Longford IFC: Mostrim master Grattans to reach Intermediate final

Mostrim . . . 2-12 Young Grattans . . . 1-10

Relegated from the Senior grade last year, Mostrim are just one step away from making an immediate return to the top flight after scoring a deserved win over Grattans in the Intermediate Football Championship semi-final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday evening.

There was little separating the sides for most of this entertaining encounter and it was all square (1-8 apiece) when Eoin Farrell fisted the ball over the bar approaching the end of the third quarter.

A lot sharper in attack, Edgeworthstown then stepped up another gear with the pace of impressive young gun Liam Greene posing problems for the Grattans defence who wilted under the pressure while the powerful Dario Cigliano was also much to the fore. for the winners.

A couple of points from Tiarnan Hussey (free) and the prominent dangerman Ronan Courtney (‘45) regained the lead for Mostrim who struck the killer blow when the dangerman Greene created the opportunity for substitute Kaylem Lynn to blast the ball to the back of the net in the 50th minute.

There was no way back for the rattled Stonepark outfit who fell even further behind when Hussey (free) and Courtney (‘45) landed further scores to establish a commanding 7 point advantage for Niall Sheridan’s side.

Grattans tried hard to engineer a badly needed goal in the closing stages but they were unable to find a way through the stubborn Mostrim defence and the best the losers could manage was two consolation points through Reuben Murray (free) and Peter Farrell, the latter on target in his attempt to find the net in the second minute of stoppage time.

It was a disappointing defeat for Ruairi McElligott’s charges who suffered a bad blow to concede another goal in the early stages of the second half.

Alex Nugent put Ronan Courtney through for this decisive score (a fine finish) and while Reuben Murray fired over a well struck two-pointer free soon after to close the gap to just a single point (1-8 to 1-7), Grattans were outscored (1-4 to 0-3) during the remainder of the match.

MOSTRIM: Ciaran Garvey; Shane Sheridan; Shane Kiernan, Cillian Courtney; Alex Nugent, Jack Belton, James Connell; Thomas Doyle, Dario Cigliano; Niall Quinn, Caolan Hussey, Liam Greene (0-2); Padraig Joyce (0-1), Ronan Courtney (1-4, 2 frees, 2 ‘45s) Tiarnan Hussey (0-5, 1 two-pointer from play, two frees).

Subs:- Kaylem Lynn (1-0) for C Hussey (injured, first half stoppage time); Maitiu O’Donohoe for P Joyce (56 mins); Padraig Cahill for S Kiernan (stoppage time).

YOUNG GRATTANS: Dan Devlin; Diarmuid Conlon, James Moran, Niall Nerney; Stephen Oates, Conor McHugh, Jack Finnegan; Beau O’Connor (0-1), Peter Farrell (0-1); Niall Hawes, Eoin Farrell (1-1), Gary Hand (0-1); Reuben Murray (0-4, 1 two-pointer from free, 2 frees), Harry Mulvihill, John Hand (0-2, two-pointer from play).

Subs:- Rory Howlin for N Nerney (40 mins); Gerard Victory for G Hand (55 mins); Willie Stokes for N Hawes (58 mins).

Referee: Ger Carberry (Killoe Emmet Og).