By Conor McKenna
St. Loman’s 0-13 Simonstown 1-8
Luke Dempsey’s St. Loman’s advanced to the Leinster Final, after a nail-biting 0-13 to 1-8 victory over Meath champions Simonstown.
Simonstown opened the scoring with a free from Padraig McKeever in the first minute and a disputed score from Nathan O’Brien doubled the Navan outfit’s advantage.
Mark McCabe then got the game’s first goal when he finished from close range, with an excellent finish, after a wonderful move involving Nathan O’Brien, Niall Kane and McCabe.
Brian Conlon followed up with a fisted effort, before an excellent point from Padraig McGeever gave Colm O’Rourke’s charges a 1-4 to 0-0 lead after 15 minutes.
St. Loman’s responded superbly though with Ken Casey opening the Westmeath outfit’s account and a difficult free from Paul Sharry reduced the deficit to five points.
Shane Dempsey added a close range point and the gap was down to three point when Westmeath star John Heslin got his first score of the day, with a short range free.
Nathan O’Brien replied for Simonstown, with a magnificent point from an acute angle, which was followed up with a great effort from Sean Tobin off his left foot.
John Heslin added two more points before the break, to leave only three points between the sides at half time, with the Meath champions leading on a score line of 1-6 to 0-6.
It was all St. Loman’s after the interval with the Westmeath side completely dominating.
Six unanswered points from St. Loman’s gave them a three point cushion, which was a complete reverse of the opening half.
Points from Shane O’Rourke and Conor Sheridan reduced the deficit to a single point with 54 played and at this stage it really was anybody’s game.
Kieran Lynam’s fisted effort restored his sides advantage and gave Loman’s a two point lead they would never relinquish, as the Westmeath champions advanced to face Moorefield in the Leinster Final.
St. Loman’s have overcame six and seven point deficit’s in their last two games respectively and will not be fazed remotely at the prospect of facing Moorefield in the decider.
St. Loman’s Mullingar: Jason Daly; Neil O’Toole, Jason O’Toole, Gerry Grehan; Gary Glennon, Paddy Dowdall, Ciaran Kilmurray; Paul Sharry 0-2 (1f), Sean Flanagan; Kelvin Reilly, Ronan O’Toole, David Windsor; Ken Casey 0-1, John Heslin 0-6 (5f), Shane Dempsey 0-2.
Subs used: Kieran Lynam 0-1 for Ciaran Kilmurray (28), Conradh Reilly 0-1 for Sean Flanagan (B/C, 36), Gareth Hickey for David Windsor (51), David Whelan for Neil O’Toole (59), Billy O’Loughlin for Ken Casey (65).
Simonstown: Robbie Burlingham; Shane Gallagher, Stephen Moran, Niall McMahon; Brian McGrath, Brian Conlon 0-1, Niall Kane; Shane O’Rourke 0-1, James Kilcullen; Sean Tobin 0-1, Seamus Kenny, Mark McCabe 1-0; Nathan O’Brien 0-2 (1f), Conor Sheridan 0-1, Padraig McKeever 0-2.
Subs: Mark Gardiner for Niall McMahon (45), Joe Lyons for Seamus Kenny (45), Nicky O’Brien for James Kilcullen (51), Michael Brennan for Conor Sheridan (55), Shane Barry for Sean Tobin (58),
