Tuairisc:
Spa 2-11 Maynooth 2-9
In a most enthralling Intermediate championship semi final at the Gaelic Grounds Limerick on Sunday Spa senior footballers booked their place in the All -Ireland Intermediate championship final by a two point margin. This game was packed with drama and excitement, plenty of good football with the issue in doubt until the final whistle. While in the final analysis this was very much a team victory with each of the seventeen players on duty giving of their best the bouquets on this occasion must go their two goal hero Conor Gleeson, Nail O’Mahony and Michael O’Donoghue in attack and Fergus Clifford who was once again outstanding in defence, as well as Pa Murphy in the centre of the Park.
With Niall O’Mahony in devastating form in attack, Spa sending over three fine points to put his side into an early lead. Maynooth struck for a goal midway through this period which brought them right back into the game, Michael O’Donoghue, Fergus Clifford, Eoin Cronin, and Conor Gleeson again edged Spa ahead but the Kildare side replied with a succession of points to give them a one point interval lead.
On the resumption Maynooth stretched their lead to two points and in the tenth minute Conor Gleeson edged his way through a wall of defenders to crack home a fine goal to restore the lead for Spa and Niall O’Mahony sent over a magnificent point from all of 5O metres to increase his side’s lead to two points,
However the euphoria had barely subsided when some confusion in the Spa defence allowed Maynooth through for a rather easy goal to leave three points between the sides and at this stage the outcome was very much in the balance for Spa, Michael O’Donoghue who was coming more into the game knifed his way through the Kildare defence for a point followed by another by Tomas Lynch from all of 4O metres to leave the bare minimum between the sides .However Maynooth who were now in with a fighting chance increased the lead to two points and it was at this stage that Conor Gleeson saved the day for Spa when he cracked home his second goal and in the final minute Michael O’Donoghue copperfastened victory with a late point.
Team-- James Devane .Brian Gleeson, Aidan Cahill, Fergus Clifford 0-1, Damian OSullivan, Hugh O’Donoghue , Eoin Cronin, 0-1, Kevin Healy, Pa Murphy, Conor Gleeson 2-1, Niall O’Mahony O-4, Cian Tobin, Cormac Cronin, Michael O’Donoghue O- 3, Tomas Lynch 0-1, Subs Andrew Garnett, Paul Russell
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