After sixty minutes of hurling action, Middletown edged past their rivals to secure a spot in the last four of this year’s championship.
Dean Gaffney hit the all-important goal after forty-three minutes to help keep a resurgent Keady side at arm’s length.
The match failed to live up to the pre-game expectation and, bar a few sparks, the sides played out a below-par encounter.
There was no flow to the contest with both sides relying heavily on the accuracy of their free takers for scores.
Dean Gaffney and Fionntan Donnelly didn’t disappoint however. The pair shared 26 points between them, Gaffney grabbing 1-10 with Donnelly hitting 0-13.
Gaffney hit two in the first ten minutes to see his side in front 0-3 to 0-1 with David Carvill registering Middletown’s other score and Mickey McDermott getting Keady’s.
The two free takers traded scores before John Corvan narrowed the gap to a single point just before the water break arrived.
Gaffney turned provided to assist Nathan Curry’s point before tagging on two of his own, equally met with two from Donnelly.
Carvill and Martin Moan handed Middletown a four-point lead, but their advantage was cut to two with Donnelly and Barry Breen splitting the posts.
Middletown were on top and could have been further ahead but for the heroics of Keady net minder Joby Burke.
Martin Moan raced in along the end line and squared the ball to the waiting Dean Gaffney, who saw his shot on goal turned away by Burke.
Moan was on hand to strike from the rebound, but Burke proved unbeatable, pulling off another impressive save.
Middletown would have to settle for a point with Gaffney curling over another to give his side a 0-11 to 0-8 half time lead.
Ten minutes passed before the first score from play after the interval, Donnelly hitting 0-4 to Gaffney’s 0-2, all from placed balls.
Paddy McBride opened his account before Donnelly cut the margin back to one, with Keady seemingly holding all the momentum.
Middletown shot further ahead with the next attack and this time Burke couldn’t come to the rescue for his side.
A long ball into attack from Shea Gaffney was gathered by Mark McClatchey who spotted the off-the-shoulder run from Dean Gaffney.
The precise Gaffney smashed the ball into the back of the net and Middletown were now in front by four.
The goal scorer followed up with another point from the dead ball, with Donnelly providing Keady’s reply.
McBride and Moan kept driving on Middletown’s advantage with time running out for the Lamh Dhearg clubmen to salvage something from the game.
Burke was on hand to provide a lifeline, pulling off another outstanding one-on-one save from Martin Moans shot but it wasn’t enough to get his side back into the game.
Donnelly fired over his final of thirteen points with the last action of the game, Middletown ahead by four at full time.
They will now march on to the semis to face Derrynoose as they go about defending their Senior Championship crown.
