Rhode (Offaly) 1-15
Moorefield (Kildare) 2-04
Rhode produced a dominant first half display at O'Connor Park to avenge their 2006 defeat to Moorefield and qualify for their first Leinster club football final since 2010.
Pat Daly's charges will face reigning All-Ireland champions St. Vincent's in what will be their fourth provincial final in nine years on Sunday, December 14. And they will take hope from Garrycastle's performance against the Dublin kingpins in today's other semi-final as they bid to end their long wait for provincial honours.
Rhode were utterly dominant in the first half, taking a 1-9 to 1-1 lead into the break, despite losing their captain Padraic Sullivan to a black card at the end of the first quarter. A ninth-minute goal from Anton Sullivan set them on their way. Niall McNamee and Niall Darby added a string of points before Adam Tyrrell's goal gave Moorefield a glimmer of hope at the short whistle.
The Kildare champions had the margin down to three points when Ronan Sweeney converted a penalty, but the veteran was later sent off on a second yellow card as the Offaly champions closed out the game with five unanswered points.
Rhode - K Garry; J Kavanagh, E Rigney, J McPadden; C Heavey, B Darby, E Byrne; A McNamee, C McNamee; N Darby (0-3f), P Sullivan, G O'Connell; P McPadden (0-1), A Sullivan (1-2), N McNamee (0-7, 3f). Subs: S Hannon (0-1) for P Sullivan (BC), R McNamee (0-1) for P McPadden, S Sullivan for N Darby.
Moorefield - T Corley; L Callaghan, G Naughton, L Healy; R Houlihan, J Murray, K Murnaghan; R Glavin, C O'Connor; A Tyrrell (1-1), C Kelly (0-1), E Heavey; E O'Connor (0-1f), R Sweeney (1-0pen), N Hurley Lynch (0-1). Subs: D Flynn for R Glavin, F Hanniffy for C O'Connor, L Murphy for L Healy, K Duane for J Murray.
Referee - F Kelly.
Tweet