh for S Leonard (29), P McTaggart for D Gormley (33), S Leonard for C Breen (38), K Martin for D O Cathain (41) C Corrigan for A O’Reilly (55)
Referee: SP Doherty (Donegal)
