Cuchulainns will face Mullahoran in next month’s intermediate championship final after both teams came through their respective semi-finals earlier today.

In Crosskeys, Niall Lynch’s Cuchulainns side made goals in each half from Bryan Magee and Conor Daly count dearly as they saw off Laragh United by 2-9 to 0-13 to return to their club’s first Tommy Gilroy Cup decider since 2005.

Magee’s major came just nine minutes in via a tap in off the back of good work from fellow attacker Evan Doughty, putting it at 1-1 to 0-1 before Laragh pulled back the next two points through the frees of marksmen Ruairi Power and Paddy Rudden.

Eugene Keating and Adam O’Reilly widened the margin again but the Stradone side had the game level on 25 minutes thanks to Power landing a brace points and would even seize the lead before the break after Oisin Carolan smashed over.

Keating (free) ensured nothing would separate the sides at the start of the second-half as they went in all square on 1-4 to 0-7 and it was the Mullagh men that made the far more impressive restart.

Magee, Keating and Conor Smith all stroked over scores before Daly pounced for his goal in the 37th minute that left the Cuckoos with one foot in the final.

A second point from ex-Cavan minor Smith a minute afterwards meant that Laragh would be eating into a seven-point lead to try and salvage their championship hopes.

Frees from Power (2) and Rudden were a decent response but Jody Devine’s charges came up short over the next 10 minutes against a stingy Cuchulainns defence.

Keating and Rudden traded points towards the finish prior to Power leaving a goal in it headed into injury-time.

That sorely needed green flag simply wouldn’t come for Laragh and they’d have to settle another Power free instead, leaving them two short, as Cuchulainns avenged last month’s Round 3 loss to seal a first championship final berth in 13 years.

In Lacken, Mullahoran recovered from a shaky first-half display by catching fire in the second to down Butlersbridge on a score-line of 2-12 to 1-6 at Crowe Park.

Minus the services of county ace Caoimhin O’Reilly, the Bridge led by 0-4 to 0-3 at the end of a drab opening half but once the Killydoon men got their noses in front in the 34th minute they’d never look back – even despite conceding a Sean T Murphy goal in the 47th minute which served to restore parity for the underdogs.

That strike was erased within two minutes by Dreadnoughts veteran Paul Brady and his side would go on to outscore their opponents by 1-5 to 0-2, with Paddy Brady netting their second goal to ensure a final date with Cuchulainns on October 14th.

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