Teemore 2-07 Belnaleck 1-08

Division Two League champions Teemore extended their championship run with a narrow win over wasteful Belnaleck in Donagh.

A goal in each half was crucial in this hard-fought affair.

The second goal from Aaron Lee was the really important one as it put the Shamrocks into a 2-05 to 1-04 lead and gave them a great cushion going into the final quarter.

This was a real hard-hitting championship affair with little quarter given or asked for but Belnaleck, who hit 12 wides, will be wondering why they did not convert those chances.

Renowned championship battlers Teemore will be glad to have got over a previous heavy defeat to Kinawley to take on Erne Gaels in the championship quarter-finals.

Belnaleck must now play Devenish in a relegation play-off to stay in senior championship football.

Teemore raced into a 1-01 to 0-01 lead thanks to a Sean McNally point and then Rian McNally got on the end of a ball played across the Belnaleck square from Colm McNally who eluded the Belnaleck defence and he finished to the net after eight minutes to lead.

Fergal Keenan struck an early point for Belnaleck from a mark.

That left the score at 1-02 to 0-01 before Ronan McCaffrey made it 1-03 to 0-01.

Belnaleck were awarded a penalty which was a close call and Darragh McGurn coolly dispatched the penalty after Ciaran McBrien was adjudged to have been pulled down in the square.

Colm McNally made it 1-03 to 1-01 but Belnaleck hit two points from Garvan Quigley amid four wides from scoreable areas.

Teemore’s full-back Aaron McManus hit a monster point and Oisin Murphy scored the point of the half as the Shamrocks led by 1-05 to 1-03 at the break.

Teemore hit a total of 1-02 and Belnaleck hit 0-05 in a pretty even second-half where the Leckers missed a few good chances.

But in the 37th minute, the Shamrocks struck for the game-turning goal.

Belnaleck had scored points from Quigley and McBrien to leave a point in it before the Shamrocks goal came.

It was a sucker blow to Belnaleck as Aaron Lee got on the end of a long ball after Cian McManus and broke through the Lecker's defence and forced it home to put Teemore into a 2-05 to 1-04 lead.

Exchanges were close and points from  Quigley from frees and McGurn from play for Belnaleck left a point in it but Oisin Murphy and Ryan McNally got Teemore's final points to see them through.

A narrow but deserved win for Teemore but Belnaleck will be wondering about those missed chances as they prepare for a relegation play-off with Devenish next weekend.