Kilcoo (Down) 4-12; Erne Gaels Belleek (Fermanagh) 1-10
While the pitch won the battle in the other semi-final, not even the weather could stop Down side Kilcoo in the other game where they had 11 points to spare against Fermanagh’s finest Erne Gaels in the Athletic Grounds on Saturday.
Not for the first time, Kilcoo used the first half to check out their opposition and once the second half started, they looked a totally different outfit as they went for the jugular and ended up easily qualifying for the Dec 7 showdown with either the Monaghan or Derry champions.
This will be their seventh final appearance since 2013 and the way they dismantled the Gaels in the second half suggests that it will take a huge effort to thwart them of another Ulster title.
A neutral in Armagh at half-time when the Mournemen led by only three points would have felt the game was still an open affair.
With three points between the teams at half-time in Armagh city, this Ulster club SFC semi-final could have gone either way. Hardy annuals Paul Devlin and Eugene Branagan raised the first half green flags and once Shealan Johnston and Ceilum Doherty followed suit for the All Ireland champions of three years ago, the game was as good as over.
The hard thing to counteract about Kilcoo is the scoring base they have and on this occasion, they had no less than 10 different scorers.
Manager Martin Corey will go to see the other semi-final and will demand his Magpie players concentrate fully to bring their first provincial win since 2021.
The Gaels kept going to the end and were rewarded with an injury time goal which did nothing more than take the mean look off the scoreboard.
Kilcoo: N Kane; T Fettes, R McEvoy, N Branagan; M Rooney (0-1), D Branagan, C Rogers (0-1); A Morgan, A Morgan (0-2); S Johnston (1-1), C Doherty (1-1), E Branagan (1-1); P Devlin (1-1), R Johnston (0-2), J Johnston Subs: S Óg McCusker for J Johnston (46), L Ward for A Morgan (50), J Devlin (0-1) for R Johnston (55), B McEvoy (0-1f) for S Johnston (55), C Laverty for P Devlin (58).
Erne Gaels Belleek: B Ryder; M Gilfeddar, U O'Reilly, S Mimna; B McCann (0-2, tp), J McCann, O Kelm; M Óg McGarrigle (0-1), R Lyons (0-4, 2 tp); B Mullin (0-1), U Kelm, A Kelm; S Rooney (0-1f), O Johnston, D McCann (0-1) Subs: S Ryder (1-0) for McGarrigle (h/t), P Johnston for Mimna (46), J McGarrigle for D McCann (50), E Óg Magee for Gilfeddar (55).
Ref: D Boylan (Monaghan).
Scotstown v Newbridge game abandoned
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship semi-final at Healy Park had to be abandoned at the interval as by that time, the pitch clearly had become unplayable.
Scotstown were leading at the time of abandonment by 1-4 to 0-3 but all that will be scratched now as the game goes ahead next weekend.
St Finbarr's (Cork) 3-20; Éire Óg Ennis (Clare) 0-14
GAA fans in Clare must be sick of the sight of Brian Hayes. After his hurling exploits when he scored three goals against the Banner in summer, he returned to haunt them again, this time for the big ball game, when the All-Star hurler ended with a personal haul of 3-3 as the Barrs obliterated Éire Óg of Ennis at Páirc Uí Chaoimh by 15 points to qualify for a Munster club final appearance against Kerry kingpins, Daingean Uí Chúis.
It is a busy time for the Cork city club and half of those who lined out last weekend will again be in action against Ballygunner in this Sunday’s hurling final showpiece.
In this football game, if anything Éire Óg were slightly the better team in the first 15 minutes and were ahead when the Cork side entered a purple patch which saw them hit 1-8 without reply.
It was the winners’ ability to press the Clare kickouts which yielded the results as Éire Óg just couldn’t get their restarts going.
The goal on 18 minutes was created and executed by Hayes. He won the kick-out and from the sideline area, his kick found Enda Dennehy, who quickly transferred to county footballer Ian Maguire. He foundHayes who clearly shot for a point but his effort dipped under the crossbar to give his side a 1-3 to 0-5 advantage.
It was plain sailing after that as six different Barrs guys shot points.
The Rebel boys led 1-10 to 0-8 at the break and once Hayes’ deliberate goalbound effort nestled in the back of the net midway through the second moiety, it was a question of when and not if from there to the end.
Hayes added another goal for his hat-trick and his runs will need to be watched by the Kerry defense if they want to win against a Barrs club high on success at the moment.
