Cootehill 3-7
Bailieborough 0-11

Cootehill did their damage in the first-half to sink Bailieborough tonight at Kingpan Breffni Park and advance into the semi-finals of the intermediate championship.

Cavan minor star Tom Hayes struck for 2-3 and earned a penalty in the first-half to lead last year's beaten finalists to victory and a step closer to the coveted Tommy Gilroy Cup, which they've been favoured for since the start of the competition.

Three goals in the space of 12 minutes cushioned Cootehill's lead to 3-4 to 0-5 at half-time, while Bailieborough's best spell of the game only lasted 10 minutes of the third quarter when they outscored their opponents by 0-3 to nothing before seeing a goal chance come off the post.

Cootehill upped it when they needed to in the closing stages, bringing on Mark Mullen and Colm Smith to sharpen their attack and the latter landed the score of the night to help seal a last four spot at the expense of their rivals.

Hayes opened Cootehill's account inside the first minute after nabbing his first possession at full-forward and slipping the ball over Conor Gilsenan's crossbar.

It took Bailieborough four minutes to post their reply, which mightn't have come so early had Cootehill's defence not lapsed under a Michael Argue free which allowed Niall Kelly to pick up the scraps and smash over.

However, the Shamrocks would endure their first major blow just moments later when Stevie O'Connor put John McCutcheon through the midfielder's powerful shot was bravely saved by Gilsenan but the Cavan 'keeper could not prevent the rebound being buried in by the ever alert Hayes on the edge of the square.

Two Michael Argue frees, won in front of the posts by Sean Cooney, quickly followed to bring the difference back to one but Donal McAdam's side began to turn the screw around the quarter hour mark and earned themselves a penalty when Hayes got himself dragged down by Gilsenan. Enda Hessin expertly converted and in the next attack McCutcheon lashed over from 20 metres to send Bailieborough further adrift.

It was clear at this early stage that the trailers would need a goal to haul themselves back into contention, but the game was practically put out of their reach in the 18th minute when Hayes showed his poacher instincts again by pulling on a low ball which came off Gilsenan and trickled over the line for goal number three.

Hessin and Argue (free) cancelled each other out ahead of Cooney registering Bailieborough's first point from play since the fourth minute. It was Hayes that would fittingly have the last say of the half when he cut in from the left flank and clipped over from an acute angle to leave his side with a comfortable 3-4 to 0-5 lead at the interval.

Cootehill were bidding to resume the second-half in similar fashion to how they ended the first, but kicked four wides in the first six minutes of the half and it was their opponents' intention to punish them for their missed chances to get back into the game, with three unanswered scores before hitting the upright in the 45th minute.

Substitute Damien O'Reilly pointed Bailieborough's sixth just moments after taking his position and two (one free) from Argue moved them back into contention before a long rang free rebounded off the inside of Ryan Carroll's post and was cleared to safety.

It was the wake-up call Cootehill needed and it took John Carney to storm up from centre-back and pop over their first score in nearly 20 minutes and put an end to the Shamrocks' purple patch. A quick response from Argue (free) and Damien O'Reilly kept the red and whites within an outside chance towards the end, but an outstanding 50-metre score from sub Colm Smith was soon backed up by Hayes to ensure a victory that, in truth, was never really in doubt after the first-half.

Cootehill: Ryan Carroll; Niall McCluskey, Barry McGahon, Ciaran Fox; Joshua Hayes, John Carney (0-1), Dean Connolly; Brian Sherlock, John McCutcheon (0-1); Enda Hessin (1-1, 1 pen), Glen Nulty, Damien Sherlock; Stevie O'Connor, Tom Hayes (2-3), Cathal McCabe. Subs: Mark Mullen for B Sherlock (38), Colm Smith (0-1) for O'Connor (53), Niall McMullen for Nulty (58), Dermie Connolly for D Sherlock (60).

Bailieborough: Conor Gilsenan; Gerard Clarke, Cavin Daly, Luke Moynagh; Shane Dillon, Niall Comey, Conor Tierney; Aiden Reilly, Declan O'Reilly; Senan O'Reilly, Paul O'Reilly, Eoin O'Sullivan; Sean Cooney (0-1), Niall Kelly (0-1), Michael Argue (0-6, 5f). Subs: Peter Clerkin for Kelly (37mins), Paul Fay for Dillon (37), Damien O'Reilly (0-2) for S O'Reilly (38), James Fulton (0-1) for P O'Reilly (51), Thomas Cooney for S Cooney (60).

Ref: Jim Giblin (Arva) Tweet

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