Errigal Ciarán (Tyrone) 0-14; Clann Eireann (Armagh) 1-10
Trying to separate these two totally committed sides was always going to take something special - and Ruairi Canavan provided it by shooting a brilliant point off his weaker foot to shock Clann Eireann at Pairc Esler on Sunday afternoon.
One score could be considered a fluke but when Canavan the younger’s tally of nine points (five from play) is added to the two of big brother Darragh, it shows just how much Errigal need those sons of the legendary county star Peter to keep them at the top of Ulster club football.
Indeed you’d have to go back 22 years when Peter was still in his pomp to find the last time the Tyrone champions managed to reach a provincial final - where they once again will have it all to do against serial winner Kilcoo the weekend after next.
In a year when everything seemed to be running for Armagh teams, perhaps their luck ran out with 20 minutes to go when influential midfielder Tiernan Kelly got his marching order for a second bookable offense at a time when his side were three points ahead and seemed to be cruising.
Even when their opponents took advantage of their numerical supremacy to edge ahead, twice the Armagh boys leveled the game only for Canavan to produce a moment of magic that was worthy of winning any game.
Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; N Kelly, A McCrory, Ciaran Quinn; T Colhoun, Cormac Quinn, P Óg McCartan; B McDonnell, J Oguz; P McGirr, P Harte, C McGinley; R Canavan (0-9, 0-4f), O Robinson (0-1), D Canavan (0-2) Subs: M Kavanagh for McGirr (27), T Canavan (0-2f) for McGinley (h-t), P Traynor for Kelly (57).
Clann Eireann: E Mulholland; S Heffron, M O’Shea, C O’Carroll; B McCambridge, S McCartney, E Magee; T Kelly (0-1), C McConville (0-1); J Conlon, D Magee (0-2), R French; R McDonald (0-1), C Turbitt (1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-2f), D McCarthy (0-2) Subs: A Kelly for McCarthy (20), R Meehan (0-1) for McDonald (41), A McConville for French (51), E McKenna for Conlon (57).
Ref: J McQuillan (Cavan).
Cuala (Dublin) 1-10; Tullamore (Offaly) 0-10
On a night full of honest endeavor and unbelievable athleticism, it was the sheer class of Cuala’s Con O’Callaghan which proved the difference between these two highly competitive sides at the end of the day at Parnell Park on Saturday evening.
While on the face of it a lucky first-half goal by midfielder Peter Duffy was the winning margin, in reality it was the three points that Dublin star O’Callaghan kicked which decided the outcome.
Had Tullamore anyone like the former All Star and seven time All Ireland winner in their ranks, chances are they midland town would be preparing for a tilt against St Mary’s Ardee instead of the Dalkey, south Dublin outfit.
Having won three Leinster and two All Ireland with Koala on the hurling front, O’Callaghan is now an hour away from adding a provincial club football medal to his long list of on-field achievements at the age of 28.
Tullamore came with a plan to keep possession at all times but with no goal in their locker, they were over dependant on place-kicker Harry Plunket to land frees - something he did well considering the windy conditions.
Three points down at the break, Tullamore got it back to level pegging and gave the impression they might kick on to victory but then Cuala upped the ante with five points in a nine minutes salvo to give themselves breathing space once again.
That the game went down to the wire can be attributed to the grit of the Offaly side who fought to the bitter end, including a last minute lob into the Cuala goal area in pursuit of the goal which would have forced the game into extra-time.
However Eoghan O’Callaghan made an expert catch in the crowded goalmouth and the clearance saw referee Anthony Nolan (Wicklow) blow the final whistle on a gripping if less than spectacular encounter.
On a night when defenses were on top, it was hardly surprising that Duffy’s 10th minute goal after a goalmouth scramble would carry a lot of weight.
Tullamore with county star and 2021 All-Ireland U-20 winner Cormac Egan dangerous when embarking on a series of penetrating runs, made a huge surge for control in the third quarter as they drew level on a 1-4 to 0-7 margin, thanks mainly to Plunkett’s accuracy.
No sooner had they reached parity than they were hit by a series of uppercuts which left them dazed as the two O’Callaghans - Con and Niall, Luke Keating and veteran nine-time All Ireland winner Michael Fitzsimons all got their names on the scoreboard.
In the twinkling of an eye, Cuala were again five points to the goo and while Tullamore reduced that margin by two to leave only a goal in the game, there was no late green flag from the Blues which would have forced the game into extra time.
Cuala: R Scollard; E O'Callaghan, C McMorrow (0-1), D Conroy; D O’Dowd, M Fitzsimons (0-1), E Kennedy; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, P Duffy (1-1); N O'Callaghan (0-1), C Doran, C Dunne (0-1); L Keating (0-1), C O'Callaghan (0-4, 0-1f), C O'Brien Subs: C Ó Giollain for Dunne 43, C Groarke for O'Brien 43, M Conroy for Kennedy 50, S Mangan for O'Dowd 57, J Power for Doran 59.
Tullamore: C White; P McConway, J Furlong (0-1), D McDaid; N Bracken (0-1), O Keenan-Martin, D Hogan; C Bourke, A Hensey; M Brazil (0-1f), D Egan, N Furlong (0-1); H Plunkett (0-6, 0-5f), C Egan, D Fox Subs: L Egan for D Fox h/t, A Leavy for Hensey 39, C Burns for McConway 43, M Fox for Niall Furlong 52.
Ref: A Nolan (Wicklow).
St Mary's, Ardee (Louth) 0-15; St Loman’s (Westmeath) 0-14
It shouldn’t have been considered how close they came to beating Kilmacud last year, but this away win by St Mary’s of Ardee in Cusack Park was marked down as something of a shock against the much fancied St Loman’s side on Saturday.
