Aughavas & Drumreilly march into Fresh Today Junior A Final as Ballinaglera & St Mary's relegated in Intermediate

Aughavas and Drumreilly will contest the 2025 Fresh Today Leitrim Junior A Championship Final after both came through their semi-finals against Aughnasheelin and Cloone respectively on a busy Saturday for club action with action in the Smith Monumentals IFC Relegation battle and in the AIB Connacht LGFA Club Junior championship.

Gortletteragh and Kiltubrid will take their battle to avoid relegation in the Smith Monumentals IFC to the final day as both prevailed in their semi-finals, Ballinaglera and St Mary's Kiltoghert making the drop to the Junior ranks for 2026. There was disappointment also for Annaduff in the AIB Connacht LGFA Junior Club Championship with Swinford Killasser proving too strong in their quarter-final clash on a 3-14 to 0-7 scoreline.

Neighbours Aughavas and Drumreilly will do battle in the Fresh Today Junior A Championship Final after both successfully navigated tricky ties in contrasting fortunes. In the first game of the day in Gortletteragh, Aughavas got off to a dream start with Conor Canning showing great awareness to poke the ball home while lying on the ground after his first shot was saved in the first minute.

Aughavas made the running but a determined Aughnasheelin never let them escape and when Tommy Reilly blasted a great shot to the roof of the Aughavas net after 23 minutes, the sides were level. Crucially, Aughavas replied with a two pointer from Adrian Shortt in their very next attack and, on the stroke of halftime, Darren Shortt blasted home to give Aughavas a 2-8 to 1-6 lead.

A superb defensive effort from Aughavas restricted Aughnasheelin's chances in a low-scoring second half, Aughnasheelin managing just two points in the second period and it was Aughavas who finished strongest to record a 2-14 to 1-8 victory, putting them in the final.

CHECK OUT WILLIE DONNELLAN'S GALLERY OF FAN PHOTOS FROM SATURDAY'S FRESH TODAY JUNIOR A FC SEMI-FINALS

Later in the day in Annaduff, Drumreilly must have feared that they didn't make enough use of the wind in the first half against Cloone as they led by 0-9 to 0-1 at the halftime break, Conor Gaffney leading the way with four frees and Peter Prior hitting a two pointer as part of his three point tally. But there were also two missed goal chances that could have proven very costly once Drumreilly faced into the wind.

When Eoghan Keegan set up Conor Keegan for a point and then added a 50 yard two point free himself to cut the gap to five points just minutes into the second half, it was looking good for Cloone. But Drumreilly dug in and with superb running from Peter Prior, Conor Gaffney, Stephen Meissner, Conor Edwards, Darragh McNiffe and sub Alex Brennan, Drumreilly actually outscored Cloone against the wind up until the 53rd minute.

Then the tenor of the game changed when Eoghan Keegan's long range free was fisted to the Drumreilly by a persistent Sean Bohan, cutting the gap to six points. But despite another point from Bohan, that was as close as it would get with Cloone kicking some costly wides as Drumreilly booked their place in the final.

Kiltubrid had a hard fought 2-17 to 2-12 win over St Mary's Kiltoghert in the first of the Smith Monumentals IFC Relegation semi-finals in Cloone while Gortletteragh turned in an impressive first half, leading 0-13 to 0-2 at the break, before going on to win 0-18 to 0-8, consigning Ballinaglera and St Mary's to the Junior ranks next year.

In the Westlink Coaches U17 Division 1 Semi-Final in Pairc Naomh Mhuire, St Mary's Kiltoghert advanced on a 0-16 to 2-8 scoreline against Glencar Manorhamilton, setting up a final clash with Rinn Gaels next Wednesday, October 22, in Cloone. Glencar Manorhamilton had beaten Mohill to qualify for the semi-final and were slow to get going before a Killian White goal tied the scores at 1-2 to 0-5.

St Mary's led 0-8 to 1-2 at halftime and the Carrick men kept a two or three point gap between the teams until the north Leitrim side hit 1-1 to take the lead. But League champions St Mary's hit the final three points of the contest to secure their place in the decider.

In Swinford, Annaduff went down to a 3-14 to 0-7 defeat at the hands of Swinford Killasser in the AIB Connacht LGFA Club Junior Quarter-Final. Annaduff trailed 2-6 to 0-3 at the break with the strong Mayo side proving too strong for the newly crowned Leitrim champions.