Steelstown hold off Faughanvale in thriller to make third Intermediate Championship final

Steelstown Brian Ogs 1-09, Faughanvale 0-10

Back in 2010, Stephen Cleary's scores should have won Steelstown the Intermediate Championship title. Fast forward a decade and his injury point has brought the Brian Ogs back to the brink following a thrilling semi-final victory over Faughanvale in Banagher.

Cleary's cameo was a fitting footnote for a club still searching for that elusive first championship at senior level. They've knocked on the door plenty of times before, most notably in that 2010 Celtic Park decider, and few would argue they deserve it. Deserve, however, has precious little to do with championship football.

People have been lining up to sing the praises of the Ballyarnett men after 'champagne' football victories over Glenullin and Drumsurn but this win was about the other side of the game. This was about fight and determination, a side of the game Steelstown are often accused of lacking but not this time.

Cahir McMonagle's 13th minute goal was the game's crucial score and McMonagle - the break-out performer of this year's championship - put in another excellent shift but this victory wasn't fashioned by the Steelstown attack. The Brian Ogs best displays came at the other end of the pitch where Eoghan Concannon was simply sublime, constantly winning ball and breaking forward to initiate breaks. He wasn't alone though, the Brian Ogs defensive unit limited 'Vale to only four points from play but still the Greysteel men had Steelstown nerves jangling in a tense finale.

Despite not registering a single shot until their first score in the 15th minute, Joe Gray's men had clawed their way back into the game via a vastly improved second half with Paddy O'Kane instrumental and three times they got Steelstown's lead back to a one point, including twice in the closing stages.

Nerves were evident on a Steelstown team requiring leadership and they found it in the familiar form of Neil Forester. When 'Vale were turning the screw in search of the score that could bring them parity, Forester was the player who carried his team, winning breaks, claiming turnovers, and driving his team forward on countless occasions.

Like Cleary, Forester was about in 2010 and has played for his club long enough to know that championship finals are the exception rather than the rule so it was apt that it was a trademark 'Fo' surge out of defence that teed up Cleary's insurance point two minutes into injury time.

The point finally killed off 'Vale's challenge but most of the wounds that knocked the Greysteel men down were self inflicted, especially in an opening quarter in which 'Vale's tepid approach left them with too much to do for the remainder of the match.

Fauaghanvale arrived off the back of their own impressive victory after dismantling Limavady in the quarter-final but that attacking swagger was missing for most of an opening half in which they managed only three points, two from frees. O'Kane and Eoin McElhinney were excellent throughout but St. Mary's only really came into the game when they threw the shackles off after the break and took the game to Steelstown, a tactic which kept Steelstown scoreless for 13 second half minutes and almost forced extra time.

It proved too little, too late but this will be an invaluable learning experience for a young team full of potential, one who will be back in the latter stages of future championships.

Not this year though. Steelstown deserved the win, built on an opening quarter that saw them 1-02 to no score up. With 'Vale retreating inside their '45, two Ben McCarron frees had Steelstown in front before McMonagle showed just why he is so highly rated, collecting a pass before spinning away from Sean Butcher and unleashing a fierce shot into the roof of the net.

'Vale's first shot of the match didn't arrive until the 15th minute when O'Kane scored their opener via a free but seconds later the same player displayed his own ability to spin and shoot with a lovely score for 1-02 to 0-02.

Mark Foley and Kevin Martin swapped scores as they sides fell into a tactical counter-attacking battle that produced only two further frees in the half, Martin for Faughanvale and McCarron for Streelstown, as the sides turned around at 1-04 to 0-03.

Martin and McMonagle exchanged points upon the restart before Martin then got his only sight of goal after a scramble in front of the Steelstown posts. The 'Vale forward got his shot away but it cleared the crossbar for a point rather than the goal which could have changed the trajectory of the game and left it 1-05 to 0-5.

'Vale managed to keep McCarron scoreless from play but the Steelstown man came in for some rough treatment off the ball and eventually limped off in the closing stages, a real worry for Gibson ahead of next week's final.

Eoin McElhinney's lovely solo point left it 1-05 to 0-6 before an O'Kane free brought Vale back to within one point for the first time since the fifth minute of the contest. Mark Foley's '45' offered some breathing space for the city side but it was their first score for 13 minutes and nerves were beginning to show.

McMonagle's free restored the three points advantage but Faughanvale came again with Martin and O'Kane scoring frees to leave it 1-07 to 0-09 with three minutes remaining.

With his side rocking and not for the first time in the game, Forester's brilliant run out of defence drew the foul from which McMonagle scored his third point of the day and both Rory Maguire and Ryan McCloskey had chances to hit the net but a combination of Vale keeper Daryl Moore and his defenders kept the efforts out. It could have proved costly too as O'Kane pointed once more for 1-08 to 0-10 with 61 minutes now showing.

Steelstown needed settling and the player who has been their 'go to' man for longer than some of his team-mates have been playing senior football duly obliged, Forester's brilliant run and pass picking out Cleary who slotted between the posts to send Steelstown into next week's decider.

After defeats to Castledawson in 2010 and 2016, they'll be hoping it's third time lucky.

Steelstown scorers: Cahir McMonagle (1-3, 2f); Ben McCarron (0-3, 3f), Mark Foley (0-2, 1 '45'), Stephen Cleary (0-1).

Faughanvale scorers: Paddy O'Kane (0-6, 4f), Kevin Martin (0-3, 2f), Eoin McElhinney (0-1).

Steelstown Brian Ogs: Martin Dunne, Jason McAleer, Kevin Lindsay, Ryan McCloskey, Eoghan Concannon, Neil Forester, Diarmuid Baker, Ryan Devine, Emmet Deane, Darren McDaid, Eoghan Bradley, Ben McCarron, Mark Foley, Cahir McMonagle, Mickey McKinney. (Subs) Rory Maguire for D McDaid, 40mins; Jacob Duffy for M Foley, 46mins; Stephen Cleary for B McCarron, 61mins.

Faughanvale: Daryl Moore, Mark Creane, Gordon Fahey, Sean Butcher, Shane McElhinney, Michael Sweeney, Kyle McGuinness, Aaron Cassidy, Eoin McElhinney, Cathal O'Kane, Conor McGuinness, James Moore, Kevin Martin, Michael McLaughlin, Paddy O'Kane. (Subs) Curtis O'Hara for J Moore, 46mins; Brian Watson for G Fahey (inj), 55mins;

Referee: Mark McGeehan (Ballinderry)