St Finnbarr's: D Newman; A O’Connor, B Hennessy, S Ryan; C Dennehy, C Doolan, E Dennehy (0-1); I Maguire, B Hayes (3-3); E Twomey (0-2), J Wigginton-Barrett (0-4), W Buckley (0-1); L Hannigan, R Barrett (0-2), S Sherlock (0-6, 1tp, 1f, 2 45s). Subs: E McGreevy for Buckley (50), C Myers-Murray (0-1) for Barrett (50), T Egan for Hannigan (51), B O’Connell for C Dennehy (51), J Burns for Hennessy (56).
Éire Óg Ennis: C Howard; M Doherty (0-1), A Fitzgerald, D Ryan; C Russell, G D’Auria, D Moroney (0-1); D McNamara, D O’Brien; J Collins, G Murray (0-2), R Lanigan; L Pyne, I Ugwueru, M McInerney (0-10, 2tp, 1tpf, 2f) Subs: J Joyce for O’Brien (43), A McGrath for Collins (48), N McMahon for Moroney (53).
Ref: S Lonergan (Tipperary).
St Martin's (Wexford) 0-21 Naas (Kildare) 0-11
This Leinster semi-final game proved two things - that the Martin’s aren’t just a one-hit wonder and that Naas are not up to the level of seriously competing for a provincial honor as a senior hurling club.
There is still one big answer for the Wexford side - can they now go all the way and defeat a Kilkenny side as in Ballyhale Shamrocks in the final on Sunday week?
Wexford clubs have a checkered history in this competition and it is now a decade since any one of several from the Model County did anything to follow up on Oulart the Ballagh.
They will enter the final with two impressive displays against Na Fianna and Naas but as we know, Kilkenny and in particular Shamrocks, offer a totally different challenge.
Once again, it was the O’Connor clan who led the Martin’s push for success with Rory accounting for no less than 19 points of his side’s total. He also got terrific backup from his brother Jack while first cousin Barry also left his mark on proceedings.
While attacks win games, it is up to defenses to make sure they don’t lose and in this encounter, the maroon sextet only gave up four points from play - an astonishingly low number in any hurling game.
Naas just weren’t at the races and when Harry Carroll saw red near the end, it sort of was a metaphor for their day when little went right although pre-match hopes were high of a first ever Leinster senior club final appearance.
St Martin's: C Quirke; E O'Leary, C Firman, P Dempsey; D O'Leary (0-1), J Barrett, D Waters; D Codd, A Maddock (0-1); D Codd, J O'Connor (0-3, 0-1 s/l), J Firman; M Coleman (0-1), B O'Connor (0-1), R O'Connor (0-14, 0-9f, 0-2 65) Subs: B Maddock for D Codd (30), B Stafford for Coleman (54), P O’Connor for E O'Leary (58), M Codd for D O'Leary (60), S Audsley for D Codd (62).
Naas: C Gallagher; L O’Reilly, R Boran, P O'Donoghue; D Guerin, R Kelly, H Carroll; E O'Brian, S Leacy; K Harrington, C Boran (0-1), C Sheridan; J Sheridan (0-8, 0-5f, 0-2 65), M Purcell (0-1), B Byrne (0-1) Subs: R Hogan for Purcell (h-t), C Dowling for C Sheridan (45), F Maher for Harrington (53), K Whelan for O'Brian (60).
Ref: T Gleeson (Dublin).
GAA RESULTS
Sunday November 23
Ulster club SFC semi-final
Scotstown (Monaghan) 1-4 Sean O'Leary's Newbridge (Derry) 0-3
Abandoned due to unplayable condition of pitch; will be played this weekend.
Munster club SFC semi-finals
St Finbarr's (Cork) 3-20 Eire Og (Clare) 0-14
Dingle (Kerry) 2-15 Mungret St Paul's (Limerick) 0-2
Leinster club SHC semi-finals
St Martin's (Wexford) 0-21 Naas (Kildare) 0-11
Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 1-18 Clough Ballacolla (Laois) 1-15
Connacht club IFC final
Strokestown (Roscommon) 4-11 Kilmeena (Mayo) 0-14
Saturday November 22
Ulster club SFC semi-final
Kilcoo (Down) 4-12 Erne Gaels (Fermanagh) 1-10
Connacht club IHC final
Tooreen (Mayo) 3-21 Meelick Eircourt (Galway) 2-12
Ulster club JFC final
Clogher Eire Og (Tyrone) 1-12 Emyvale (Monaghan) 0-14
Connacht club JHC final
Easkey (Sligo) 2-17 Ballinasloe (Galway) 2-15
