OB Construction Antrim Intermediate Football Championship, semi-final
St Teresa’s 1-10 Sarsfield’s 1-9
A LATE Sarsfield's charge came up short as St Teresa's advanced to the final of the Antrim Intermediate Football Championship by the minimum at Davitt Park on Saturday.
This West Belfast derby was as tight at predicted with the Glen Road outfit two up at the break despite missing an early penalty and they managed to hold on in the face of real pressure down the stretch as the Paddies squandered opportunities to force extra-time.
The Stewartstown outfit would be first on the board on a gloomy afternoon as Niall McKenna registered within he opening minute, but soon after came that St Teresa's penalty as Anton Taylor was taken down inside the area.
Francis Dugan stepped up, but Sarsfield's goalkeeper Michael Bradley got sown to his left to save.
Taylor did level it up and then he grabbed the game's opening goal with nine played as he rose to fist home from a long deliver and set his side on their way.
Fisted scores from Philip McPeake and Ethan Mervyn narrowed the gap to the minimum, but Paul McGoldrick responded for St Teresa's.
Bradley was again called into action as he thwarted Taylor but two points from Niall McCan - one free and one from play - put four between them.
The Paddies would enjoy a good end to the opening period as two from Daniel Smyth and a fisted effort from Caolan McKernan brought them to within two at the interval as St Teresa's led 1-5 to 0-6.
Certainly, it remained all to play for and the Ts set about stamping their authority in the second period as John Mallon cracked over two fine scores to give his team some breathing space once again within just two minutes.
Yet again, Sarsfield's responded as Conor Glenholmes converted a free and McKernan pointed with a response by Francis Dugan at the other end leaving that early goal between them.
That was wiped out with 47 on the clock as Miceál Ferris cracked home a goal for Sarsfield's as this game hung in the balance.
St Teresa's absorbed this hit as Francis Dugan and Niall McCann landed scores to put their side back into the lead, but a Garry Lennon point once again left just the minimum between them.
Sarsfield's poured forward in search of an equaliser and they had their chances to do so, but failed to find their range as time ran out and St Teresa's held on for victory and a place in the decider.
All Saints, Ballymena 0-13 St Paul’s 0-6
A SOLID display from All Saints saw the Ballymena side join St Teresa's in the Intermediate football final as they took care of business against St Paul's in Hightown earlier on Saturday.
The pre-competition favourites made a good start to lay down a marker against St Paul's who won Division Two earlier this year and this proved a platform for their victory against the Shaw's Road side that just didn't ever get fully going.
Indeed, some poor shooting didn't help the city outfit as they failed to keep pace in the early exchanges that saw All Saints put five on the board before they had got off the mark.
The Ballymena men were quick to establish themselves as they took what was coming at them, turned over the ball and hit on the counter to great effect with Ronan McKillop, Paddy McAleer (two frees) and James McDonnell all on target within the opening 10 minutes.
I could have been even better but the crossbar was rattled by Patrick Ferris after he made a break from deep, yet a Connell Lemon point would see them five ahead and in the ascendency.
Finally, St Paul's got on the board with 18 played as Mark Munce got his angles right after his side had passed up earlier chances and when Ruairi Hamill followed up with another, it seemed St Paul's were on course to mount their challenge.
Ballymena's Ronan McKillop then saw a first-time effort come off the post and it could have been suggested the city side's luck was in.
Hamill would clip over another as St Paul's looked to build on their period of dominance, but McKillop would make up for his earlier miss with a score to leave All Saints 0-6 to 0-3 ahead at the change of ends.
Just like the first-half, All Saints were quicker to settle in the second and McKillop was then denied by Jack McAufield, but Conor Stewart did then land a score and Emmet Killough produced a shimmy and score to put five between them once again.
Five would become six as Patrick Ferris fisted over a fine point and as the game moved towards the final quarter, it was already looking like All Saints' day.
Those suspicions were confirmed as Conor Stewart then thumped over another as it became a case of Ballymena just holding firm to see out the game.
St Paul's again were to rue a slow start to each half as Conall Duffy finally added to their tally, but 17 minutes of the second half had elapsed by this stage, yet Stewart quelled any hopes of a late charge with a great score from distance.
Another point from Hamill followed by a Duffy free brought the West Belfast men to within five late in the game, but they needed a goal to give themselves any chance of getting back into it and in truth, that never looked on the cards.
Instead, it was the Ballymena men who would finish with a bit of a flourish as substitutes Michael McCarry and Charlie Metrustry got their names on a scoresheet to wrap up a fine win and ensure their side return to the final.
It has been a recent trend that one year's defeated finalists go onto claim the honours in the following campaign and All Saints will hope that remains the case when they face St Teresa's in the decider.
