Summerhill pull clear to book final spot

Summerhill pulled clear in the final 20 minutes of this disappointing semi-final to defeated Gaeil Colmcille by 1-15 to 0-9 and set up a novel SFC final clash with Simonstown.

Play rarely raised above mediocirty in a disappointing opening half that saw the teams tied four times before Gaeil Colmcille kicked the last two points to open up a narrow half-time lead.

Oisin Reilly claimed both of Gaeil Colmcille's first two scores either side of a David Larkin effort for Summerhill, but then three points in succession from Davy Dalton in the 10^th minute, Seanie Dalton 90 seconds later and Larkin again in the 17^th minute pushed Summerhill into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

Two frees from Seamus Mattimoe leveled the game for the third time in the 24^th minute, but it was dire stuff as Summerhill had kicked six wides by that stage and dropped two short into Justin Carry-Lynch's arms, while Gaeil Colmcille also were off target four times.

Superb play from Seanie Dalton yielded a free which Brian Ennis converted to edge Summerhill into a 0-5 to 0-4 lead, but in the closing two minutes of the half a harsh free against Kevin Lyons gifted Brian Hanlon a tap over free from 13 metres before Mattimoe punched the point of the half following a blistering run that left Ross Ryan in his wake to secure a 0-6 to 0-5 lead at the break.

Dardis restored parity for the fifth time 90 seconds after the restart and four minutes later he levelled it up again after Barry Tormay had galloped forward to push the Kells men ahead again.

Seanie Dalton had a goal ruled out after the umpire signalled that Dardis hadn't kept in Brian Ennis's speculative attempt, but in the 39^th minute Summerhill edged ahead again with Seanie Dalton capitalising on good work by his brother Davy.

A 45-metre free from Brian Hanlon levelled the game for the seventh time with 20 minutes remaining, but that was as good as it got for Gaeil Colmcille as they managed just one more point, a 47^th minute free from Mattimoe.

Padraig Geraghty and Sean Dalton added points to Summerhill's tally before that Mattimoe free and after Larkin and Micheal Byrne (free) pointed to make it 0-12 to 0-9 Summerhill started to look in command.

That control was tightened in the 58^th minute when Conor Lyons' excellent pass found Davy Dalton unmarked deep inside Gaeil Colmcille's defence and he selflessly centred to Dardis who finished well despite the efforts of the advancing Justin Carry-Lynch to make it 1-12 to 0-9.

The Kells heads dropped for the last seven minutes as two frees from Byrne and a fine score from Davy Dalton completed the victory for Summerhill and put them on a collision course with Simonstown on Sunday 29^th October.