CULLYHANNA booked their place in the Ulster intermediate championship final with an outstanding second-half display to dismiss Down representatives Liatroim by 11 points.
Stephen Reel’s men were the better team but some wayward shooting, particularly in the first half, meant Liatroim were still in with a chance as the teams switched sides.
But as the second half kicked off, Cullyhanna moved up the gears and gave a calm and composed display after the interval to storm into the decider.
“We sat down at half-time and we just put the wrongs right,” said Cullyhanna manager Reel after the game.
“We took our learnings from the first half, and we were lucky enough that the boys executed their shot selection better in the second half.
“We started to pull away then and once you get that wee bit of a cushion, we could throw in the subs and fresh legs and maybe just stretch them (Liatroim) because they were stepping out a wee bit, they were chasing the game, and the subs stretched the game a wee bit. We’re delighted to get the job done.”
A superb PJ Davidson point opened the scoring and set a trend of spectacular efforts on goal that carried right throughout the first half.
Tony Donnelly levelled things at the far end before an Aidan Nugent brace edged the Cullyhanna men in front.
Conor McCrickard nabbed one back for the Down champions and his permanent move into the full-forward position gave Liatroim a go-to score-getter.
Cullyhanna weren’t short on any go-to forwards either and Shea Hoey stepped up to knock over another point before Liatroim were temporarily reduced to 14 men, when Colman Doyle received his marching orders for a black card offence.
Nugent slotted over another while James Carragher, the Cullyhanna net-minder, was called into action at the other end. Davidson’s effort bounced off the upright and fell to Michael McAleenan, who’s goal-bound effort was turned away by Carragher.
Ross McQuillan burst through the Liatroim rearguard and added to the Cullyhanna scoring tally, but McCrickard chipped over a glorious mark to narrow the gap once again.
McCrickard was in great scoring form as he slotted over another beauty, which was cancelled out by Cullyhanna’s Gavan Duffy.
Nugent and Eoin McCrickard then exchanged points just before the half-time whistle sounded, with Cullyhanna ahead by two, 0-7 to 0-5.
Nugent continued his scoring form in the second half and two more points sandwiched efforts from Hoey and Duffy before Pearse Óg McCrickard, playing a quick one-two with his brother Ruairi, narrowed the gap.
It did little to halt the Armagh men, however, as Nugent fired over two more before Liatroim’s challenge became a much tougher one, with Sean Óg O’Rourke seeing red for an altercation with Nugent.
McQuillan, Donnelly, Nugent and Jason Duffy all raised white flags in the final few minutes as Cullyhanna eased into their first-ever Ulster final and they’ll take on Cavan men Ballyhaise in two weeks’ time.
Cullyhanna J Carragher, S Og Irwin, S Connell, G Duffy 0-2, N McCreesh, M Murray, B McConville, P Casey, J Duffy 0-1, C Reavey, S Hoey 0-2, R McQuillan 0-2, K McCooey, T Donnelly 0-2, A Nugent 0-8 (3f)
Subs G Mackin for B McConville, J Quinn for G Duffy, J McAneney for C Reavey, F O’Rourke for S Irwin
Liatroim E Cotter, S Og O’Rourke, G McAnulty, C Owens, D Morgan, R McCrickard, C McElroy, L Middleton, E McCrickard 0-1, PJ Davidson 0-1, P Og McCrickard 0-1, R O’Hare, M McAleenan, C McCrickard 0-3 (1m), C Doyle
Subs E O’Hare for R O’Hare, C Kelly-McEvoy for M McAleenan, K Middleton for L Middleton, O Clarke for D Morgan
Referee Enda McFeely (Donegal)
