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Intermediate Football Championship Semi-Final   Sarsfields          2-14 Silverbridge       2-11   Mark Reynolds came back into the team and some reshuffling of the team saw John Stevenson drop to the bench. Early on both teams looked nervous and it took a couple of frees for both teams to open their accounts with Ritchie Stevenson putting over the first score for the Highmoss. Paul Magee set Johnny Reynolds up for a point and a Michael Stevenson free after Thomas McAlinden was fouled, put Sarsfields two points up. Sarsfields should have pulled further ahead but Eamon McGeown sent a handy chance wide from fourteen yards. Silverbridge pulled back a point but Eamon McGeown made up for his previous effort and restored the two point advantage for the Highmoss. Silverbridge showed great resilience and pulled back two points to leave the sides level with ten minutes of the first half remaining. Eamon McGeown edged Sarsfields back in front and Paul McGaughey made it a two point lead with an excellent point from thirty yards, in a move started by a superb tackle by Ciaran Kerr. Silverbridge pulled a point back, but a Michael Stevenson free edged Sarsfields two ahead though the feeling was that this was hardly good enough given that Sarsfields had the first half advantage of a strong wind. In the final two minutes of normal time Silverbridge scored a goal and a point giving them a two point lead. Sarsfields stuck to their task and two injury time points saw them pull level just before the referee blew for half time. If the first half had been poor enough for Sarsfields, worse was to come. Silverbridge scored 1-03 without reply to go six clear midway through the second half. Sarsfields playing into the wind had sent a couple of chances wide during this period. Paul McGaughey eventually opened the scoring for the Highmoss in the 16th minute and a Ritchie Stevenson free reduced the deficit to four points. Silverbridge though came back with two points and with nine minutes remaining Sarsfields looked very much a beaten team. Thomas McAlinden was involved in the next two scores. Thomas shot over a point, then a moment later in a great bit of play he put a great ball into Johnny Reynolds who but the ball across the square for Eamon McGeown to fist to the net. With this goal Sarsfields were now very much in the match. With five minutes remaining, substitute Eimeid Murray palmed a 45’ towards the net, only to see it saved by the Silverbridge keeper. The ball broke in the square but was handled on the ground by a Silverbridge defender. Not for the first time this year Johnny Reynolds stepped up to send a late penalty to the net. Sarsfields lifted their game and two injury time points from Eimeid Murray and Paul Hughes made it a three point win for the Highmoss. It may have been an exciting ending but in reality it was a poor enough performance. On the plus side Sarsfields are now in a championship final and they showed great character to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Coming away with victories after very late comebacks, seems to be something of a speciality for the Highmoss this season. Another positive was that the Sarsfields substitutes made a good contribution to the victory. Thanks to Claire Magee for her help with the match report and to Trigger for his perceptive background commentary. T Team Darren McAvoy, Ciaran Kerr, Patrick Stevenson, Brian Kerr, Michael Stevenson (0-02), Aidan Haughian, Mark Reynolds, Brian Lavery, Paul Magee, Paul McGaughey (0-02), Johnny Reynolds (1-01), James Carmody (0-01), Eamon McGeown (1-03), Thomas McAlinden (0-01), Ritchie Stevenson (0-02) Substitutes Paul Hughes (0-01) for Aidan Haughian, Eimeid Murray (0-01) for Patrick Stevenson, Paul McGeown for James Carmody