Carnaross take long route through the 'Wood

Gillic point saves his team in normal time

Carnaross...0-20

Kilmainhamwood...3-9

After extra-time

It took a late, late point scored by Luke Gillic from a awkward angle to save Carnaross at the end or normal time in this Junior B FC semi-final - but from then on there was no stopping the team in their distinctive yellow and maroon colours as they powered their way to a relatively comfortable victory in extra-time.

A big crowd showed up at Moynalty for this encounter played under the lights on Friday night. Those who watched were treated to an entertaining 80 minutes of football - and when it was all over both sets of players and supporters were left with sharply contrasting emotions.

For so long Kilmainhamwood led the way and it looked like they they were going to make it across the line too at the end of normal time only to be denied victory by Gillic's audacious, brave injury time score that forced ET.

From then on a more physicially-imposing, streetwide Carnaross side pushed on to win despite goals from Kilmainhamwood's Eoin Finnegan and Stephen Kiernan, both scored after intense goalmouth scrambles.

The 'Wood had led by 1-5 to 0-6 at the interval in normal time with Noah Madden snatching their goal. They stayed one step in front for most of the second-half although the sides were level as the hour drew to a close.

Then a brilliant move put together by the 'Wood ended in Rian Stafford cooly slotting the ball between the posts from a free from about 25 metres out. It looked like that would be enough but Carnaross and Gillic had other ideas. At the end or normal time the sides were level, 1-9 to 0-12.

That's the kind of game this was, a topsy turvy encounter full of honest endeavour but littered with handling errors too as the wet ball resembled a bar of soap; the difficult conditions created by the heavy swirling mist that descended shortly before throw in.

Despite missing some very good chances (they clocked up 10 wides) Carnaross still had a decent spread of seven scorers. Patrick McDermott showed the way with very noteworthy haul of 11 points, five from play while others who contributed included Darragh O'Reilly, Shane Yore, Dermot McGee, Cian O'Reilly, Gillic and that ageless, master score-getter John L McGee who clipped in with two points in extra-time.

The 'Wood (who had a modest six wides) also had a broad constituency of players who harvested the quantity of scores normally good enough to win most games with Stafford, Kian Gillespie, Brian Cassidy, Shane Townley, Madden raising white flags.

Sean Carolan's well-prepared team were adept at moving the ball swifty from defence to attack but they were unable to grind down a hardened, resolute Carnaross, managed by Emmet Daly. A Carnaross who will be difficult to beat in the final. Very difficult.

Carnaross - Liam Day; Jack Roche, James O'Connor, Patrick Farnan; Shane Yore (0-1), Adam Kerins, Cormac Yore; Tomas Plunkett, Dermot McGee (0-1 free); Luke Gillic (0-1), Oisin Yore, Darragh O'Reilly (0-3 two frees); Cillian Comaskey, Patrick McDermott (0-11 six frees), Cian O'Reilly (0-1). Subs - Paddy Morris for Comaskey 46m, John Reilly for Plunkett, Charlie Murphy for D McGee both 52m, J L McGee (0-2 one mark) for C Yore 65m.

Kilmainhamwood - Josh Clarke; Oisin Fagan, Ciaran Doyle, Darragh Smith; Eoin Finnegan (1-0), Killian Russell, Niall Conlon; Brian Cassidy (0-1), Kian Gillespie (0-1 one mark); Noah Madden (1-1), Rian Stafford (0-5 four frees), Shane Townley (0-1); Paul Carolan, Cathal Bennett, Michael Shankey. Subs - Oisin Reilly for Smith 12m, Niall Bennett for Finnegan 42m, Eoin Rooney for C Bennett 49m, Stephen Kiernan (1-0) for Townley 75m, Noah Madden for Shankey 77m.

Referee - Pat Clarke (Cavan).