After a packed weekend of championship football, the final pairings in the junior and intermediate grades as well as the final four at senior level have been confirmed with silverware set to be given out over the next few weeks.
Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship
The Quarter-Finals in the Senior Football Championship took centre stage in Cedral St Conleth’s Park last Saturday and Sunday with four games down for decision.
Proceedings got undwerway with the meeting of Celbridge and Raheens and while they were pushed to the limit for the third game on the trot, Celbridge did enough to qualify for a 13th successive SFC Semi-Final as three points from Killian Browne aligned with big contributions via Kevin Flynn, Fergal Conway and David Hughes granted the Hazelhatch Road outfit a 0-13 to 0-10 success.
The second game on Saturday produced the big shock of the weekend as Maynooth knocked out defending champions Athy in a thrilling extra-time victory. An opening half Sean Hever goal saw the Ross Glavin managed winners open up a 1-4 to 0-5 half-time lead but in real champion fashion Athy battled back in the second half with scores from Cian Keaveny, David Hyland and Kevin Feely. A Paddy Mahoney two pointer was then required to grab Maynooth the draw but they then went on to dominate in extra-time as Mahoney and Liam McDonald scored two points apiece and they held on for a famous two point win.
Naas and Johnstownbridge met in the third of the quarter-finals on Sunday and two first half goals from Kildare star Alex Beirne proved crucial as Naas battled to a 2-16 to 1-14 win. Most of the action occured in the first half with Daniel Flynn also netting for the Bridge but with Ryan Sinkey scoriong five points from play, the winners always had the edge even if Johnstownbridge will look back on a couple of missed opportunities in the second period.
The big Newbridge derby involving Sarsfields and Moorefield rounded off the weekend’s last eight affairs but it never really materialised into a contest with the Sash running out 13 point winners. A first half Tommy Rooney goal had given Moorefield initial hope but their near neighbours took over from there as they kicked fpur first half two-pointers on the way to a 0-15 to 1-1 lead with Barry Coffey, Luke Mahon and Conor O’Donovan among the star performers. Moorefield came back into it late on but with Karl Hartley grabbing a goal for the Sash, it rounded off a most impressive display.
Elsewhere, there were four games in the newly formed A Championship with Clane, Clogherinkoe, Eadestown and Sallins maintaining their senior status while Allenwood, Carbury, Kilcock and Caragh remain in a fight to avoid relegation.
National Wholesalers Intermediate Football Championship
Milltown and Suncroft will contest this year’s Intermediate County Final after they both came through semi-final outings in Manguard Park last Saturday evening.
After a decent Division 1 league campaign, Milltown have maintained their early-season form and they came through their biggest test in the last four when claiming a 4-14 to 1-16 victory over Rathangan. Two goals from Alan Dignam as well as further majors via Conor Sheerin and Paddy Donoghue laid the platform for the winners as they maintained their faultless championship campaign to qualify for a first decider in this grade since 1977.
Suncroft’s success in this championship is more recent but unlike Milltown they weren’t fancied to get to this stage of the competition albeit they’ve improved with every game and last Saturday was another notable display as they saw off Grangenolvin after extra-time. First half goals from Conn Kehoe x2 and Eoin Magee left them 12 points to the good at the interval before Grange battled back to force the game into the extra-time. Ultimately it was still to be Suncroft’s day and fittingly it was former Kildare player Fionn Dowling that kicked the winner at the end of a thrilling contest.
There was four other games in the intermediate grade as Ellistown and Kilcullen set up an A Championship Final meeting this weekend while Straffan and Kilcullen are now in must-win mode as they face off in the relegation final on Sunday week.
Tom Cross Junior Football Championship
The Junior football decider will be made up of Cappagh and St Kevin’s after they overcame Kill and Ballymore Eustace respectively.
The first semi-final was a tightly fought affair with quarter-final winners Cappagh and Kill colliding with a first half Jack Donohue goal proving crucial for Cappagh and even though they finished up with 14 men, the victors battled to a 1-14 to 1-10 success and as a result a first final appearance since 2015 awaits in two weeks time.
The other semi-final saw two group winners St Kevin’s and Ballynore Eustace meeting and it went all the way to extra-time before the Stapletsown side won out by the minimum. Goals from Dylan Brereton and a late penalty via James Ralph had Kevin’s ahead at the end of normal time before a Niall Murphy score forced the game into an extra 20 minutes. Points from Cormac Noone and Conor Brady in the second period then confirmed the 2-11 t0 0-16 victory as the Saints now move within one win of an immediate return to the intermediate ranks.
The Junior A Championship is also down to the final stage and it will be contested by Rheban and Robertstown after wins over Ballykelly and Kildangan and will offer both clubs the chance to end the season with some silverware.
By Rob Cribbin Wed 7th Oct
