Longford IFC: Fr Manning Gaels greater scoring power too strong for brave Ballymore

Fr Manning Gaels . . . 0-17    Ballymore . . . 2-6 

Showing considerable composure in recovering from the setback of conceding a couple of goals in the first half, Fr Manning Gaels eventually came out on top against brave Ballymore to reach the Intermediate Football Championship Final. 

The Gaels' greater scoring power proved to be a decisive factor as the Drumlish/Ballinamuck outfit produced a strong second half display to win by the fairly comfortable margin of five points in the finish in the semi-final clash at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday. 

Particularly impressive for Niall Sheridan’s side was the razor sharp centre-half-forward Conor Keenan who fired over six points (all from play) and not far behind in the order of merit was the vastly experienced attacker Pauric Gill who kicked a total of four points, also from play. 

All of the six forwards who started on the Gaels team got their names on the scoresheet and providing the opposition in the Hennessy Cup decider on Sunday 20 October will be Sean Connolly’s. 

Last year’s Junior ‘A’ champions Ballymore deserve a lot of credit for getting this far and the confident manner in which Mattie Gorman scored the two goals suggested a big surprise might have materialised such was the problems the underdogs were posing for the Gaels defence. 

Dermot Murphy’s charges were giving it their best shot in holding a slender 2-2 to 0-7 lead at the break but faded out of contention in the second half as the Gaels gradually began to assert their superiority. 

FR MANNING GAELS: Paddy Collum; Kaelum Gill, Aaron Quinn, Paul McGee; Dean Cosgrave, JP Farrelly, Mark Hughes; Mark Breslin, Sean Whelan; David Collum (0-1), Conor Keenan (0-6), Jamie Nertney (0-2); Cian Cassidy (0-2), Pauric Gill (0-4), Martin Cassidy (0-2, 1 free).

Subs:- Darren Reilly for K Gill (53 mins); Ryan Crowe for C Cassidy (58 mins); Kevin Whelan for M Cassidy (59 mins).  

BALLYMORE: Mattie McCrann; Ben Creegan, Cian O’Hara, Luke Sheridan; Ciaran Fahy, John Boyle (0-1), Rian Browne; David Reilly, Mel Creegan; Gavin O’Hara (0-1), Donal McElvaney, Padraig Boyle; Oisin Flynn, Mattie Gorman (2-0), Damien Monaghan (0-4, 2 frees).

Subs:- Bernard McElvaney for P Boyle (40 mins); Glen Kelly for R Browne (52 mins).   

Referee: John Cullen (Mostrim).