Drung 2-8
Killinkere 0-11

Two goals in the space of five minutes made all the difference for Drung tonight at Kingspan Breffni Park as they advanced into the quarter-finals of the intermediate football championship at Killinkere's expense.

Having started sluggish, which saw them trail by two at the break, Drung got their majors in the early stages of the second-half via Martin Reilly and Christy Moore to rock their opponents, whom scrambled in the final quarter but finished three points short in the end.

Emmet Fitzsimmons had a penalty saved after just two minutes of this contest, but still finished Kilinkere's top-scorer with 0-6 as he led the charge towards the end which proved to be in vain, with late scores from Killian Monahan and Martin Reilly booking Drung's quarter-final berth with Killeshandra in two weeks' time.

Killinkere looked to be headed for the dream start in this contest when they won a penalty inside two minutes which Fitzsimmons crashed off the legs of Drung 'keeper James Reilly.

Instead it was the Bunnoe men that drew first blood when Finbar Reilly was slipped through to sail between the posts before a ninth minute free from Emmet Fitzsimmons eventually had Killinkere off the mark.

Both teams lost players to injury in the opening 10 minutes, with Drung's Niall Cassidy having to make way for Greg Rossiter and Michael Smith replacing Myles O'Reilly on the other side.

It wouldn't disrupt the rhythm overly, as Ciaran Sexton and Mickey McEntee traded points to keep things even heading into the second quarter, where both sides would squander chances - Drung being the more guilty party.

Through speedy wing-back Dan Fay, Drung regained the lead in the 19th minute but their counterparts finished out the half in decent fashion.

First a Darren Smith free, earned inside by Fitzsimmons, squared things before the latter sent over his first from play following some patient build-up play which allowed him to dummy past his man and split the posts. He'd tag on a free on the eve of half-time to leave Killinkere two to the good (0-5 to 0-3) at the start of the second-half.

Christy Moore narrowed the difference to one in the opening seconds of the restart and Drung soon introduced former Cavan senior Barry Watters to the fray to shore up things for them.

It worked a treat, as Mickey McEntee levelled before a brilliantly taken goal by Martin Reilly truly ignited Drung in this contest, which certainly had been drab up until this stage.

Fitzsimmons pulled back a sorely needed score via a free, but on 40 minutes Drung would land another hammer blow when Moore was threaded through and found the corner of Eugene Clarke's net.

Frees were traded by Fitzsimmons and Mickey McEntee thereafter and a gem of a point from Darren Smith gave Killinkere more than a fighting chance going into the final 10 minutes.

Drung were nervy in their lead and it showed, as Fitzsimmons (free) and Sexton made it a two-point game heading into the closing stages but when substitute Killian Monahan drove through for a goal chance and wisely tapped over, it wasn't long before Martin Reilly provided the insurance with a free to seal their place in the last eight.

Drung: James Reilly; Niall Cassidy, Alan Curran, John Cassidy; Kevin McCaul, Ray Fay, Dan Fay; Aiden McCaul, Ciaran Galligan; Finbar Reilly, Christy Moore, Micky McEntee; Aaron Watson, Declan McEntee, Martin O'Reilly. Subs: Greg Rossiter for N Cassidy (5mins, inj), Barry Watters for F Reilly (32), Killian Monahan for D McEntee (47), Philip Monahan for K McCaul (50), Brian Clarke for J Clarke (56), Gary Watters for M Reilly (60).

Killinkere: Eugene Clarke; Martin Reilly, James Tackney, Myles O'Reilly; Breen Smith, Niall Patterson, Michael Duff; Noel McGovern, Declan Smith; Emmet Fitzsimons, John B Smith, Anthony Brady; Darren Smith, James Clarke, Ciaran Sexton. Subs: Michael Smith for M O'Reilly (9mins, inj), Peter McCabe for M Smith (38), Ollie Sharkey for Patterson (42).

Ref: Gerry Sheridan (Mullahoran) Tweet

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