Killeshandra 0-15
Drung 1-8

Killeshandra booked their date with Ballyhaise in the semi-finals of the intermediate championship tonight after seeing off Drung at the second time of asking.

Stephen King's charges made a scorching start at Kingspan Breffni Park, where they fired 0-5 into the town in goals after just seven minutes but would need to grind out victory in the end after a spirited fight back from Drung at the end of the first-half.

The Bunnoe men came from 0-8 to 0-1 down to lead by the 35th minute, with Martin O'Reilly's 24th minute goal giving the Leaguers some food for thought going in at half-time, but in Declan McKiernan (0-5) and Tomas O'Reilly (0-4) Killeshandra had reliable scorers going forward and kept things airtight at the back in final quarter to see their way through to the last four.

The Division Two leaders flew out of the traps for this quarter-final replay, shooting five points in seven minutes through Austin Fitzpatrick (2), Tomas O'Reilly, Shane O'Reilly and Declan McKiernan.

A Mickey McEntee free in the ninth minute was sorely needed for Drung to try and stem the tide, but the Leaguers showed no signs of letting up as a well-executed '45' from Tomas O'Reilly was backed up by Ciaran Owens belying his defensive duties to push the lead to seven before McKiernan landed a trademark free.

With eight minutes to go until the break, Drung looked in danger of being overrun but instead struck a crucial score which saw McEntee and Barry Watters combining to send Martin O'Reilly through and the corner-forward fisted past Joe Masterson to the Killeshandra net. O'Reilly would convert a free two minutes later to keep the Colin Malone men's momentum flowing right until the half-time whistle.

Brilliant work by Ciaran Galligan at centre-field freed up Watters to punch through the centre and finish over before an O'Reilly free reduced Drung's arrears to a point, 0-8 to 1-4, at the break.

A Declan McKiernan free looked to put the town is side back on track for the start of the second-half, but by the 35th minute Drung were in the lead as O'Reilly, Declan McEntee and Watters sailed over unanswered scores.

The lead was back with Killeshandra within five minutes as brothers Sean and Declan McKiernan raised white flags (the latter from a free) and when Shane O'Reilly looped over a point the pendulum looked to have swung back with the Saffrons.

However, it would be almost 10 minutes until they added to their lead, after Tomas O'Reilly cut in from the right and spilt the posts from a tricky angle. Declan McEntee cancelled out almost immediately, but Killeshandra were the ones edging closer to the last four as Declan McKiernan (free) and O'Reilly made it a four-point game approaching injury-time.

Drung could find no joy whatsoever in the added minutes, with Colm Duffy immense at full-back for the would-be winners, whom battled to the end to ensure their showdown with Ballyhaise next weekend.

Killeshandra: Joe Masterson; Martin Brady, Colm Duffy, Ciaran Owens (0-1); Rory Braiden, Dara Tighe, Damien Higgins; Aaron Brady, Tomas O'Reilly (0-4, 1 '45'); Sean McKiernan (0-1), Austin Fitzpatrick (0-2), Eamon O'Reilly; Shane Murphy, Declan McKiernan (0-5, 3f), Shane O'Reilly (0-2). Sub: Kyle Duffy for Tighe (49, inj).

Drung: James Reilly; Greg Rossiter, Alan Curran, John Cassidy; Killian Monahan, Ray Fay, Dan Fay; Aidan McCaul, Ciaran Galligan; Barry Watters, Andrew Rossiter, Mickey McEntee; Aaron Watson, Declan McEntee, Martin O'Reilly. Subs: Niall Cassidy for D Fay (40mins), Philip Monahan for M McEntee (44), Paddy McEntee for M O'Reilly (47), Gary Watters for D McEntee (55).

Ref: Oliver Og O'Reilly Tweet

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