OB Construction Antrim Intermediate Football Championship, quarter-final
Sarsfield's 2-21 St Paul's 1-11
IT was an emphatic afternoon for Sarsfield's at the Bear Pit on a sunny Saturday as they powered into the semi-finals of the Antrim Intermediate Championship with 14 points to spare over St Paul's.
There were hopes this meeting of next-door neighbours would be a ding-dong affair, but the hosts were in charge throughout.
Terry O'Neill's side was sharper, stronger and composed in possession as St Paul's were limited to some fleeting moments, but nowhere near enough to fully test the Paddies who had a fine afternoon with seven different scorers including the entire starting six attackers.
The ever-impressive Tomás Skillen bagged a wonderful goal midway through the opening period to help Sarsfield's into a six-point lead at the break and while St Paul's seemed to grab a lifeline early in the second period with Conal Duffy netting a penalty, the hosts were quick to quell any notion of an uprising with Brian Healy burying a chance at the other end that effectively killed this game.
The hosts were in the mood from the off and it took Kevin McKernan just 14 seconds to kick Sarsfield's into the lead when taking a pass inside from Cormac Murray and McKernan would add another from a free soon after.
Niall McKenna rises high during Saturday's game
St Paul's would get on the board six minutes in with Padraig Doyle kicking a free, but by the time he added another 13 minutes in, already to was looking ominous for his side with Gary Lennon converting a mark and a free either side of Brian Healy's point in the turn, while Aodhan Kavanagh had to clear off the line from Lennon.
The goal that had threatened did come on 14 minutes and it was worth the wait as Skillen claimed a long ball in the corner, cut inside onto his left and sent a low shot beyond Jack McAufield.
Lennon adding another point after Doyle converted that free with Skillen's pace would see him skip away to get one of his own to push the gap out to eight.
St Paul's did reply with Padraig Lowe getting their first from play and Conal Duffy playing a neat one-two to score, but a late exchange of points from Niall McAlea and James Farrell retained the six-point gap at the break with Sarsfield's 1-8 to 0-5 to the good.
Similarly to the opening half, Sarsfield's were straight on the attack and again it was McKernan to open the scoring from a free with Lennon converting one of his own from the other side.
This game needed a spark and it seemed to come on 34 minutes as Ruairi Hamill was hauled back when about to pull the trigger for a penalty that Duffy sent into the top right corner.
Game on we thought, but that suggestion was wiped out as the Sarsfield's response was emphatic as McAlea and Kevin Floyd kicked fine scores and then from that kick-out, the hosts won the ball back with Brian Healy racing through and sending an unstoppable shot past McAufield.
Caolan McKernan added a point from the restart as the gap was an insurmountable 11 and while Ruairi Hamill temporarily broke the momentum with a score at the other end, Sarsfield's powered on, dominating in the air and on the breaks as St Paul's struggled to win any primary posession.
Kevin McKernan thumps over one of his seven points 
Skillen landed back-to-back points with Kevin McKernan increasing his own tally and while a pair of Doyle frees at the other end kept the board ticking over for the visitors, they trailed by double scores - 2-16 to 1-8 - heading into the final quarter.
The game was over as a contest but Sarsfield's kept their foot on the gas with three from McKernan seeing his tally for the day finish at seven although a smart stop saw him settle for a point rather than find the net, while Lennon kicked another.
Duffy and Doyle added points for the visitors but it was clear these were consolations with a late exchange between Healy and Hamill completed proceedings, but it was Sarsfield's long since home and hosed as they punched their ticket to the last four.
SARSFIELD'S: M Brady; A McGarrigle, M McPolin, M Johnston; P McPeake, D McKernan, C McKernan (0-1); C Murray, N McKenna; N McAlea (0-2), K McKernan (0-7, 4f), K Floyd (0-1); T Skillen (1-3), G Lennon (0-5, 3f, 1m), B Healy (1-2).
Subs: D Smyth for C Murray (43), J McNally for N McAlea (44), D McGuinness for K Floyd (45), L Mitchell for A McGarrigle (47).
ST PAUL'S: J McAufield; N Ward, G McGroarty, M Duffy; T Auld, D Burms, A Kavanagh; S O'Brien, J Farrell (0-1); P Lowe (0-1), E Reid, M Munce; Conal Duffy (1-2, 1-0 pen), P Doyle (0-5, 4f), R Hamill (0-2).
Subs: J Rodgers for J McAufield (46), D Quinn for M Munce (48), P Magee for G McGroarty (53), M Gallagher for M Duffy (55), Caoimhin Duffy for E Reid (57).
REFEREE: Colm McDonald (St Gall's)
