Grimes leads the way as three-goal Sallins surge into intermediate final
James Dalton (Sallins) celebrates his goal against Milltown in front of a dejected Cian Buckley.
Neither Storm Amy nor a valiant Milltown could stop Sallins from qualifying for a first Intermediate Football Championship final since 2003 as they confirmed their status as firm favourites for the competition with a ten-point triumph at a wild Manguard Park on Friday night.
If Sallins were weighed down by favouritism and the disappointing exits of recent years it didn’t show on the night, and they were full value for their win even if the scoreline doesn’t perhaps reflect the ferocious battle Milltown offered up.
The winners had first use of the wind, kicking into the town end, and after Cian Grimes landed the first two of his three two-pointers, both from frees, to help them into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead by the thirteenth minute, two goals from the Dalton brothers in the space of as many minutes put them into a commanding lead.
Those goals came just as Milltown were beginning to get enough of a grip on possession to suggest they might sufficiently limit Sallins’ opening half return with the elements.
Emmet Ralph’s pass sent James Dalton through to finish soccer-style for the first goal and soon after Colm Dalton snapped up breaking ball at midfield and offloaded to his brother before taking a return pass and finishing past Omar Dunne for the second.
Sallins lost Paul Farrelly to a black card for a trip on the raiding Callum Murphy immediately afterwards but with the wind in their faces Milltown couldn’t make any inroads into the deficit during those ten minutes.
Farrelly marked his return from the sin-bin in the run up to half-time, taking advantage of a poor crossfield pass from Milltown and Grimes landed his third two-pointer, this one from play to send them in looking comfortable at 2-10 to 0-4, with Milltown’s only opening half scores having come from frees from Paddy Donoghue and Conor Sheerin (two) and one from play from the former.
With such a gap to make up, Milltown needed to sprint from the blocks and Ben Curran landed a rousing two-pointer immediately after the restart to give them belief. Then, after Grimes pointed from play, Johnny Donnelly’s men brought the gap down to eight with Joe Dunne’s goal, slotting home having been sent haring through by Shane Daly’s handpass.
That was the first goal conceded by Sallins in the entire campaign and it briefly threatened a momentum switch, but they showed the resolve of potential champions when redoubling their efforts, asserting their dominance in midfield where the battle was ferocious all evening, and they scored three fine points in three minutes from Stephen Kelly, Grimes and James Dalton to move 2-14 to 1-6 ahead again by the 37th minute.
The next seventeen minutes produced only one score, from Milltown substitute Kevin Byrne in the 47th minute with the losers becoming increasingly frustrated with their wayward shooting.
They did register three singles on the trot from Alan Dignam (free), Ben Heuston and Dunne but Sallins responded again with two from defenders Luke Kelly and Ruairí Ó Domhnaill.
Byrne continued his impressive late cameo, the Junior Final man-of-the-match from two years ago arrowing over a two pointer to narrow the gap to seven heading into injury time but, as they had done all evening, Sallins retorted immediately, with substitute Seán Conway’s shot taking a deflection off a Milltown defender on the way to the net for their third goal.
Sallins will meet either St Laurence’s or Two Mile House, who meet on Saturday afternoon, in the final.
Cian Grimes 0-8 (2tpf, 2p), Colm Dalton and James Dalton 1-1 each, Sean Conway 1-0 (f),Stephen Kelly 0-3, Ruairi O’Domhnaill, Luke Kelly and Paul Farrelly 0-1 each.
Joe Dunne 1-1, Kevin Byrne 0-3 (1tp), Conor Sheerin (2f), Paddy Donoghue (1f) and Ben Curran (tp) 0-2 each, Ben Heuston and Alan Dignam (f) 0-1 each.
Matthew Farrelly; Ruairi O’Domhnaill, Mark Moynihan, Sean O’Domhnaill; Luke Kelly, Eoin McConnon, Glen McEvoy; Daragh Mangan, Paul Farrelly; Cian Grimes, Colm Dalton, Luke Killian; Stephen Kelly, Emmet Ralph, James Dalton.
Alan Marshall for Ralph (14), Ralph for Farrelly (47), Aaron Carney for S O’Domhnaill (54), Sean Conway for S Kelly (58), Jamie Cox for Grimes (60+2).
Omar Dunne; Jamie Cross, Cian Buckley, Sean Murphy; Shane Daly, Colin O’Shea, Liam Kelly; Conor Sheerin, Joe Dunne; Hugh Hamilton, Alan Dignam, Paddy Donoghue; Ben Curran, Callum Murphy, Ronan O’Shea.
Aaron Jacob for Daly (36), Kevin Byrne for Hamilton (39), Ben Heuston for C Murphy (53).
Fergus Devereux
