Murray guides Trim down the direct route to semi-finals

SHC

It was mission accomplished for Trim in Kiltale this evening as they secured top spot in Group A and a direct place into the semi-finals with a 3-24 to 1-15 victory over St Peter's.

With Kilmessan and Kildalkey registering their expected victories over Dunderry and Clann na nGael respectively Trim had to make sure they didn't slip up against winless St Peter's.

While the final winning margin of 15 points suggests a comfortable evening for Trim, but it was far from it for three-quarters of the contest as St Peter's produced a performance that salvaged a lot pride after what has been a miserable campaign.

As the game entered the final quarter Trim's lead was just 2-14 to 1-13, they had hit wide after wide in a very much sub-par opening 45 minutes, but then they cut loose - outscoring the Dunboyne men by 1-10 to 0-2 in the final quarter.

That last 17 minute spurt papered over a lot of cracks for a Trim side that started the campaign so well against Kildalkey, but who faltered last time out against Kilmessan.

Against St Peter's they hit 18 wides over the hour, 12 in a first-half during which they were second to most balls and lacked the fight that would have been detrimental against more fancied opponents.

It was only the drive and tenacity of Conor Quigley and Joey Cole that illuminated Trim's poor early showing and when James Murray hit his straps he stole the show with a personal tally of 2-11.

All bar three points of Murray's return came from play with his two goals like bullets from a sniper's rifle.

St Peter's led a couple of times in the early stages. Niall Smyth opened the scoring in the third minute after Trim had already hit three wides.

Mikey Cole, Murray and Quigley responded by the 12th minute, but then Trim were stunned when John Mitchell tapped into the net after great work by Simon Cunningham.

Murray and St Peter's ace marksman Sean Quigley traded points before Murray blasted the first of his two brilliant goals to make it 1-4 to 1-2, Trim were never headed again.

David Murtagh and Conor Quigley put four between the sides, but St Peter's refused to buckle and closed the deficit to 1-5 to 1-6 with scores from Sean Quigley (two, one free) and Smyth.

The remainder of the half was a shootout between Murray and Sean Quigley with the Trim man hitting four points in reply to two efforts from the St Peter's man to leave David McGuinness's side with a 1-10 to 1-7 interval lead.

Murray extended that lead within six seconds of the restart and converted a free a minute later to put five between the sides.

Sean Quigley and Smyth kept St Peter's in touch, but after Conor Quigley pointed for Trim Joey Cole put the issue beyond doubt with a brilliant goal to make it 2-13 to 1-9.

Charlie Ennis did have to be alert to deny Liam Callanan and after Sean Quigley and James Andrews exchanged points St Peter's hit three on the trot from Callanan, Cunningham and Eoghan McCormack to close that gap to four points, 1-13 to 2-14, at the end of the third quarter.

Then Trim turned on the afterburners.

Points from the returning Pa Ryan, Murray and Mark Molloy were followed by another bullet of a goal from Murray which made it 3-17 to 1-13.

Two points from Kyle Ennis and one from Mikey Cole extended that lead to 13-points before Sean Quigley ended St Peter's barren spell with a converted free.

Joey Cole got the ball rolling in Trim's favour again and they closed their account with scores from Murray (two, one free) and Andrews.

Sean Quigley tapped over a free with the past puck of the ball, but with score difference irrelevant it mattered little as Trim marched on to the last four where they will need to improve significantly.

Trim - Charlie Ennis; Danny Coleman, Gary Fleming, Ben Holden; Eoghan Ryan, Dimmy Higgins, Conor Quigley (0-3); Joey Cole (1-1), Mark Molloy (0-1); David Murtagh (0-1), James Murray (2-11 three frees), Pa Ryan (0-1); Ian Birmingham, Josh Harris, Mikey Cole (0-2). Subs - Kyle Ennis (0-2) for Murtagh, James Andrews (0-2) for Birmingham both half-time, George Douglas for Harris 50m.

St Peter's - Cian Smith; Evan McCrudden, Ciaran Lonergan, Conor Deering; Alan Watters, Diarmuid Delaney, Cian Rohan; Eoghan McCormack (0-1), Fergal Chawke; Conor Murphy, Sean Quigley (0-9 five frees, one '65'), Liam Callanan (0-1); Simon Cunningham (0-1) John Mitchell (1-0), Niall Smyth (0-3). Subs - Andrew McWeeney for Chawke 43m, Neil Hackett for Cunningham 48m, Luke Loftus for Mitchell 54m.

Referee - Ciaran Flynn (Kilmessan).