St Paul’s 3-17 Keady 2-14
St Paul’s made it through to the Intermediate Championship final after a hugely entertaining encounter with Keady.
An Andrew Murnin hattrick helped Ronan Clarke’s men see off the Division 2B league champions.
In a sensational opening quarter, both the teams were intent on outscoring the other and both hit the net.
Murnin claimed three goals while Odhran Fullerton and Tomas Galvin raised green flags for Simon McGeary’s men.
St Paul’s, who lost last years IFC final to Shane O’Neill’s, pulled away in the end to see out a six-point win.
Keady raced into a two-point lead as Odhran Fullerton and John Carroll score, before Ryan Lawless pointed for St Paul’s.
Fullerton then netted, after great work from Tomas Galvin, but St Paul’s offered the perfect response.
Andrew Murnin did brilliantly to steer home a loose ball as he claimed his first of three majors.
Galvin and Murnin exchanged goals and points while James King cancelled out a Mark Agnew score.
Shea Harvey and Niall McParland swapped scores before All-Star nominee Murnin palmed home a third goal.
His fourth netted effort was called back for a square ball while Keady closed the gap before the break.
James O’Hara and Galvin both raised white flags for Simon McGeary’s side. That left the Lurgan men ahead at the half time interval, 3-5 to 2-7.
The Lurgan men pushed on at the start of the second period with the first two scores after the turnaround.
O’Hara traded scores with Niall McCorry and McParland before clipping over his third of the afternoon.
The sides continued to traded scores before McConville stretched the St Paul’s led to three heading into the final few minutes.
Both number fives Daniel McDonald and Harvey split the posts as St Paul’s nailed the final three scores.
Agnew, Ruairi Grimes and McCorry all raised white flags to open up a six-point winning margin.
