Football

Smyth the star for Derrygonnelly as Fermanagh and Ulster champions book All-Ireland semi spot

Fermanagh's Eimear Smyth scored 2-9 for Derrygonnelly in their All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship quarter-final win over Round Towers of London
Fermanagh's Eimear Smyth scored 2-9 for Derrygonnelly in their All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship quarter-final win over Round Towers of London Fermanagh's Eimear Smyth scored 2-9 for Derrygonnelly in their All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship quarter-final win over Round Towers of London

currrentaccount.ie All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship quarter-final: Round Towers (London) 1-8 Derrygonnelly Harps (Fermanagh) 4-13

EIMEAR Smyth hit 2-9 as Derrygonnelly Harps booked their place in the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship semi-final with a superb win over All-Britain champions Round Towers, London in McGovern Park, Ruislip on Saturday.

A dominant second half performance from the Ulster champions ended Round Towers’ hopes after a closely fought opening 30 minutes with just a goal separating the sides at the break, the visitors with the 2-4 to 1-4 advantage.

The sides traded the first four scores and it was two points apiece after eight minutes before Shauna Ryan’s goal on the quarter of the hour mark put Round Towers into the lead for the first time.

However, Derrygonnelly’s response was immediate and Smyth grabbed her first goal to level the game for a third time with just 17 minutes gone.

She and Sarah Jane Jones put her side two in front before Stephanie Dunne reduced the deficit to the minimum in the 23rd minute but a minute later, Brenda Bannon struck for a crucial second goal to put four between them, 2-4 to 1-3. At the other end, Derrygonnelly’s defence stood firm to keep their opposition out with Dunne’s free just before the break leaving the goal between them at the halfway mark.

Derrygonnelly reeled off 1-4 without reply, Smyth with four points and her sister Bronagh with a 51st minute goal to set them up for victory, as Round Towers struggled to add to their tally, Rebecca Considine finally getting their first score of the half, a point, in the 52ndminute.

Bannon and the two Smyth’s further extended Derrygonnelly’s lead to 12 points, 3-11 to 1-5, but credit to the home side, they kept going with points from Lydia Kenny, Roisin Hogan and Roisin Kelly, before deep into injury time, Eimear Smyth sealed off an historic day for the Fermanagh side with their fourth goal.

They will now face Tipperary and Munster champions Mullinahone in the semi-final this weekend.