Shane O'Neill's lose out to St Paul's in Championship semi thriller

St Paul’s and Shane O’Neill’s played out an epic encounter in the Intermediate Championship Semi-final on Sunday, but it was the Lurgan men who got over the line with Andrew Murnin scoring the late winner.

St Paul’s started the better of the two sides and had three points on the board quickly, with Niall McCorry converting a mark, Murnin knocking over a free and Odhran Magill also getting his name on the scoresheet.

However, Shane O’Neill’s were brought right back into the game when Caolan O’Hare was fouled close to goal and they were awarded a penalty. Up stepped David McCabe, and he snuck his shot past the fingertips of Ryan Gilmore by a matter of inches and into the bottom corner.

That sparked the Camlough men into life, and they rattled off three more points, with a sublime two-pointer off the outside of Odhran Doherty’s right boot, followed by a Conlon score.

But momentum swung back and forth in the first half, and St Paul’s answered with six points in a row. Antoin McParland and Lawless hit points in quick succession and McParland then landed a two-pointer. St Paul’s were on fire and pushed further ahead through Niall McParland and a Murnin free.

However, Shane O’Neill’s started firing back with scores of their own, namely two from O’Hare. Then, they raced into the lead when David McCabe was put clean through on goal with a pass from Paul O’Rourke, and he kept his composure in slotting into the bottom corner.

St Paul’s wasted no time in finding a response. McCorry sent a high ball into the full forward line – a feature of their style of play all game – Murnin flicked it on, and Niall McParland rifled a shot beyond Raymond Fitzpatrick and into the top corner.

Conlon put Shane’s back into the lead with a two-pointer, and after O’Hare and Murnin traded one-pointers, it was Shane O’Neill’s who led 2-8 to 1-10 at the break.

That lead was wiped out in an instant though. As seconds into the second half, McCorry launched another dangerous, high ball into the Shane O’Neill’s full back line, and it was role’s reversal of the first goal, as Niall McParland claimed it and laid it off for Murnin to drill into the back of the net.

The sides went score for score then, with Ruairi O’Brien opening his account for Shane’s, Murnin answering back for St Paul’s, and Greg McCabe getting forward to get his first of the day.

St Paul’s nailed the next three scores, with two from Lawless and another for Antoin McParland which pushed the Lurgan men four ahead. However, Shane O’Neill’s were given a lease of life when Craig Robinson was shown a black card, and that gave Ryan McShane’s side a man advantage for the next 10 minutes.

O’Brien grabbed the next three scores – a one-point free and a two-point free – and although Murnin raised a white flag at the other end, St Paul’s were under pressure.

This fact was exacerbated when Greg McCabe broke through the centre of the St Paul’s defence and laid the ball off for Conlon, and he finished into the St Paul’s net to put his side back into the lead inside the last 10 minutes.

Another O’Brien free made it a two-point lead, but it was St Paul’s who were able to get themselves over the line, as they hit the last three points of the game.

Antoin McParland and Magill brought it level, before Murnin fisted the winning point in stoppage time which broke Shane O’Neill’s hearts and sent St Paul’s into a fifth Intermediate final in the last six years.

MATCH STATS St Paul’s scorers: Andrew Murnin (1-6, 4f), Antoin McParland (0-5, 1tp), Niall McParland (1-1), Ryan Lawless (0-3), Odhran Magill (0-2), Niall McCorry (0-1, 1m).

Shane O’Neill’s scorers: David McCabe (2-0, 1pen), Aodhan Conlon (1-3, 1tp), Ruairi O’Brien (0-5, 2f, 1tpf), Caolan O’Hare (0-3), Odhran Doherty (0-2, 1tp), Greg McCabe (0-1).

Referee: Enda Mallon