NAOMH MEARNÓG 2-10
GARRYCASTLE 1-12
Naomh Mearnóg progressed to the final of the AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship final when overcoming Garrycastle by a single point in their thrilling last four clash in Balgriffin on Saturday afternoon.
Extra-time looked a distinct possibility as the visitors edged in front through a Jamie Carroll goal in the 59thminute but the Dublin champions finished on the front foot through points by Seán Hawkshaw and Bernard Deay to claim a hard-fought victory.
The contest was played in tricky underfoot conditions with Deay’s goal on the counter-attack in the 19thminute helping the hosts into a marginal 1-6 to 0-7 lead.
A superb goal at the end of the third quarter from Karl Lynch Bissett looked to have confirmed Mearnóg’s place in the decider but they were pushed all the way before eventually prevailing in a dramatic fashion.
With both teams struggling to adapt to the conditions, neither side overly impressed from the outset with Tommy Cosgrove opening the scoring for Naomh Mearnóg in the 5thminute.
Ben Donegan levelled matters two minutes later and the tightness continued as Harry Collier of Mearnóg and Garrycastle’s James Dolan exchanged points soon after.
The hosts were experiencing difficulties in securing possession from their own kick-outs with Mark O’Connor under immense pressure from each restart but from limited possession, they regained the lead once again through Deay in the 12thminute.
The visitors replied through points in quick succession from Conor Cosgrove (free) and Rory McGowan but were dealt a body blow in the 19thminute as Michael Gibbs raced in behind the away defence before feeding Deay for an improvised flick past Seán Brennan in the Garrycastle goal.
Collier looked lively through and extended the home lead when bursting clear down the endline but their lead was cut to the bare minimum by the 27thminute as Cosgrove and Jason Nugent gained tangible reward for some consistent Garrycastle pressure.
However, the half finished with the hosts carrying a greater threat as Collier and Karl Lynch Bissett added tidy scores before Cosgrove finished the half with his third free to leave the Westmeath champions trailing by two points.
Garrycastle were the dominant team in the third quarter but only managed points from Donegan and Cian McCarthy with Lynch Bissett popping over a free in the 35thminute following a powerful break from deep.
Cosgrove fisted his second point of the game in the 44thminute and soon after Lynch Bissett exchanged passes with Gibbs before firing emphatically into the bottom left corner of Brennan’s net.
However, the momentum was lost somewhat as Cosgrove was black carded in the 48thminute and the visitors took immediate advantage as Michael Monaghan converted the resultant free.
Eoin Monaghan kicked a smart score to keep the pressure on the hosts and they paid dividends a minute from the end of normal time when Carroll pounced to swoop from close range.
Mearnóg responded superbly to this body blow as Hawkshaw kicked a classy point in the 62ndminute to level matters and Deay made sure of the win as he gathered Hawkshaw’s pass before taking the correct option in fisting over Brennan’s crossbar.
Naomh Mearnog will now face Caragh in the Leinster Final on Sunday, December 1st at Parnell Park.
