Liatroim destroy Darragh to reach final

3 October 2018

LIATROIM deployed their lethal weapons to great effect at Pairc Esler on Friday night when they shot Darragh down to book their place in the IFC final.

Pearse Og McCrickard, Conor McCrickard and P J Davidson held the the smoking guns as they inflicted pain after pain on Tom McMahon’s side that never really got going on a disappointing night for Darragh.

Steve Dineen gave an out of sorts Darragh a dream start when he pointed after just 30 seconds, but this proved to be a false dawn as Pearse Og McCrickard and Conor McCrickard eased a clinical Liatroim into a 0-2 to 0-1 led after five minutes.

Anton McGrattan brought the sides level with a converted free before he and Davidson swapped points to keep the scores level by the 11th minute. Darragh were seeing a lot more of the ball at this stage, but they seemed to freeze when put into scoring positions and the wides total was starting to mount up.

Liatroim had no such bother and with 13 minutes gone Davidson, a late replacement for Liam Doyle, hit the back of the net with a blistering finish after a lightning counterattack.

Darragh proceeded to waste several more scoring chances before a McGrattan free left two points in it, 1-3 to 0-4, after 16 minutes. Miceal McCartan and Conor McCrickard pointed Liatroim into a 1-5 to 0-4 lead before Lee Morrison and Pearse Og McCrickard swapped frees.

The last word of the half went to the roaming Davidson, who craftily created some space before firing his side into a 1-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

Liatroim strangely continued to find scores with ease at the start of the second half and Pearse Og McCrickard and Conor McCrickard helped the Fontenoys take a 1-9 to 0-5 lead before these scores were negated by points from McGrattan and Morrison, both frees.

Pearse og McCrickard then gave Liatroim a six-point lead in the 39th minute before two frees from Morrison gave Darragh renewed hope and only trailing 1-11 to 0-9.

McCartan and Joe McKinney exchanged scores before Liatroim swooped for a second goal after a pitch-length move finished with Darren O’Higgins drilling the ball past a helpless Rory Miskelly.

Donough O’Higgins piled on the agony with another point before McGrattan and the towering Liam Middleton exchanged points to leave Liatroim well clear at 2-13 to 0-11 going into the last five minutes.

Jarleth Flynn and Conor McCrickard swapped scores as the game drew to a close and it was fitting that the last point of the game went to the impressive Conor McCrickard as Liatroim sailed through to the showpiece decider.

Liatroim: T Rice, M Branniff, S O’Higgins, S Og O’Rourke, C Moorehead, R McCrickard, Darren O’Higgins (1-0), Donough O’Higgins (0-1), L Middleton (0-1), G McAnulty, M McCartan (0-2, 2f), P Og McCrickard (0-4, 2f), R O’Hare, P J Davidson (1-2), C McCrickard (0-5). Subs: O McManus for O’Hare, W McCartan for M McCartan,

Darragh Cross: R Miskelly, M Monan, P Branney, C Murray, S Dineen (0-1), J McKinney (0-1), E Sweeney, M Hardy, O McConvey, J Murray, S Murray, M Miskelly, L Morrison (0-5f), M McMahon, A McGrattan (0-4, 3f). Subs: C Young for C Murray, J Flynn (0-1) for Monan, C Morgan for McGrattan.

Liatroim 2-15

Darragh Cross 0-12

PARADOR IFC SEMI-FINAL

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