Sean Callaghan shot the important lead score four minutes into overtime and though Lomans had the chance of an equalizer from 47m by Sam McCartan, he was unable to find the distance and as the ref blew for full time, the boys in blue did gigs of delight to reach the provincial decider where they will face dublin champions Cuala in Croke Park next Saturday.
Kilcormac-Killoughey (Offaly) 2-13; Castletown-Geoghegan (Westmeath) 1-13
Who else but Adam Screeney to conjure up a goal in injury time that was the deciding factor in this keenly fought match against midland neighbors from Westmeath and Offaly at Cusack Park, Mullingar on Sunday afternoon.
Castletown-Geoghegan’s herculean efforts to become the first hurling club from the Lake County to reach a provincial senior club final was as close to reality as you can get until the young guns from Kilcormac-Killoughey struck the goal that put his team into the final against Na Fianna at Croke Park next Saturday.
After their amazing success against Kilkenny champions the previous week which they ended up winning by 11 points, the Westmeath boys were out to shock their visitors and for long periods it looked like their dreams would come true despite the loss of influential forward David O'Reilly after only 17 minutes.
KK started the better thanks to Screeney’s brace of pointed frees but slowly Castletown came into it and by half time had found their stride and led by 0-8 to 0-5.
The Offaly lads made full use of the wind to quickly get on level terms after the resumption with a monster free from goalkeeper Cono Slevein and two more from Screeney, including his side’s first score from play almost three quarters way into the game.
The men in black and amber fought back to forge two points ahead going into the final quarter.
Scores from Daniel Hand and one apiece from the Screeney brothers, Adam (a free) and Jack (open play) pushed the Offalymen three points to the good.
Castletown-Geoghegan refused to throw in the towel despite facing the elements and when Aonghus Clarke took sub David Fennell’s pass to blast home, the large home contingent in the crowd rose as one expecting another shock to come to fruition.
KK refused to panic and Screeney and Peter Clarke exchanged scores before a bit of good fortune saw the Offaly team’s long puck out flicked to the net by sub James Gorman from close range.
As the clock ran into the red, with three minutes signaled by the officials, Niall O’Brien produced a moment of magic to tie the scores with a great point. The game was up for grabs now and cometh the hour cometh the hero in the guise of Adam Screeney to bury the ball home.
Castletown had one last chance of forcing extra time when O’Brien’s free for goal was blocked and cleared as the final whistle sounded.
Kilcoo (Down) 5-10; Scotstown (Monaghan) 0-14
Any team that can make Scotstown look like novices deserve top rating as fans try to work out which side is now favorite to go on and win this year’s All Ireland club title.
Scotstown had looked the part the previous week when destroying Erne Gaels but this time around, they themselves were torn to shreds by a Down outfit that had way too much nous at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.
Having lost to the same opposition last year, they did their homework on the Farney men to qualify for a fourth Ulster club final in six years.
Never had the old adage about goals winning matches ring so true as a brace from Miceal Rooney and further green flags from Christopher Rooney and Ceilum Doherty together with a Shane Carey o.g. Left Scotstown punch drunk and chasing shadowThe teams were level six minutes from half-time at 0-4 apiece; However, after Shealan Johnson and Jerome Johnson was denied by two great Rory Beggan saves, only in the latter case to see an og go in off defender Shane Carey.
As the Monaghan lads tried to regather themselves after that setback, they were hit with a second hammer blow as Christopher Rooney steered home Aaron Morgan’s rebound off a post.
With a 2-6 to 0-5 advantage, Kilcoo could now hold the ball and dictate the pace of the games. This led to another brace of goals within five minutes of the restart as Miceal Rooney and Doherty killed the game as a contest as the Mourne representatives led by 13 points at that stage.
Scotstown to their credit kept probing and shot a number of points but they showed no real threat of raising a green flag or three which they needed to get back into the game. At the end they got it back to an eight point deficit - but by then Kilcoo were in final mode, happy to keep the ball away from danger.
They will now face Tyrone champs Errigal Ciarain in the final in what is sure to be an encounter of real quality from two teams at the top of the game.
Na Fianna (Dublin) 1-16; St Martin's (Wexford) 0-15
One of the finest team goals ever seen from Na Fianna turned what looked like a possible defeat into a probable victory late into the second half of this absorbing Leinster SH club semi-final match against St Martin’s in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon.
It means that instead of cursing their luck at allowing the Wexford side to claw back a four-point half-time deficit to lead by a point with six minutes remaining, the Mobhi Road outfit can bask in the afterglow in a superb team goal which totally changed the complexion of the game.
They now face Offaly champions Kilcormac-Killoughey in the final this Saturday at Croke Park where they will hope to go one better than last year when they lost by a point to Kilkenny kingpins O’Loughlin Gaels.
The goal was a real tonic as it allowed the men in primrose and blue to kick on with late points from Donal Burke and top scorer Colin Currie, with nine points, giving them a four point winning margin.
Substitute Sean Ryan was the hero of the hour as he expertly dispatched from 14 yards after amazing inter-play further out made his strike possible.
They had been level twice at 0-12 and 0-13 apiece. Big Barry O'Connor moved the visitors 0-14 to 0-13 ahead and it looked like the Model Men might have timed their run perfectly.
Na Fianna had a sting in the tail with a goal for the ages, a long delivery down the left wing going saw great stick and handwork as Ciaran Stacey and AJ Murphy set up the moment of a sporting lifetime for Ryan.
St Martin's got it back to a point thanks to the excellent Rory O’Connor but for once St Martin’s had no answer to the late flurry of points from the home side.
