St Naul’s kept alive their hopes in the Intermediate Championship as they apprehensively defeated neighbours Naomh Ultan by 0-13 to 1-8 in Mountcharles on Saturday evening.
St Naul’s 0-13 Naomh Ultan 1-8
The game, which usually sees fireworks sparking, was unusually insipid in the first half of an important Championship meeting.
At the break, Naul’s lead by 0-7 to 0-5. It would’ve been more but for some wayward shooting from the Inver Parish men including the normally ultra-reliable Stephen Griffen, who failed to find between the sticks on multiple occasions.
When Naomh Ultan took the lead with ten minutes to go, per an Aiden Duddy goal, the chance of a victory for last year’s defeated finalists looked dim – their performance turning stale.
However, the introduction of Cathal Lowther in the second-half, returning after a lengthy injury, nicked two excellent points and James Flynn, another second-half sub alongside fullback Edward Kane, eased the worries of the home team – surging them into a three-point advantage going into the last minute.
Naomh Ultan’s top marksman Cian Kennedy kept the tension alive with his fifth point on sixty minutes – keeping the pressure firmly on St Nauls.
The final whistle meant St Naul’s managed to see out the two additional minutes to hold on for maximum points.
Naomh Naille now welcomes Naomh Colmcille to Mountcharles next weekend in another must-win contest, while Naomh Ultan is on the road again at Naomh Columba.
Naomh Naille: Gavin Mulreany; John Relihan, Edward Kane (0-1) Conor McBrearty; Daniel Gallagher (0-1), Brendan McCole, Dermot Gallagher (0-1); Lee McBrearty, Barry Griffen; John Rose (0-1), Stephen Griffen (0-3), Peader Moogan (0-2); Shane Conneely, Daniel Meehan, Martin Breslin. Subs: James Flynn (0-1) for Meehan and Cathal Lowther (0-2) for Breslin.
Naomh Ultan: Donal Murrin; Damien Quigley, John Knightley, Dara Byrne; Daniel Gallagher, Aiden Duddy (1-0), Aaron O’Shea; Sean Blain, Michael Breslin; Dara Murrin, Cian Kennedy (0-5), Peter Alvey, Aaron Kyles, Shaun White, Paddy White (0-3).
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