Whelan goal proves crucial as Crettyard defeat Longford's Fr Manning Gaels in Leinster Championship

Crettyard are through to the quarter-finals of this year's Leinster Intermediate Club Championship after an Alex Whelan goal at the start of the second-half separated them and Longford's Fr Manning Gaels in Laois Hire O'Moore Park on Saturday evening.

It was a great performance from Noel Delaney's side as they played without the injured pair of Evan O'Carroll and Ciaran Burke.

Crettyard 1-11

Fr Manning Gaels 0-11

This game was the second game of a double-header after Kilcavan had narrowly got past Dublin's Craobh Chiarain in the Junior Club Championship. It was the away side which got the scoring underway as Mark Hughes split the posts for Fr Manning Gaels. Brian Brennan replied two minutes later for the Laois Intermediate champions. Martin Cassidy and Brennan (free) traded points as the sides were locked level after 10 minutes.

Pauric Gill was creating problems for Crettyard as he opened his account for the Longford side. Alex Whelan kicked Crettyard level at three points apiece with 13 minutes on the clock. Fr Manning Gaels kicked two scores on the trot as goalkeeper Paddy Collum played a 45' short for Cassidy to point while Hughes scored a second point after a superb long-range effort. 

Crettyard replied with two scores of their own courtesy of a Brennan free and a 45' from Cormac Murphy after Crettyard had forced Collum over the end line with the ball in his hands. Cassidy and Brennan scored a point each before Fr Manning Gaels hit the crossbar after Gill looked to fist the ball over. Murphy raised a second white flag but it would be level at the break 0-7 each as Cassidy pointed a free.

It didn't take long for the first score of the second period as Crettyard rattled the back of Fr Manning Gaels' net. James Brennan played in Alex Whelan and he kicked it into the net with a superb first-time soccer style finish. Cassidy and Murphy (free) raised white flags for their sides before Brennan kicked a free to push Crettyard four points ahead with a quarter of an hour left to play.

Cassidy pointed a free to end a 15-minute spell without a score for Fr Manning Gaels. Gill scored a superb score that went sailing over the black spot. Jonah Kelly had a great chance to seal the game for Crettyard as a long ball from Dara Kelly put him through on goals but his effort hit the post and went to safety. Crettyard were putting their bodies on the line to deny Fr Manning Gaels a goal which would put them ahead.

Michael Nash and Murphy (45') kicked a score each to push Crettyard ahead by four points yet again as the game approached i injury time. Cassidy pointed a late free in the hope that they could press the kick-out and get a goal to level it but that never materialised as referee James Foley blew the full-time whistle. Crettyard will go on to play the Dublin champions Naomh Mearnog away in the quarter-finals next weekend.