Intermediate hurling championship quarter final played in Killimor on Sunday September 23rd
Kilnadeema/Leitrim 2.13 Mellick/Eyrecoart 0.19

We were treated to a wonderful game when Kilnadeema/Leitrim and Mellick/Eyrecoart meet in the Quarter final of the Intermediate hurling championship which was played in Killimor on Sunday September 23rd before a very large attendance in dry but windy conditions. Seldom have games involving Kilnadeema/Leitrim ended so dramatically as we witnessed in this Intermediate championship game when Danny Burke scored a wonderful, if controversial goal to save the day for his team. Mellick/Eyrecoart has one last chance to win the game but saw a Niall Lynch free hit the post and come back into play much to the delight of all the Kilnadeema/Leitrim players and Supporters.
                                           Kilnadeema/Leitrim were going into this game untested while Mellick/Eyrecoart had come through a very tough Preliminary quarter final the previous week against Oranmore/Maree which went to extra time before the east Galway side scrapped through  by two points. Kilnadeema/Leitrim were forced to lineout without two of their forwards in Niall Tierney and Michael Regan due to injury.  Mellick/Eyrecoart were first to have use of the breeze but it was Kilnadeema/Leitrim who started the better. The exchanges were hard early on and David Tierney was the first to feel the brunt of this when he was hit very high in the 2nd minute. Mellick/Eyrecoart opened the scoring on 5 minutes when Declan McEvoy shot a point from over 100yards. He was to have a major influence on the game right through out. Tom Tierney who was in brilliant scoring form all through especially from placed balls then shot the equaliser two minutes later from a free. Kilnadeema/Leitrim then got a major boost when corner forward Alan Flaherty got on the end of a long ball to guide it past goalie Damien Howe and hit the net for a tonic goal to put his side ahead 1.01 to 0.01. Damien McDermott, who was very lively all through at corner forward soon shot another Mellick/Eyrecoart point from play. David Tierney then picked up a ball around midfield before soloing up all along the line and shooting a brilliant point to put three between the sides on 9 mins. Niall Lynch who like Tom Tierney was very accurate from placed balls all through got his first of the day a minute later before strong centre forward Rory McGauran shot a great point from play to close the gap to the minimum after 13 minutes. The game was being played at a very fast pace at this stage with play up and down the field. Tom Tierney then shot a wonderful point from play as the first half reached the half way mark leaving the score reading 1.03 to 0.04. Brendan Lucas, who was not as prominent as usual then closed the gap again with a point from play on 18 mins, before Tom Tierney replyed with another pointed free. Four minutes later Mellick/Eyrecoart brought up their goalkeeper to take a long range free and Damien Howe who is well known for for being a long striker of the ball shot between the posts to close the lead to just the one point. Tom Tierney then shot the next two points one from a free and the second a 65 after his initial effort  from a 21 yard free was stopped on the line. Niall Lynch likewise answered with two points of his own both from free's before Rory McGauran levelled up the game for the first time since the start right on half time to leave Mellick/Eyrecoart facing the strong breeze in the second half level on scoreboard 1.06 to 0.09. Kilnadeema/Leitrim had played quiet well in the first half and would have been slight favourites to advance at this stage but games are not won at half time and certainly Mellick/Eyrecoart did not read the script and like Kilnadeema/Leitrim played better against the wind.
Tom Tierney started where he left off in the first half scoring a free after one minute before Niall Lynch scored his first point from play soon after. Niall and Tom swopted points both from free's by the 5th minute before Niall put Mellick/Eyrecoart ahead for the first time since the opening minutes at 1.08 to 0.12 with another free. It was a feature of the game all through how many free's were awarded by referee Christy Browne. Tom Tierney continue the trend soon after with an equalising point again from a free. Declan McEvoy who had by now moved  to wing forward and was causing a lot of problems soon shot Mellick/Eyrecoart ahead again after 12 minutes from a 65. Mellick/Eyrecoart were now getting more and more on top and winning much more possession than in the first half especially in the forwards. Niall Lynch stretched their lead to two a minute later with another free before Noel Kenny put a goal between the sides on 14 mins with a another point from play. Kilnadeema/Leitrim looked in big trouble at this stage but the ever brilliant Tom Tierney soon added two more points from free's to leave just the one in it again after 19 minutes. Noel Kenny soon made it two again with another point from play also on 19 minutes as the full forward line tore the defence ragged. Niall Lynch with his second point from play and centre forward Conor McGauran with his third soon had Mellick/Eyrecoart four ahead and looking very much like winners. Kilnadeema/Leitrim had introduced substitute Danny Burke for Frankie Burke at this stage in the hope of getting on the end of something. Danny's impact was amazing when after settling in for a few minutes he picked up a ball about 21 yards out and half way to the sideline, he looked up and struck a most delightful shot which flew towards the goal and somehow hit something and came back out again. Most people thought it had hit the crossbar but to the amazement of the large crowd the Umpire raised his hand to instruct that the ball had actually struck the back frame of the goals and deflected out again. After a long discussion the referee awarded a goal and Kilnadeema/Leitrim were right back in the game with only 5 minutes to play trailing by one point. Brendan Lucas soon put Mellick/Eyrecoart two up again with a lovely point from near the sideline. Tom Tierney as so often in the past was called on to save the day for his team as first he pointed from a free on 29 minutes and a minute later pointed again this time from play as he was under a lot of pressure to amazingly level up the game again. Surely this was to be it and we would have a draw, but no the drama was not finished just yet as Donal Nevin was adjudged rather harshly to have thrown the ball and so Mellick/Eyrecoart were awarded a free which should have been easy for Niall Lynch but somehow the ball struck the post and stayed out before Kilnadeema/Leitrim cleared their lines and the final whistle sounded to leave the final score reading 2.13 to 0.19 and a replay to look forward to.  For Kilnadeema/Leitrim this game should bring them on a good bit while for Mellick/Eyrecoart they must go to the well one more time to see who will reach the semi-final. Kilnadeema/Leitrim had stars in Mark Herlihy, Kevin Boyle, Liam Geargthy, Donal Nevin, Fergal Nevin in the first half David Tierney at different stages and Tom Tierney from free's mainly. Danny Burke will always be remembered for that goal. Roll on the replay.

Scorers: Tom Tierney 0.12, Alan Flaherty 1.00, Danny Burke 1.00, David Tierney 0.01.

Team Lineout: Mark Herlihy, Raymond Larkin, Kevin Boyle, Liam Geargthy, David Spellman, Donal Nevin, Shane Flaherty, David Tierney, Fergal Nevin, Frankie Burke, Tom Tierney, Sean Burke, Michael Flanagan, Eamon Hyland, Alan Flaherty.
Subs used: Danny Burke, Patrick Deely and Kevin Molloy