St. Michaels 2-14, Kilbride 4-15                       

Four two-pointers in a four minute spell while playing with 14 men booked Kilbride a place in the division 3 final in this entertaining semi final played in Seneschalstown on Wednesday evening last. 

The game commenced at a hectic pace with Paddy Tobin opening the scoring with an excellent two-pointer just 30 seconds after the throw-in, Kilbride replied within minutes with a goal at the opposite end, Shane McDonnell opened his account to level the match after only four minutes, Declan Reilly put St. Michaels back in front but the lead was short lived as Kilbride struck for their second major on six minutes, two further minors from Reilly and Lee Morris levelled matters once more. Both sides then sat back and admired their earlier work with both taking 14 minutes to trouble the scoreboard operator when Kilbride split the posts on 19 minutes. They followed that with 5 more scores, the crucial one being their third major on the stroke of half time. Reilly, McDonnell, Gearóid O'Malley and CJ Lynch all added minors for the St. Michaels lads who trailed by 5 at the short whistle 0-9 to 3-5.  

St. Michaels emerged with renewed purpose after the restart and were back in contention within minutes when McDonnell and Tobin both found the back of the net to level the match once again after Kilbride stretched their lead to six on 32 minutes.

O'Malley pointed from a placed ball while McDonnell stretched the lead to two, Kilbride pulled one back but an excellent effort from CJ Lynch put two between the sides again. Kilbride then had a man sent to the line for a second yellow and from this point forward they could do nothing wrong, and although St. Michaels added points from Lynch, McDonnell and Brian O'Reilly they could not respond to the winners four two-pointers in as many minutes. St. Michaels went a man down losing Sam Briody to a black card in the dying minutes of the half. 

St. Michaels team and scorers: Graham Dooner: Cathal Walsh, Ciaran O'Reilly, Harry Dunne; Daniel Murphy, Brian O'Reilly (0-1), Matt Moriarty; Cian Sheridan, Matthew Halpin; Declan Reilly ( 0-2), Shane McDonnell 1-3), Paddy Tobin (1-2 1x2p); Gearóid O'Malley (0-2), C.J. Lynch (0-3), Lee Morris (0-1),   

Subs used: Ryan Gaffney for Dunne, Sam Briody for Sheridan, Shane McCormack for Morris.                

Referee: Robert Lynch.      

Match report: Pascal Reilly PRO.          

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