Longford IFC: Ardagh Moydow hard pressed to get the better of gritty Cashel

Although Ardagh Moydow were in control for most of the match, the eventual victory almost slipped from their grasp as gritty Cashel tried hard to salvage the situation in a tense finish to the second Intermediate Football Championship semi-final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday last. 

Ardagh Moydow . . . 0-11    Cashel . . . 0-9

A cracking point from the prominent full-forward Daryl Carrigy in the final minute of normal time left Liam Keenan’s side leading by 0-11 to 0-8 but Cashel were given a glimmer of hope from a free converted by Padraic Syron

Gary Kenny’s charges were then awarded another free in the fourth minute of stoppage time and had Syron landed the last gasp two-pointer the game would have finished in a draw to force a replay.
But the free dropped short of the posts, much to the great relief of Ardagh Moydow who will certainly want to improve for the big battle against Killashee in the Hennessy Cup decider which is a repeat of the Covid delayed 2020 Intermediate final.
Emmet Donlon and Conor Carroll around the middle of the field were others to figure prominently for the winners, along with attackers Diarmuid Farrell and Daryl Carrigy, but they were generally hard pressed to beat Cashel in this scrappy encounter.
Ardagh Moydow established a 0-4 to 0-0 lead in the first half following a brace of points (play and free) from Dylan Coady with Paddy Keenan and wing back Shane Henry also getting their names on the scoresheet, the latter on target following a well worked move.
Cashel eventually opened their account with a point from Conor Farrell in the 25th minute and almost immediately the same player landed a terrific two-pointer from play against the wind.
Back came Ardagh Moydow with a well struck two-pointer (play) from the busy Daryl Carrigy with Cashel getting another score deep into stoppage time from a free converted by Padraic Syron.
Holding a slender 0-6 to 0-4 lead at the break, Ardagh Moydow extended their advantage with a point apiece from Daryl Carrigy and Killian Farrell in the early stages of the second half but Cashel kept in contention with scores from substitute Ronan Farrell and Syron.

Dylan Coady then converted a free for Ardagh Moydow before the wind assisted Cashel keeper Shane Bannon closed the gap to just a single point (0-9 to 0-8) when he fired a two-pointer free over the bar in the 51st minute
The tension was rising but Ardagh Moydow clinched a hard earned win with further scores from Diarmuid Farrell and Carrigy to book their place in the Tier 2 county final on Sunday week, October 5th.

ARDAGH MOYDOW: Cian O’Beirne; Mark McCord, Tommy Powell, Jack Gallagher; Shane Henry (0-1), Gerard Farrell, Conor Carroll; Eugene Murray, Emmet Donlon; Diarmuid Farrell (0-1), Paddy Keenan (0-1), Connor Hogan; Dylan Coady (0-3, 2 frees), Daryl Carrigy (0-4, 1 two-pointer from play), Killian Farrell (0-1). 

Subs:- James McGoey for E Murray (injured, 29 mins); Paddy Hanley for P Keenan (54 mins); Brendan Finnan for G Farrell (injured, 54 mins). 

CASHEL: Shane Bannon (0-2, two-pointer free); Luke O’Boyle, Andrew Farrell, Aidan Mulvihill; Jamie Bermingham, Aidan Rowan, Mel Farrell; Conor Farrell (0-3, 1 two-pointer from play), David Sweeney; Dan O’Shea, Brian Kelly, Jack Sweeney; Conor Murtagh, Padraic Syron (0-3, 2 frees), Rian O’Boyle.

Subs:- Ronan Farrell (0-1) for J Sweeney (injured, 19 mins); James Skelly for B Kelly (48 mins); Steven Weafer for D O’Shea (injured, 54 mins). 

Referee: Patrick Maguire (St Mary’s Granard).