Derby day in Smith Monumentals IFC Semi-Finals

The cheers echoed around Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada when the draw for the semi-finals of the Smith Monumentals Intermediate Championship pitted neighbours Drumkeerin and St Patrick's Dromahair against each other while favourites Allen Gaels will face the 2023 Intermediate Champions Annaduff.

Allen Gaels and Annaduff met in the 2023 semi-finals in Cloone with Annaduff hitting four goals to defeat a shell-shocked Drumshanbo outfit, Annaduff going on to defeat Melvin Gaels in the decider. Annaduff came through Saturday's Quarter Final against Carrigallen with a comfortable 4-20 to 3-8 win over Carrigallen with many tipping Annaduff as the most likely challengers to Allen Gaels' ambitions.

St Patrick's Dromahair came through a helter-skelter and scarcely believable Quarter Final on Sunday in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada as they held off an inspired but wasteful Bornacoola 1-17 to 2-10. The Bors had four glorious goal chances in the first quarter but it only yielded the underdogs a solitary point as Dromahair keeper Noel Hynes made a series of superb stops to prevent certain goals.

When Hynes was beaten, the crossbar intervened as a thunderous Nathan Ryan shot cracked off the underside of the crossbar but didn't cross the line with a defender first to clear the danger. Dromahair were hanging on but in the last five minutes of the first half, they turned the contest on it's head with two points followed by a wonderful Darragh McMorrow goal.

Three further points followed as Dromahair went into the halftime break leading 1-7 to 0-4, leaving Bornacoola shell-shocked. The Bors came out and slowly ate into the Dromahair lead in the second half, both teams missing goal chances before sub Cian Mallon blazed home a goal on 43 minutes, albeit with a bit of controversy as he bull-dozed over a Dromahair defender off the ball.

REPORT: ANNADUFF PREVAIL AFTER EARLY CARRIGALLEN SCARE IN SMITH MONUMENTALS IFC QUARTER FINAL

Yet Dromahair's response was impressive as they reeled off three unasnwered points, Bornacoola fighting back with a Jonathan Boyle point to leave just a point in it with five minutes to go. Dromahair then produced another late, late surge with four unanswered points to go six points clear once more but the drama wasn't finished, sub Sean Muldowney grabbing a second Bornacoola goal over a minute into the four minutes of added time.

But Dromahair, who certainly rode their luck in the first half, wouldn't be denied and the impressive Jamie Conlon saw his shot skim the Bornacoola crossbar as the north Leitrim men won out 1-17 to 2-10.

In other championship action on Sunday, Annaduff were relegated from the Fresh Today Junior A Championship after they conceded a walkover to Eslin. They will now meet Glencar Manorhamilton in the relegation decider after the Boggaun side beat their Melvin Gaels neighbours 2-18 to 0-12.

In the Fresh Today Junior B grade, Leitrim Gaels picked up a win via a walkover when neighbours Kiltubrid conceded the game.