Ballyhaise 1-16
Killinkere 1-10

Ballyhaise secured their third victory and place in the quarter-finals of the intermediate championship after coming through tonight's test against Killinkere at Kingspan Breffni.

Ciaran O'Malley's side withstood a late rally from last year's runners up to cruise to a six-point victory off the back of a tremendous display from Cavan U21 star David Brady, who was at the heart of everything good about the victors' play on the night.

Ballyhaise could even afford to kick 16 wides over the hour, with 12 of those coming in the first-half after which they led by four as Killinkere regrouped at half-time before being dealt a blow in the 37th minute with Noel McGovern's dismissal.

Kevin Tierney (0-5) and Padraig Moore (1-3) began to find their range after that, helping to build up a six-point lead towards the finish, before sub John B Smith's goal and a pair of quick points in injury-time from Emmett Fitzsimons ended up being in vain for Damien Donohoe's men.

Jason McMahon's 40-metre free saw Killinkere, who were looking for their second win of the competition, draw first blood two minutes ahead of Martin Conaty (free) levelling the sides after Colm Reilly had been impeded at the other end.

Ballyhaise began to take over after that, dominating around the centre, with Brady particularly prominent, but couldn't make it count in the scoreboard as they kicked four successive wides before their key man drilled one over from 40 metres out.

Killinkere were guilty of some missed chances themselves (they'd tally seven wides in the opening half-hour) but nowhere near what their opponents were doing at the town end goal.

Donohoe's team would in fact take an unlikely lead by the 17th minute, with Fitzsimons' fisted point being backed up by Damien Sexton also raising a white flag. The latter's effort had saw him cutting in well from the right corner and forcing a strong save out of Ballyhaise 'keeper Darren Smith, who deflected the ball over his crossbar.

The wides kept coming for the 2015 winners until Conaty and Brady hit back-to-back points to put their side back in front and a minute after the former registered his third of the night the ball would be in Killinkere's net.

A well-placed pass from veteran Reilly put Moore through in space and the big full-forward made no mistake in adding another goal to the fine campaign he's been having so far.

Garry Denning's drilled effort with the outside of his right boot left it at 1-5 to 0-4 and, with Ballyhaise having registered a dozen wides over the opening 30 minutes, last year's beaten finalists (after a replay) could have been much worse off.

Tierney's first point of the night came just seven seconds into the restart but it was Killinkere that looked like fashioning a purple patch at the start of the second-half, sending over points via Fitzsimons (free) and McMahon to leave a goal in it after just three minutes.

They'd be down to 14 four minutes later though after veteran McGovern picked up a second caution as a result of a clash with Moore.

That seemed to take the wind out of Killinkere's sails as Darren Smith's point afterwards was met by seven successive Ballyhaise scores, with Tierney (2, 1 a free), Moore (2) and sub Michael Brady making it 1-11 to 0-7 by the 50th minute.

Conaty smashed over another with the outside of his boot before David Brady earned him a free in front of the posts, which he routinely pointed, and the game looked to be over as a contest.

However, with three minutes left in regulation seasoned substitute Smith would throw the 2016 runners-up a lifeline, driving through the middle and somehow managing to get his mis-struck shot deflected twice past Smith and into the Ballyhaise net.

Points from Darren Smith and Fitzsimons (2, 1 free) quickly followed over the next few minutes but O'Malley's men wouldn't sweat it out in the eight minutes of injury-time.

Instead they rifled over the last three scores, with Tierney's 40-metre free on 64 minutes settling them nicely prior to David Brady shooting over another splendid effort on the run and Tierney wrapping it up with the last kick of the night.

Ballyhaise: Darren Smith; Darren Reilly, Mark Brennan, Stephen Kane; Desmond Reilly, Shane Briody, Marcus Duffy; Conor Lyons, Barry Reilly; Martin Conaty (0-4, 2f), Kevin Tierney (0-5, 2f), Aodhagan Watters; Colm Reilly, Padraig Moore (1-3), David Brady (0-3). Subs: Michael Brady (0-1) for B Reilly (43mins), Barry Kelly for D Reilly (55), Diarmuid Conaty for C Reilly (60), Francis McConnell for D Reilly (60, BC).

Killinkere: Sean McGovern; Anthony Brady, Mark Farrelly, Gerard Brady; Breen Smith, Liam McCabe, Lewis Fay-Cooper; Jason McMahon (0-2, 1f), Emmett Fitzsimons (0-4, 2f); Kevin McCabe, Noel McGovern, Garry Denning (0-1); Darren Smith (0-2, 1f), Damien Sexton (0-1), Ciaran Sexton. Subs: John B Smith (1-0) for C Sexton (42mins), Breen Cooney for B Smith (46), Jamie Smith for D Sexton (49), Ollie Sharkey for G Brady (53), Paul Kerr for A Brady (60).

Ref: Chris McCaffrey (Templeport)

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