KILDARE side Confey produced a powerful finish to account for Skerries Harps by five points, 2-8 to 0-9, in their Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship semi-final at Parnell Park yesterday afternoon.
With the Dublin champions claiming a narrow interval lead, Confey restricted their opponents to just three points upon the restart and clinched their final berth thanks to goals from the impressive James Gately and Eoin Fitzpatrick.
After a nervy opening, it was Confey who opened the scoring through Joey Kehoe in the fifth minute after the captain was denied a goal thanks to a sprawling save from Harps' 'keeper Alan Cullinan.
Despite Barry Davey levelling matters three minutes later, Confey were beginning to get on top at centrefield and were rewarded through successive points from Donal McClean, Fitzpatrick and Gately.
However, Skerries responded with a purple patch of their own, kickstarted by a brace of inspirational points from captain Donnacha Reilly with further scores by Paul Cashman and Harry Dawson sneaking the seasiders into a one-point lead by the 20th minute.
Ten minutes of scoreless play ensued and although Paul Divilly restored parity approaching the break, a free from Dawson in injury time left Harps one point to the good at half-time, 0-6 to 0-5.
Robbie McMahon equalised within 20 seconds of the restart and the crucial first goal arrived in the 40th minute as Fitzpatrick raced clear down the right-flank and his measured pass was dispatched to the net by Gately from close range.
Dawson ended Skerries' scoring drought with a 47th-minute free and two further points by last year's Dublin minor brought Skerries level.
But Confey finished on a high with two excellent Gately points preceding Fitzpartick's immaculately-taken goal three minutes from time.
Confey face Wicklow's Eire óg in the final after they defeated Offaly's St Brigid's 2-11 to 0-12 in their semi-final.
SCORERS - Confey: J Gately 1-3, E Fitzpatrick 1-1, J Kehoe, D McClean, R McMahon, P Divilly 0-1 each. Skerries Harps: H Dawson 0-5 (3f), D Reilly 0-2, B Davey, P Cashman 0-1 each.
CONFEY: K O'Sullivan; C Jennings, F Ryder, P Quigley; D McClean, J Quigley, J O'Neill; P Divilly, C Quinn; J Kehoe, R McMahon, J Gately; E Fitzpatrick, K Smith, T McCann. Subs: K Divilly for Smith (42), G Caffery for McCann (48), D Slattery for Fitzpatrick (62).
SKERRIES HARPS: A Cullinan; E Reilly, R McGarry, J Smith; R Newsholme, J Garrett, L Reddin; D Reilly, M Boylan; C O'Brien, B Cullen, B Davey; P Cashman, M Kirwan, H Dawson. Subs: C Daly for Kirwan (41), R Walsh for Newsholme and P Ellis for Cashman (61).
REF: S Hickey (Carlow).
- Rnn Mac Lochlainn
