Meath Hill march on to set up final clash with O'Mahonys

There was hardly time to draw breath throughout a pulsating IFC semi-final at Pairc Tailteann, but when the last whistle finally sounded it was Meath Hill who celebrated a place in the final following their 1-12 to 2-6 victory over Ballivor.

It was certainly a game of two halves. The first was a free-flowing, high quality, entertaining contest, the second 30-odd minutes was fractious, littered with mistakes, but no less entertaining.

Both sides had members of their management banished to the stands, Meath Hill had two men black carded and played 20 minutes of the second-half with 14 men. Ballivor also had a man sent to the sent-off, but that came too late to be of any consequence.

So too did Keith Keoghan's brilliant second goal that only served to add gloss to Ballivor's tally.

Instead it was Meath Hill who advanced. They played the more constructive, creative and ambitious football. Ballivor were determined and resolute and while they also had plenty of flair, they couldn't match the excellence of Gary Breslin or Cormac Sheehy.

Ballivor started well and for much of the opening half they were the better team as the game ebbed and flowed, but produced little in the way of scores.

Martin Healy suggested there could be a bagful of scores when he pointed after 36 seconds, but the big crowd had to wait another nine minutes before Evan Fitzgerald doubled Ballivor's lead.

Seconds after that score Keoghan went close to a goal when his well struck effort hit the butt of the post.

Meath Hill eventually got off the mark in the 12th minute with Sheehy converting a free and a minute later they took hit the post when Sean Owens was denied.

Paddy Conneely extended Ballivor's lead to two again in the 17th minute, but in the next 28 minutes they managed just one score as Meath Hill took over.

Breslin and Sheehy levelled it up in the 19th minute and after Breslin made it 0-4 to 0-3 Meath Hill were never headed again.

Dominic Yorke sauntered forward to stroke a 46-metre free over the bar before Ballivor responded with their only score in that 28 minute spell through Brendan McKeon.

Owens and Sheehy ensured a 0-7 to 0-4 interval lead for the north Meath men.

Meath Hill continued to extend that lead after the resumption. Breslin kicked two more points either side of a goal chance which Andrew Monaghan somehow managed to palm against the crossbar.

Even after Shane McCabe was black carded Meath Hill continued to press with Breslin capitalising on an error in Ballivor's defence and Sheehy tapping over a free that was moved in for dissent.

Keoghan did give Ballivor brief hope when he bulldozed his way through a forest of players to get a fist to Adam Gannon's centre and find the net, but Breslin replied with a point before McCabe returned to the fray.

Gannon made it 1-5 to 0-12 and when Meath Hill's Peter Griffin was black carded in the 54th minute there was a sense Ballivor might still have an outside chance.

However within three minutes Jack McMahon executed a brilliant finish for a superb Meath Hill goal and that was game, set and match.

McKeon did reply with a pointed free before David Raleigh picked up a second yellow card. Keoghan grabbed his second goal with the last kick of the contest, but it was all academic as Meath Hill march on to a final meeting with Navan O'Mahonys.

Meath Hill - Dominic Yorke (0-1 free); Damien Turley, Thomas Carolan, Ben Gogarty; Conor Marry, Jamie Slavin, Peter Griffin; Shane McCabe, Ryan Owens; Cormac Sheehy (0-4 two frees), Gary Breslin (0-6 one free), Jack Slavin; James Mooney, Sean Owens (0-1), Jack McMahon (1-0). Subs - Andrew Monaghan for for Gogarty 26m, Jake Gillen for Owens 49m, Ciaran Farrelly for McCabe 57m, Mark Tully for McMahon 59m.

Ballivor - Thomas Raleigh; Jamie Smyth, Stefan Connolly, Harry Smyth; David Conneely, Martin Healy (0-1), Gary Sherrock; Keith Keoghan (2-0), Brian O'Halloran; Paddy Conneely (0-1), Nicky Potterton, David Raleigh; Evan Fitzgerald (0-1), Brendan McKeon (0-2 one free), Kevin McKeon. Subs - Adam Gannon (0-1) for Sherrock, Mark Healy for H Smyth both half-time, Jacob Ryan for D Conneely 35m, Podger Geoghegan for K McKeon 45m, Killian Canavan for P Connelly 52m,

Referee - Andrew Smith (Dunshaughlin).