Shercock 2-6
Cootehill 0-8

Shercock pulled off a huge upset this evening at Kingpan Breffni Park to dump out favourites Cootehill and advance into the intermediate championship final.

Barry O'Reilly's charges showed tremendous spirit to clinch victory over the competition's favourites after losing full-forward Declan McIntyre to a red card and having to play the entire second-half with 14 men.

Cootehill's stronger start and the fact that their opponents failed to score until the 18th minute suggested that Donal McAdam's team would prevail, but a superbly taken goal from Ryan Clerkin in the 24th minute suggested otherwise and in the second-half Shercock worked their socks off to ensure the game stayed tight until the closing stages when Killian Clarke's penalty was enough for victory.

After a sloppy start from both sides, it was Cootehill that drew first blood on six minutes when John McCutcheon released Tom Hayes and the Cavan minor ace sent over from his full-forward station. It took seven minute for the Celts to double their advantage through a Colm Smith free, whilst Shercock fired three wides in the meantime.

O'Reilly's team would eventually break their duck in the 18th minute when Killian Clarke's sweetly struck '45' floated between the posts, after which the Cavan senior defender was stationed in the full-forward line.

The switch would pay big dividends in the 24th minute for Shercock, whom conceded more frees for McCutcheon and Smith to point, as a splendid move started by Clarke ended up with Aidan Lennon flicking into the path of Niall Clerkin's darting run and the corner-forward calmly slotted the ball beyond Ryan Carroll for three points, and Shercock's first lead.

Smith levelled matters when he was allowed to roam through Shercock's centre and the underdogs would suffer a huge blow on the eve of half-time when Declan McIntyre was issued a straight red card for an elbow on marker Dean Connolly, which left them a man down and level at 1-2 to 0-5 at the halfway stage.

A sublime score from McCutcheon in the opening minute of the restart looked to be a positive omen for Cootehill, but their opponents weren't prepared to give them an inch and some good poaching by Ryan Clerkin saw him tap over an equaliser.

Substitute Mark Mullen and Niall Clerkin (free) kept things even heading into the final quarter, as Smith saw a 40-metre free drift just wide in the 45th minute to regain his side the lead, while Clerkin saw his simpler chance fall into the hands of Cootehill 'keeper Carroll.

By the 49th minute Shercock came into the lead after brilliant work from Killian Clarke released Paddy McPhillips through for the substitute to clip over, but a McCutcheon free kept the teams square as the game entered into a nervy last 10 minutes.

It was there that the winners dug their deepest, with a break in play allowing them through rip through Cootehill and send over via Niall Clerkin in the 55th minute. Two minutes later the corner-forward chased down a ball in which he was adjudged to have been impeded by Thomas Doonan's umpire two minutes later, with Carroll the guilty party, and Killian Clarke slotted the resultant penalty despite Cootehill's 'keeper guessing the right way.

Cootehill hunted for scores in the dying minutes but couldn't find one and had McCutheon sent off for their troubles, as Shercock held out for an incredible victory - much to the delight of their euphoric supporters - to seal their place in next month's final.

Shercock: Ollie Ward; Dean O'Reilly, Liam Og O'Reilly, Joe O'Reilly; Damien McIntyre, Shane Clarke, Michael McEneaney; Brian Sankey, Sean Magee; Stephen Donnery (0-1), Killian Clarke (1-1, 1pen, 1 '45'), Ryan Clerkin (1-1); Niall Clerkin (0-2, 1f), Declan McIntyre, Aidan Lennon. Subs: John McEnroe for S Donnery (25mins), Paddy McPhillips (0-1) for A Lennon (39), David Harper for S Magee (53), Tommy McMahon for R Clerkin (60).

Cootehill: Ryan Carroll; Neil McCluskey, Barry McGahon, Ciaran Fox; Joshua Hayes, John Carney, Dean Connolly; Colm Smith (0-3, 2f), John McCutcheon (0-3, 2f); Enda Hessin, Glen Nulty, Damien Sherlock; Stevie O'Connor, Tom Hayes (0-1), Cathal McCabe. Subs: Mark Mullen (0-1) for D Sherlock (36mins), Brian Sherlock for N McCluskey (48), Niall McMullen for S O'Connor (58).

Ref: Thomas Doonan (Templeport) Tweet

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