AIB All-Ireland Club IFC semi-final: Steelstown (Derry) 2-6 Na Gaeil (Kerry) 0-7
A Ben McCarron-inspired Steelstown progressed to the All-Ireland Club Intermediate Football Championship final after a victory over Kerry and Munster champions Na Gaeil on Saturday.
Derry player McCarron hit 1-4 over the hour, while a late penalty from Cahir McMonagle – following a 20-minute delay in the game due to an injury to Kerry midfielder Stefan Okunbor – sealed the victory for Steelstown, who will now face Trim of Meath in the final at Croke Park on Sunday.
“It’s hard to describe at the minute - what we have just achieved for this group, for this club, and for the city as a whole,” said Steelstown manager Hugh McGrath after Saturday’s historic victory.
“We’ve known these guys from when they were cubs and we know what makes them tick and what they react to. We have to get our sights set on winning this. There’s no point getting to Croke Park and leaving it out there – you get to Croke Park and finish the job. That’s what our aim will be and that’s what we’ll work on all week.”
Na Gaeil started brightly with a score from Andrew Barry after 16 seconds, but two frees and one from play from McCarron edged the Derry men ahead.
A 19th minute point for Jack Barry narrowed the gap to one before a well-taken, arrowed finish from McCarron to the Na Gaeil net.
A Darragh Carmody free rounded off the half, and Na Gaeil started the second period similarly to the first, with Diarmuid O’Connor winning the throw-in and splitting the posts.
A second point for Jack Barry was followed by a second yellow for Steelstown’s Diarmuid Baker on 39 minutes.
A score from substitute Morgan Murray and a McCarron free settled the Derry side before O’Connor slalomed through the Óg’s defence and pointed for 1-5 to 0-6.
Darragh Reen reduced the gap to one before Devon Burns pushed Cahir McMonagle’s shot over the bar.
In the 64th minute McCarron went through on goal but was taken down by the diving Burns who received a black card after the penalty was given. After that lengthy delay following a shoulder injury Okunbor sustained in the move, McMonagle made no mistake with the penalty to secure a safe passage to Croke Park.
Steelstown captain Neil Forester wasn’t getting carried away with the post-match celebrations, however, stating there was still a job to be done.
“We’ve shown our character again and again and every test I feel like we’ve come through. It’s for moments like this - that final whistle when you realise we’ve come out of another scrap and another battle and we’re getting another beautiful reward.
"We don’t want to finish with that. It’s going to be hard to keep the emotions in check but that’s something we’ll just have to do. We have a job to do and the job’s not finished. We want to take the next step.”
Steelstown: E Heraghty; O Fox, K Lindsay, D Baker; D Gilmore, J McAleer, E Concannon; O McMenamin, R Devine; S O’Connor, N Forester, B McCarron (1-4, 0-3 frees); M Foley, C McMonagle (1-1, 1-0 pen), E Bradley.
Subs: M Murray (0-1) for M Foley (41), G Logue for O McMenamin (43), E Deane for E Bradley (56), O McMenamin for S O’Connor (58).
Yellow card: D Baker (16, 39), S O’Connor (41)
Black card: M Murray (63)
Red card: D Baker (39)
Na Gaeil: D Burns; E O’Connor, N O’Mahony, D Bourke; F Barry, E Doody, A Barry (0-1); J Barry (0-2), S Okunbar; J O’Connor, D Goggin, J Sheehan; D Carmody (0-1, 0-1 free), D O’Connor (0-2), E O’Neill.
Subs: J Bourke for E O’Neill (26), T Ó’Hainfein for D Goggin (40), K O’Donovan for A Barry (47), D Reen (0-1) for J O’Connor (51), S Duggan for S Okunbor (64).
Yellow card: D Goggin (16), J Barry (58)
Referee: J Gilmartin (Sligo)
