By Conor Martin
Go-Ahead Ireland Intermediate Football Championship champions Naomh Mearnóg take on the Laois Intermediate Football Championship winners Crettyard in the AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final at Parnell Park this weekend.
Mearnóg claimed their first Dublin intermediate title since 1996 with a 2-9 to 0-6 win over Clanna Gael Fontenoy, with Karl Lynch Bissett raising a green flag twice and the trio of Sean Hawkshaw, Shane Kavanagh and Cian Madden also put in match-winning performances to end a long wait for county glory.
In their first-round clash with Dundalk Gaels, the Dublin club put in a real shift in order to advance to the quarter-final.
They didn’t get their first score until the 25th minute when Kavanagh sent a free over the bar and would only have three points to their name at half-time as they trailed 0-4 to 0-3.
In the second-half, Lynch Bissett, Hawkshaw and Madden helped their side kick on with it all to play, for Lynch Bissett tied things up with the end in sight when he pointed in the 59th minute. But there was to be more drama when, in injury-time, Mearnógs full-back Gavin Nangle, who was having a great game, ventured upfield and grabbed the winner to see the Portmarnock club advance.
Lynch Bissett, Hawkshaw and Madden are just three names that have impressed for the Dublin intermediate champions and those of a black and amber persuasion will be hoping they can repeat their fine performances this weekend as they look to navigate the challenge of Crettyard successfully.
The club from the Laois became intermediate football champions in the O’Moore county for the fifth time and are going for a first Leinster intermediate football title since 2005.
They overcame Mountmellick 2-12 to 0-10 in the Laois decider thanks to a first-half goal from Cormac Murphy after some excellent work from Evan O’Carroll to help them into a three-point lead. After the break, Murphy continued to impressed and proved he will need to be carefully watched this weekend by the Dublin intermediate champions as he bagged a brace as he helped his club pull away from their opponents.
In the first round of the provincial championship, they met Longford’s Fr Manning Gaels, where a goal separated the two. Missing O’Carroll due to injury, they had to turn to the likes of Murphy and Brian Brennan stepped up in place of Crettyard’s key player.
Alex Whelan found the net after the restart and significant scores from Michael Nash and Murphy helped see their club into the last eight. It was an impressive performance from all over the pitch and the task now is to repeat a similar performance as they keep their bid to end a 19-year wait for a provincial title alive.
Throw-in is at 1:30pm this Saturday and you can buy tickets for the game at Parnell Park here:
