Davitts 1-8  Hollymount Carramore 1-7

Davitts maintained their 100% winning record in this year’s Intermediate Championship against a tough Hollymount Carramore side in Garrymore on Friday night. The game was played in difficult conditions, wet and windy, which led to several errors but the result was in doubt right up to the final whistle, giving the large attendance plenty of entertainment.

Davitts played with the assistance of the stiff wind in the first half but Hollycarra almost goaled in the second minute when Davitts keeper Dylan O Brien expertly saved what looked like a certain goal. Davitts shot the first two scores through their excellent corner forward Dylan Gallagher in the 5^th and 7^th minutes. A superbly-struck Hollycarra goal in the eighth minute was a big setback for Davitts with the Hollycarra defence proving to be very hard to penetrate. Davitts did manage points from Dylan Gallagher and Niall Treacy (2) in the next ten minutes to go two ahead. A 23^rd minute Hollycarra point was cancelled out by Jack Melvin two minutes later and Hollycarra shot the last score of the half, a 30^th minute point, to leave Davitts ahead at the break by 0-6 to 1-2.

A 34^th minute Hollycarra point equalised the game but a brilliant Davitts move involving several players in the 36^th minute ended with Niall Treacy being fouled in the penalty area. Jack Melvin slotted home the spot kick to put Davitts three up. Scores were very hard to come by but Hollycarra managed to hit three points between the 38^th and 42^nd minutes to level the match again. They fired over a 51^st minute point to take the lead but Davitts, showing tremendous grit and driven on by the brilliant Colm Boyle, scored the last two points of the game, both struck by their star forward Dylan Gallagher in the 57^th and 61^st minutes.

This win ensures Davitts a home draw in the quarter-final of the championship. A big improvement on this performance will be required if the team is to reach the last four but the fighting spirit in the second half was very encouraging.

Davitts: Dylan O Brien, Brian Birmingham, Cathal Higgins, Kieran Fahy, Tommy Waldron, Colm Boyle, Brian Óg McTigue, Fenton Kelly, Jack Melvin (1-1), Darragh McGale, Liam Kearns, Mark Birmingham, Dylan Gallagher (0-5), Niall Treacy (0-2), Shane Treacy. Subs used: Cian Naughton, Michael Conroy, Stephen Nyland, Ciaran Treacy, Ronan McNamara.