Trim march into the division 2 MFC final at the expense of a battling St. Michaels side after this entertaining semi-final played in Carlanstown on Friday evening last.

 

St. Michaels 2-8, Trim 1-14.

After a great display of football the young lads from St. Michaels met some stern resistance from the robust presence of a Trim team packed with physical strength but to their credit they took the game to Trim and will rue the fact that they lost this match in the opening half when there were times that they owned the ball but made poor use of it in front of the posts. 

Trim scored first thanks to a pointed free in the opening minute, five minutes later St. Michaels got off the mark when a 45 from Matthew Halpin landed in the square and Ray Reilly latched on to the loose ball sending it to the back of the net. Six minutes later the home side had the opportunity to add a second goal but their effort was cleared off the line to safety. Trim added two more points to draw level at the end of the first quarter. St. Michaels were doing everything right outfield at this stage but when it came to shooting at goal they spurned chance after chance shooting wide of the posts each time. Trim on the other hand added 3 further points in a 10 minute spell. Oran Meehan and Matthew Halpin sent a point apiece over in the 27th and 28th minute for St. Michaels, but the home side were dealt a cruel blow in the second minute of injury time when Trim broke through for their only goal to put them 1-6 to 1-2 ahead at the interval.   

Trim extended that lead with a point in the opening minute of the second half, both sides traded two points apiece in the following 10 minutes as Matthew Halpin converted a free and good work between Craig McGivern and Ben Tobin saw the latter fire over his opening point. Two more points, one an excellent effort from a 45 from out wide from Matthew Halpin and a free from Shane McDonnell left three points between the sides. For the next 10 minutes St. Michaels were in full control and a Shane McDonnell pile driver on 45 minutes beat the advancing Trim keeper to level the match at 2-6 to 1-9. 

Two further points from Ben Tobin and Ray Reilly put the home side in front for the second time, over the next five or six minutes St. Michaels had their chance to finish this game off but they didn't take them and back came Trim with two points in as many minutes to bring them back on level terms. A pointed free on 55 minutes had the visitors back in front and a further two points in the 57th and 58th minutes was enough to see the visitors over the line and into the final. Along with the scorers, Shane McCormack, Adam O'Brien, Michael Dunne, Chris Drew, Stephen Dolan and Lee Morris were others who performed well for St. Michaels. 

St. Michaels team and scorers: Shane McCormack, Adam O'Brien, Michael Dunne, Alan Reilly, Thomas O'Brien, Christopher Drew, Stephen Dolan, Matthew Halpin 0-3, Lee Morris, Ben Tobin 0-2, Oran Meehan 0-1, Ray Reilly 1-1, Craig McGivern, Shane McDonnell 1-1, Caolan McConnell. Sub: Luke Moran for Caolan McConnell.

Referee: Colm McManus.

Report and photo Pascal Reilly.

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