Killeshin provide the shock as championship reaches the business end

WE are now getting down to the serious end of the football championships and while most of the weekends game went to plan, there was one major shock.

While Portlaose are by no means the force they once were there were I do not expect too many people were willing to put their money on Killeshin.

That opinion was compounded when Portlaoise led 1-3 to no score. But Killeshin deserve huge credit for keeping their cool and by half time they were well in contention before making a break for it in the second half.

Portarlington are next up for the men in green but that won’t worry Killeshin just yet.

It’s hard to credit how poor Portlaoise were on the evening and for the second year running, they exit at the quarter-final stage.

Last year’s surprise packages, Courtwood go forward to another semi-final and.

Beating O’Dempsey’s, Ballyroan Abbey and Stradbally in successive rounds would be a respectable campaign for any club.

Their sights are rightly set on the big one and they’ll know they’ll need to find another gear at least if they are to go one further than last year.

For their win over Ballyroan Abbey St Joseph’s played a more expansive style and led at the break. Ballyroan came back well and were level we headed for injury time.

But St Joseph’s finished with a flourish, a great goal followed by a two-pointer and finished with six points to spare.

A semi-final against Courtwood for the second year running awaits the Kellyville out fit.

Portarlington made hard work of seeing off O’Dempsey’s. O’Dempsey’s came with a strong defensive plan to limit Portarlington and it worked to an extent.

Portarlington’s late burst put daylight between the sides and O’Dempsey’s were always chasing it.

But all in all, Portarlington didn’t really impress. Worryingly they picked up a couple of injuries. Cathal Bennett and Alex Mohan were both forced off, Ronan Coffey seems to be struggling with a shoulder injury.

And at the other end of the scale the Senior ‘B’ quarter-finals were also down for decision. The fact that three teams will be making the drop this year adds a bit of spice.

Emo, Arles Killeen, Rosenallis and Crettyard can relax as they are safe for another year.

It’s a much different story for Park/Ratheniska, Clonaslee/St Manman’s, The Heath and Graiguecullen.

Park/Ratheniska meet Graiguecullen and Clonaslee/St Manman’s play The Heath in two weeks’ time when the two losers will make the drop.

The winners of those two game will then have to play each other with the loser being relegated.

The Intermediate semi-finals threw a pair of shocks with Ballyfin beating Ballylinan and Kilcavan seeing off the Mountmellick challenge to contest a first final since 1961.

FOOTBALL DRAWS.

SFC Semi-Finals - Courtwood v St Joseph’s; Killeshin v Portarlington SFC ‘B’ Semi-Finals - Emo v Rosenallis; Arles Killeen v Crettyard SFC Relegation Playoffs - Graiguecullen v Park/Ratheniska; Clonaslee/St Manman’s v The Heath IFC Final - Ballyfin v Kilcavan JFC Semi-Finals - Timahoe v Barrowhouse; St Joseph’s v The Rock JFC ‘B’ Final - Castletown v Portarlington JFC ‘C’ Semi-Finals - O’Dempsey’s v Slieve Bloom; Courtwood v Portarlington