Summerhill unseated strong favourites for outright honours Navan O'Mahonys with a merited hoganstand.com SFC quarter-final win at Trim on Sunday evening.

Summerhill 1-9
O'Mahonys 1-8

It is a repeat outcome of the 2011 SFC quarter-final meeting betwen the sides. Summerhill were never headed here but their hopes of reaching the last four looked ropey when wind-assisted O'Mahonys regained parity, 0-7-each, after 40 minutes.

A semi-final meeting with Rathkenny - who defeated them by one point in the round robin phase - is Summerhill's reward for this win.

David Nelson's men managed just two more scores after Summerhill staked a significant deposit on a semi-final spot with Barry Dardis' 41st minute goal. Conor Gillespie's long range free was knocked into the corner-forward's path by team captain Brian Ennis.

Before the end of the third quarter midfielder Micheal Byrne added a free to leave four points in it, 1-8 to 0-7, heading into the latter stages.

Both sides struggled to score when 'assisted' by the tricky conditions with Summerhill registering eight first-half wides while O'Mahonys posted five after the change of ends.

Sub James O'Reilly pulled a point back for O'Mahonys at the start of the final quarter with Henry Finnegan providing the assist.

A forward surge by corner-back Willie Ryan led to David Larkin landing what proved to be Summerhill's final score in the 52nd minute.

Two minutes later O'Mahonys were thrown a lifeline when David Bray directed the ball into the path of Jake Regan who netted from close range.

In the six remaining minutes, O'Mahonys couldn't conjure up a levelling score with Stephen Bray going closest from a free out on the left in the 57th minute.

Backed by a very strong wind blowing towards the town goal and a greater sense of urgency, Summerhill took the game to O'Mahonys from the off. However, the Navan-men lost county senior panelist, wing-back Brian Dillon to injury, less than three minutes in.

Declan McCabe's men posted five points without reply in the opening 20 minutes with wing-back Padraig Geraghty getting the sequence going in the fifth minute.

David Larkin and Barry Dardis quickly trebled their tally. A pointed Brian Ennis free from out on the left left it 0-4 to 0-0 midway through the half.

An Adrian Kenny effort made it better for the 'Hill. It wasn't until the 23rd minute that Henry Finnegan opened the O'Mahonys' account. Gillespie restored Summerhill's five point lead four minutes later.

Cormac McGuinness' five-minute cameo appearance ended with injury in the 28th minute when he was replaced by Darragh Maguire, who subsequently pointed twice.

Five minutes - fully merited - of first-half stoppage time ended with Maguire fisting over O'Mahonys' second score and the board read 0-2 to 0-6 at the break.

Within 40 seconds of the restart, Maguire registered again. Despite playing against the strong wind Summerhill replied before the second minute had elapsed with Kevin Ryan becoming their seventh scorer. They had eight by the end.

O'Mahonys then enjoyed their best spell, reeling off four points inside seven minutes with Gary O'Brien, Jake Regan (two, one free) and Stephen Bray registering. That was as good as it got for the holders with Summerhill's response proving decisive.

Summerhill - Tony McDonnell; Padraig Jennings, Caolan Young, Willie Ryan; Padraig Geraghty (0-1), Alan Lyons, Stephen Husband; Conor Gillespie (0-1), Micheal Byrne (0-1f); David Larkin (0-2), Brian Ennis (0-1f), Adrian Kenny (0-1); Kevin Ryan (0-1), Paul Rispin, Barry Dardis (1-1). Subs - Michael Gorman for Husband (52).

O'Mahonys - Marcas Brennan; Stephen O'Toole, Kevin Reilly, Niall McKeigue; Brian Dillon, Shane Crosby, Gary O'Brien (0-1); Damien Moran, Stephen MacGabhann;
Shane Gillespie, Paddy Smyth, Henry Finnegan (0-1); Jake Regan (1-2, 0-1 f), Stephen Bray (0-1f), David Bray. Subs - James O'Reilly (0-1) for Dillon (3), Cormac McGuinness for Moran (23), Darragh Maguire (0-2) for McGuinness (28), Ian Matthews for Crosby (51), Darragh Smyth for Gillespie (52).

Referee - Cormac Reilly (St Mary's) Tweet

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