AIB All-Ireland Club IFC Semi-Finals

Galbally Pearses 4-4 Dunmore MacHales 1-9

Rathmore 2-16 Fethard St. Mogue’s 1-10

A first half hat-trick from Ronan Nugent sucked the life out of Dunmore MacHales at St. Loman’s GAA club in Mullingar this afternoon, as Galbally Pearses ensured that both the intermediate and junior club finals at Croke Park next Sunday will see Kerry clubs taking on Tyrone opposition.

Playing against a stiff breeze, Nugent's first goal came in the third minute, as he showed a nice first touch to slot the ball past Gleeson, soccer-style.

Dunmore responded three minutes with a goal of their own when Damien Redington finished an excellent team move. Shane McGrath and Dylan Brady quickly added points, and with eight minutes gone, the North Galway side were three points to the good.

They didn’t build as they would have wished however and in the 16th minute, Nugent and Cormac Donnelly played a one-two with one another, with Nugent collecting the return to place a ball into the top corner of the net.

The centre forward didn't wait around to grab his hat-trick either. A Pádraig Costello free restored Dunmore MacHales' lead, and in minute 20, Nugent and Donnelly were again the catalysts for the Ulster champions' third goal, Nugent using his left foot to finish to the net on this occasion.

That lead became 3-1 to 1-5 by the end of the half, as Liam Rafferty and Costello exchanged scores.

The bitter breeze favoured Galbally after half time but they struggled to get to grips with it, racking up seven wides in the third quarter, while Costello scoring the only point of that spell from a free.  

Daniel Kerr ended Galbally's scoring drought in the 46th minute, but the ensuing 10 minutes belonged to the Connacht champions as they inched a point in front with three minutes to play.

Donnelly made a fantastic mark from the restart following Costello's lead point however, and immediately used the wind to his aid. He sent a raking diagonal pass the way of Kerr, who caught it, and slid the ball into the net, breaking Dunmore hearts and setting Galbally up to close out their win with the last two points of the game.

There was no such drama at Páirc Uí Rinn, where Rathmore always looked assured and in control against St. Mogue’s of Fethard, barring a short spell before half-time.

Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan, lining out at corner-forward here, outmanoeuvred his St. Mogue’s counterpart William Doyle to force the ball over the line for an opening goal after 12 minutes, and with the breeze at their backs, they pushed up high to exert huge pressure on the Wexford men, leading to a run of 2-5 without reply.

Mark Ryan scored two points, John Moynihan added a goal after he claimed a high catch and turned down the easy point, and at 2-5 to no score in front, it looked like a stroll in the park for the Kerry side.

The weight of history was against St. Mogue’s, who were attempting to become just the fourth ever Leinster club to reach an AIB All-Ireland intermediate club final, and the first to win the coveted prize.

However they turned the tables in the ten minutes before half time, racking up 1-4 and completely changing the narrative of the game.

Richard Waters fired in a goal in between points from Mikie Dwyer and John Tubritt, but they needed to carry that momentum into the second half and instead the chance to reset was seized by Rathmore.

The Ryan brothers – Mark, Shane and Cathal – all added points, Kenneth O’Keeffe made a big save to deny St. Mogue’s a goal, and the lead was preserved and extended right up until the final whistle.