In lacklustre Dundalk derby

free before the break as O’Mahony’s adjourned with a 0-7 to 0-4 cushion.

McLaughlin made it double scores again five minutes after the restart before McCann replied, and they traded scores again through Stephen Kilcoyne for O’Mahony’s and Eanna McArdle for the Gaels, who were still making no real headway with just 12 minutes left on the clock.

It was clear that the Gaels were going to need a goal to keep their championship dream alive, but it was O’Mahony’s who twice went close at the other end.

Ben McLaughlin blasted over with the goal at his mercy but the score nonetheless opened a four-point cushion as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

Gaels had another letoff five minutes later when Kilcoyne raced clear of the cover, but he snuffed his shot along the ground and it came to nothing.

Derek Crilly put three between the sides again with a free and Eanna McArdle blazed a similar chance to McLaughlin’s too high, but the two-point gap provided the Gaels with fleeting hope.

But it came to nothing as Finnegan converted a free and then Stephen Fisher added another, with the latter’s reaction confirming that the game was up for the Gaels.

Shane Rice pulled one back in injury-time, but there was to be no late drama as O’Mahony’s held out comfortably to reach their second senior final in a row.

Sunday week’s showdown with St Mary’s will be the Point It was all about O’Mahony’s with Kurt Murphy, John O’Brien and Shane Brennan impressive. But signalled his intentions from the start and kicked four points in a classy display. After their win over the Blues, the Gaels were expected to pose a strong challenge, but they were flat from the start and never looked like winning the game. O’Mahony’s 6; Gaels 10 O’Mahony’s 1; Gaels 1 O’Mahony’s - L Dullaghan (30+), C Crawley (38), J O’Brien (53); Gaels - S Rice (13) None None Road club’s fourth championship final in succession after the IFC win of 2014, the Leinster win that same year and last autumn’s defeat to St Patrick’s. It’s a remarkable run and it would take a brave punter to bet against Alan Craven’s men at this stage.

They know how to win finals and they’ve experienced what it feels like to lose them too and against a Mary’s team with very few survivors from 2003 that experience could prove crucial.