A superior team performance saw holders Kiltale outscore Dunboyne in the first Ted Murtagh Clothing & Footwear SHC semi-final at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening.

Kiltale  2-19
Dunboyne  0-18

Trevor Cummins' men made most of the running and had banked enough scores to buffer them against Dunboyne's best efforts to reach the final for the first time since 2009. Kiltale started well and finished well to advance to the decider on October 11.

The champions trailed just once, for about 25 seconds in the opening minute. The scores  were tied twice before Peter Durnin directed Jack Regan's sideline cut for a third minute goal at the old swimming pool end.

That left it 1-2 to 0-2 in the second minute. Kiltale remained in front to the end. While Jack Regan and Peter Durnin shared 1-11 between them six other players (including both subs) also got off the mark for the champions.

Collective credit to the defence that kept Dunboyne goalless for the second time in two meetings between the sides in the campaign. When Stephen Moran pointed in the 41st minute, the board at the opposite end read 2-12 to 0-15.

Two Jack Regan points from play left five points in it approaching the three quarter mark, 2-14 to 0-15. Around this time Sean McGrath's tame attempt at goal was easily contained by the Kiltale rearguard.

At the other end Ross Ryan's attempt to put the issue beyond doubt was snuffed out by the advancing Stephen Clince. John Gorry and his selectors moved Michael Dunne to full-forward. By the 54th minute just a goal separated the sides, 0-18 to 2-15, when Neil Hackett pointed a free.

It proved to be Dunboyne's final score. Peter Durnin went close to adding a goal and a point around the 56th minute. His first time attempt to net went low, narrowly right and wide. His point attempt from acute angle was just off target.

It was a temporary respite for Dunboyne as Kiltale closed in on another SHC final date with points from subs Ross Ryan and Shane Lenehan after Jack Regan landed a free from around the half way mark into the town goal. Peter Durnin brought his tally to 1-4 from play with the final score of the game.

Michael O'Grady posted a bid for the quickest score of the championship when pointing at the town end within 10 seconds of the throw-in.

Less than 40 seconds had when Peter Durnin levelled. It was the turn of the number 10s next to register from frees. Then came Durnin's goal that earned Kiltale a lead they maintained to the end. Kevin Ryan's sixth minute point left it 1-4 to 0-2.

A mini-revival saw Dunboyne post four scores on the spin to be just one point off the pace, 0-6 to 1-4, after 11 minutes. Every time Johnny Gorry's men threatened to regain parity, the champions responded positively.

Shane McGann smothered Sean McGrath's 22nd minute goal attempt with Hackett sending the subsequent 65 wide. Two frees from the Dunboyne number 10 left them just two points, 0-11 to 1-10, off the pace at the break.

Three minutes into the second-half James Kelly might have goaled for the champions, but the alert Stephen Clince smothered the attempt. Undeterred Kiltale responded positively with Regan pointing. Then when Durnin's attempt to hop the sliotar off the surface were awry, it broke to James Kelly who goaled to leave it 2-11 to 0-11 after 34 minutes.

The champions proved their worth in resisting Dunboyne attempts to regain parity and outscored them by 0-7 to 0-6 in the time remaining and by 0-4 to 0-0 in the final 10 minutes.

Kiltale - Shane McGann; David Donoghue, Ciaran Ennis; Stephen Donoghue, Ronan Ryan , Eamon Ryan; Anthony Forde (0-1), Padraig Kelly; Jack Regan (0-7 3fs), Cathal McCabe (0-1), James Kelly (1-0); Peter Durnin (1-4), William Harnan, Kevin Ryan (0-4). Subs - Ross Ryan (0-1) for Harnan (ht), Shane Lenehan (0-1) for E Ryan (51).

Dunboyne - Stephen Clince; Mark O'Connor, Michael Dunne, Niall Watters; Fergal O'Neill (0-1), Sean Moran, Sean McGrath (0-2); Alan Watters, Killian Smyth; Neil Hackett (0-8, 7 fs), Paul Fagan, Sean Quigley (0-2); Michael O'Grady (0-2), Stephen Moran (0-3), Neil Smyth. Subs - Jack Delaney for Sean Moran (38), Jack Cox for Fagan (48)

Referee - Richard Morris (Blackhall Gaels)

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