Cornafean 2-21
Denn 4-8

Cornafean withstood a remarkable late rally from Denn tonight in Mullahoran to advance into the quarter-finals of the intermediate championship.

The Reds struck an unanswered 1-3 in the closing six minutes of this play-off contest to ensure their place in the last eight against Drumgoon, sending the Crosskeys men into a relegation play-off against Killeshandra in the process.

Minus the services of Thomas Edward Donohoe from the start, Denn were left trailing by five at the break but, after introducing their young sharpshooter to the fray on 42 minutes, they battled back incredibly to draw level no less than three times.

Goals from sub Jerome Kiernan (45), Dean Hyland (48) and Ben Conaty (56) looked to have the writing on the wall for the men from St Matthew's Park, but they'd thrown everything they had at their counterparts and it was the junior champions that finished the job with marksman Barry Doyle really coming up trumps for them in this thriller.

Two Jack Wharton points handed Cornafean a perfect start after three minutes and while Michael Gaffney pulled back one at the other end, it was Laurence Brady's men that made sure to lay down marker in the opening 10 minutes.

Points from  Doyle, Andrew Smith and Mark Johnson had them 0-5 to 0-2 up, after Conaty had swung over a free, and while Wharton's third put them four in front a well-taken goal from Conaty on 15 minutes had the Crosskeys contingent right back in contention.  

Conor Sheridan and Liam Duignan extended the lead back to two and although Denn would hit back through their outlet up front in Conaty, it was their opponents that went on to totally dominate the closing stages of the half.

Niall Sheridan lofted one over before Doyle crept in for the game's second goal on 29 minutes, sending Cornafean towards a 1-11 to 1-6 half-time lead.

Conaty and Doyle cancelled each other out with frees early in the restart before the latter and Johnson moved the Sean Leddy Cup holders six clear, as Denn boss Raymond Smith sent on Bernard Galligan, Conor Smyth and U21 star Donohoe to try and sharpen up their attack a bit.

They certainly had a positive effect as a couple of Conaty frees were quickly followed up by half-time substitute Kiernan lashing the ball to the Cornafean net, leaving it all square at 1-14 to 2-8 with 15 minutes left to go.

Smyth saw red in the very next minute, reducing the men in maroon to 14, and while their opponents tacked on more points through Doyle it was Dean Hyland that arrived on cue to crash home a 48th minute goal and square the teams once again.

Denn 'keeper Mark Fegan picked up a black card a minute later, with Eddie Halligan being called upon to replace the young shot-stopper, as the Reds moved back in front with three more accurate frees from Doyle which severally punished their opponents' indiscipline at the back.

The margin stood at three with six minutes to go when Conaty coolly blasted a penalty to the net, squaring the sides for the final time, but Cornafean held their nerve when it mattered most in the late stages.

Doyle contributed a quick 1-1 before Smith and Duignan sailed over injury-time points to ensure the county's senior kingpins a berth in the last eight.

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