All-Ireland Junior Football Championship semi-final

NEW YORK 1-8 WARWICKSHIRE 0-6

By Paul Keane at the GAA National Games Development Centre, Abbotstown

New York are just an hour from a historic All-Ireland success after holding firm in Abbotstown to secure their place in Sunday's junior final at Croke Park.

Led by corner-forward Shay McElligot, whose goal just before half-time put the Exiles in a position of authority, Johnny McGeeney's side were full value for the semi-final win.

McElligot finished with 1-3 and will be a marked man at GAA headquarters when New York shoot for a maiden junior title.

New York led from the 22nd minute, when Brian Coughlan pointed to put them into a 0-2 to 0-1 lead, until full-time yet were never quite out of the woods.

Their five-point half-time lead was whittled down to just three late on as a resurgent Warwickshire, beaten by London in May's All-Britain final, battled back gamely.

Warwickshire sub Joel Powney and midfielder Sean Dirrane both had chances in an enthralling closing 10 minutes to hit the net and potentially level it up.

Late New York points from McElligot and Kevin Loane ultimately reopened that five-point gap as McGeeney's men held on for a landmark win.

Fielding a team of homegrown talents, New York battled a Warwickshire side playing a patient, counter attacking game in perfect conditions.

Missed chances cost Charlie O'Donnell's Warwickshire who trailed 0-1 to 0-4 after 29 minutes, blasting six wides in that period.

New York racked up four wides themselves but, crucially, put enough scores on the board to stride clear with Tiernan Mathers, Coughlan, McElligot and Peter Cronin all on the mark.

McElligot's 29th minute goal was the game's decisive moment, the Rangers clubman pouncing when he spotted the goalkeeper off his line and kicking back into an empty net.

New York added a Brendan Cole point from a '45 to lead 1-5 to 0-2 at the break and while resurgent Warwickshire scored four of the first five points in the second-half, leaving just a goal between them, that was as good as it got for them.

Michael McGettrick struck three points for the British finalists while Niall Gilbride's point from distance late in the first-half was among the scores of the game.

Scorers for New York: Shay McElligot 1-3 (0-1f), Tiernan Mathers 0-1, Brian Coughlan 0-1, Peter Cronin 0-1, Brendan Cole 0-1 (45), Kevin Loane 0-1.

Scorers for Warwickshire: Michael McGettrick 0-3 (0-1f), Niall Gilbride 0-1, Conal Dowling 0-1 (0-1m), James Connolly 0-1 (0-1f).

New York: Brendan Cole; Mike Boyle, Conor Hogan, Paidi Mathers; Peter Cronin, Dylan Curran, Jamie Boyle; Tiernan Mathers, Conor Rafferty; Kevin Loane, Mike Brosnan, Conor Mathers; Danny Corridan, Brian Coughlan, Shay McElligot.

Subs: Caolan Mathers for Rafferty 40, Emmet Loughran for Cronin 44, James Breen for Coughlan 57, Dylan Rooney for Corridan 60, Ryan O'Neill for Brosnan 60.

Warwickshire: James Connolly; Luke Rabone, Deaglan O'Brien, Angelo Cataldo; James Gavin, Michael Mannion, Sean Doyle; Brian Rushe, Sean Dirrane; Niall Gilbride, Mikey McAleer, Seanie Boyle; Jack Keogh, Conal Dowling, Michael McGettrick.

Subs: Callum Maguire for Rabone h/t, Declan Staunton for McGettrick 51, Joel Powney for Keogh 51, Michael Harrigan for Rushe 57, Joe Owens for Boyle 59.

Referee: Conor Dourneen (Cavan).