Crosserlough 5-7
Ballyhaise 2-9

Four goals in the space of ten minutes helped Crosserlough book their place into this year's intermediate football championship final at the expense of Ballyhaise tonight at Kingspan Breffni Park.

Bernard Morris's full-forward line combined for 3-7 over the hour, with Enda Gaffney and Barry McKiernan particularly rampant, while Damien Lynch gave an outstanding performance from right half-back.

Both sides had swapped goals in the opening five minutes of this encounter, as Crosserlough went on to lead by the minimum at the halfway stage, but it was the Kilnaleck side that proved they had the superior goal-touch, banging in four majors between the 32nd and 42nd minutes to leave their opponents stunned and themselves with a county final against Drumgoon to savour next month.

Enda Gaffney had Crosserlough off the mark after two minutes when he rounded his man and sailed his shot between the uprights.

From the resultant kick-out Ray Cullivan found Colm Reilly in the right corner and the veteran attacker crossed towards goal where a Crosserlough defender carried possession across his own line, under pressure from Gerry McRudden, and the umpire's green flag was raised.

A Stephen Smith free would stretch Ballyhaise's lead to three only momentarily, as their opponents created an opening which saw Gaffney smash a shot off the crossbar and from the rebound Eoin Cusack was quickest to pounced and tuck the ball past goalkeeper Rory Donnellan to leave things at 1-1 apiece.

A Gaffney free and a superb point from Barry McKiernan had the black and ambers back in front, before Eamonn Costello fired over a fine score to bring it back to a one-point game.

Smith and Gaffney (free) swapped scores at the end of an even opening 30 minutes to leave the score-line at 1-4 to 1-3 in Crosserlough's favour for half-time.

Shane McKiernan would look to set the tone for Ballyhaise in the opening seconds of the resumption with a splendid point, but Ray Cullivan's charges would be caught cold by two quick goals from Karl Smith and Barry McKiernan, with the latter's strike coming after some fantastic work by wing-back Damien Lynch to carry possession out of his defence and set-up the corner-forward.

McKiernan would return the favour to the outstanding Lynch later on, but not before the Kilnaleck men would stun their opponents with another major after Karl Smith got himself dragged down in the Ballyhaise square and the lethal Gaffney buried the ball underneath Rory Donnellan's dive.

Stephen Smith shot two points to try and stem the tide for Ballyhaise, but they were quickly wiped out when Bernard Morris's charges again broke superbly out of defence and located McKiernan in the corner from where the ace attacker crossed to the onrushing Lynch in the square and the defender finished goal number five to the net to kill off any outside chance of a Ballyhaise comeback.

The game's second penalty would be awarded just moment later when Colm Reilly was impeded in the Crosserlough square and Shane McKiernan lashed the spot-kick to Ciaran Galligan's right hand corner.

However, the goal would only suffice as consolation, as not evening grabbing the last three scores of the game through McKiernan and substitutes Conor Lyons and Adam Boyle could save Ballyhaise from another intermediate championship exit, with Crosserlough's final place against Drumgoon having been long confirmed beforehand.

Crosserlough: Ciaran Galligan; Mark Rehill, Pauric McKiernan, Kevin Finnegan; Damien Lynch (1-0), Colin Lynch, Paul McEvoy; Mark Lynch, James McEvoy; Eoin Cusack (1-0), Declan McCabe, Jimmy Higgins; Barry McKiernan (1-1), Karl Smith (1-0), Enda Gaffney (1-4, 1 pen, 3f). Subs: John Lynch for D McCabe (58mins), Dara McVeety for Cusack (59mins).

Ballyhaise: Rory Donnellan; Aidan Moran, Sean McCormack, Fergal Slowey; Francis Moore, Brendan Lyons, Michael Rooney; Ray Cullivan, Barry McRudden; Kevin Tierney (0-1), Eamonn Costello (0-1), Stephen Smith (0-3, 2f); Colm Reilly, Gerard McRudden, Shane McKiernan (1-2, 1f). Subs: Adam Boyle (0-1) for G McRudden (35mins), Conor Lyons (0-1) for C Reilly (51mins), Donal McGoldrick for Rooney (58mins),

Ref: Donal Reilly (Kingscourt Stars) Tweet

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