GERRY'S FRESH FRUIT & VEG JFL SEMI FINALSean McDermotts 1-11Clones 1-9Sean McDermotts struck for three unanswered points in injury time to clinch victory and book their place in the final of the junior football league at the expense of a wasteful Clones in this fairly dour and at times very scrappy encounter in St. Tiarnach's Park on Sunday afternoon last. Conditions were very difficult with the soft ground and driving rain for most of the first half and that did lead to a plethora of mistakes by both sets of players but it was not entirely responsible for the scrappy nature of the play for most of this game. Clones had sufficient chances to win this match but too often contrived to play themselves into trouble with their short passing game that was totally unsuited to the prevailing conditions. They also had the added handicap of playing the final eight minutes of the first half and the entire second half with 14 players following the red card dismissal of Ciaran Kierans for an off the ball incident involving Emmet McElvaney.Despite their numerical handicap Clones took the lead on a number of occasions in the second-half and that was also a period when the teams were level on five occasions before Sean McDermotts mounted a strong finish to clinch victory. The game opened in a welter of excitement was Sean McDermotts registering two early points in the opening three minutes but Clones then dramatically took the lead in the fourth minute when John McDonald and Colm Connolly conspired to get the ball in to Declan McKernan, he won it cleanly and turned to give Sean McDermotts keeper Darren McArdle no chance and put Clones in front. Colm Connolly added a point from a free in the 8th minute but by the 15th minute Sean McDermotts had turned the game around completely as they registered a goal and two points without reply to come from being two points down to going three in front. David McEntee who was always lively in the Sean McDermott's attack hit a good point in the 11th minute, Damian Larkin converted a free in the 13th and then Pauric McGuirk started a move with an excellent ball in to James Treanor that was smuggled further to the in-rushing Damian Larkin who raced through to crash home to put Sean McDermott's three points in front.There were not further scores until the 24th minute when Derek McMahon converted a free for a foul on James Treanor, the effort made all the easier with the ball being moved for dissent the Clones defence. By this stage too Clones were a man down with the dismissal of Ciaran Kierans in the 22nd minute.They rallied well in the final stages of the first half to pull back two points, both from frees by Adrian Alford in the 25th and 30th minutes to leave the half-time score Sean McDermotts 1-5, Clones 1-3.Clones got off to a good start to the second-half with two points from frees by Adrian Alford in the first and third minutes to bring the sides level. Sean McDermotts then retook the lead with a good point by Paddy Kieran, David McEntee and Damien Larkin creating the opportunity but Clones were back on level terms in the 11th minute when Darragh Holland finished well at the end of a well constructed move.Thirteen minutes into the second-half a Damian Larkin free restored Seans to the lead but by the 18th minute Clones were back in front with points from Declan McKernan the 17th and Colm Connolly from a free in the 18th after he himself had been fouled. Derek McMahon restored Sean McDermotts to parity also from a free in the 22nd minute, a foul that saw Clones substitute Colin McCaughey pick up a yellow card. Sean McDermotts now had two good chances to retake the lead but Damian Larkin was off target from a long-range free and James Treanor saw his effort go wide off the upright.With six minutes of normal time remaining Darragh Holland floated a nice ball in to Declan McKernan who posed a real threat any time the service in was of the quality required; on this occasion it was and he turned to fire over the bar from close range to put Clones a point in front.Again poor finishing saw Sean McDermotts squander two good chances and extra time looked a real possibility when Derek McMahon brought Sean McDermotts level with a point from a long-range free a minute into stoppage time. However referee Martin McNally allowed further time to be played and in the two further minutes that were added on Sean McDermotts capitalised for points by Derek McMahon in the 32nd minute and Damian Larkin from a free in the 33rd to clinch victory. Clones though can have few complaints in that they had the chances but did not capitalise sufficiently although Sean McDermotts will also know that they will have to improve before they meet Currin in the final on Sunday week next, December 6th.Teams and Scorers: Sean McDermotts: Darren McArdle, Fintan McKenna, Stephen McElvaney, Paraic Coyle, Noel Rice, Martin Kieran, Emmet McElvaney, Christopher Hughes, Paraic McGuirk, David McEntee 0-1, Paddy Kieran 0-1, Derek McMahon 0-4 (3f), James Treanor, Damien Larkin 1-5 (0-4f), Shane O'Neill. Subs: Damien Connolly for E McElvaney, Mark Keogh for C Hughes, Nigel McQuillan for S O'Neill, Philip Farrell for F McKenna. Clones: Ciaran Morgan, John Jenkins, Eoin Kelly, Danny Rooney, Michael Treanor, Darragh Holland 0-1, Patrick McCarville, Fintan Kelly, Ross Adamson, Darragh Graham, John McDonald, Colm Connolly 0-2 (2f0, Adrian Alford 0-4 (4f), Declan McKernan 1-2, Ciaran Kierans. Subs: Colin McCaughey for P McCarville, Fintan Cunningham for R Adamson. Referee: Martin McNally (Corduff).