Devereux brothers inspire Crossabeg-Ballymurn

CROSSABEG-B’MURN 2-5 FERNS ST. AIDAN’S 0-9

CROSSABEG-BALLYMURN’S steady progress through the football ranks gathered some more momentum when they advanced to the last four of the Amber Springs/Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate championship with a 2-5 to 0-9 victory over a disjointed Ferns St. Aidan’s outfit in Sunday’s rather dour quarter-final in Bellefield.

With the Devereux brothers in particularly inspired mood, the reigning Intermediate ‘A’ champions scored all bar one of their total from play, which is in stark contrast to Ferns, who managed only three points from play over the hour.

In a largely stop-start game ruined by too much pulling and dragging off the ball, when football did break out intermittently, it was Ferns who perhaps looked the more vibrant in the first-half as they developed a 0-5 to 0-2 lead by the 23rd minute, with Ian Byrne, Ryan Nolan, John Breen (free) and Ivan Meegan (two frees) doing the needful.

But there was nothing Mee- gan could do to prevent Crossabeg-Ballymurn rattling the net for their first goal on 24 minutes.

Pádraig Foley claimed a mark and immediately fed the graceful Paddy Devereux to scythe through the defence, and while his shot was blocked, the ball spilled to Mark O’Connor who finished to the top corner with conviction.

Ian Byrne immediately responded with a point to edge Ferns back in front, but too often their play lacked any discernible pattern to really trouble Crossabeg-Ballymurn’s defence.

In fact, that Byrne score was their last from play, although Meegan’s third successful free of the half had them sitting 0-7 to 1-2 in front at the break.

Seamus Carroll’s clever run produced a score for Cormac O’Rourke three minutes into the new half.

And when the latter’s shot at the posts three minutes later appeared to be dropping harmlessly short, Meegan fumbled the ball out to Andy Butler who had anticipated the chance to palm to the net from close range (2-3 to 0-7).

Frees from John Breen and Meegan made extra-time a distinct possibility, but Mark O’Connor’s free and a point under no pressure whatsoever from Ronan Devereux gave Crossabeg-Ballymurn a 2-5 to 0-9 lead to cling onto with fulltime approaching.

And Ferns made no tangible gains thereafter as Crossabeg-Ballymurn clinched a semi-final spot against HWH-Bunclody, but not before a mass freefor-all in injury time which yielded red cards for Martin Redmond and Derek Thorpe.

Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Ben Turner; Martin Redmond, Oisín Foley (capt), Conor Barlow; Seamus Carroll, Bill Eviston, Conor Devereux; Paddy Devereux (0-1), Ronan Devereux (0-1); Cathal Devereux, Pádraig Foley (0-1), Mark O’Connor (1-1, 0-1 free); Cormac O’Rourke (0-1), Robert Byrne, Andy Butler (1-0). Subs. - Sam Kelly for Turner, inj. (10), Oran Maddock for Butler (44), Cian Lambert for O’Rourke, black card (46), Matty Sludds for Barlow (52), Davy Kehoe for Byrne (52).

Ferns St. Aidan’s: Ivan Meegan (0-4 frees); Declan Byrne, James Tonks, Keith Breen; Niall Murphy, Pádraig Bolger, Jonathan Dwyer; Patrick Breen, Ian Byrne (0-2); Tommy Dwyer, Christopher O’Connor, Derek Thorpe; Ryan Nolan (0-1), John Breen (0-2 frees), James Lawlor. Subs. - Chris Turner for Nolan (34), Jamie Whelan for Lawlor (45), Ciarán Roberts for P. Breen, black card (49), Peter Nolan for Bolger (56).

Referee: Paddy Brady (Réalt na Mara).