Newport 1-16
Ballinahinch 0-13
by Kieran Mullarkey in Dolla. Nenagh Guardian

Newport emerged with the bragging rights after a deserved win in round five of the County Intermediate Championship over near neighbours Ballinahinch in Dolla on Saturday evening.
As always there was little between the sides in a sporting encounter which rarely saw more than a point separating the sides in an opening half that ended all square. Newport's greater scoring spread in the second half proved the difference as Ballinahinch failed to engineer any significant threat to the Newport goal.
The victors were without the injured Conor O'Mahony and his calming influence was missed as Ballinachinch raced into a two-point lead through a Ger Griffin free and a good point from play from Brendan Ryan. Newport settled and registered their first score as the lively Eoin Shinners turned Raphael Ryan before landing a point, quickly followed by a Padraig Hogan point after an inviting ball from wing forward Mike McKeogh.
Erratic shooting, often from distance, undone much of Ballinahinch's good work but captain Shane McGrath did eventually land a monster of a point as well as a free from inside his own half after a clumsy challenge by Odran Floyd.
The aforementioned Shinners and Hogan were a constant threat to the Ballinahinch defence and they duly provided Newport's next two points with Shinners pointing a free before Padraig Hogan showed a real turn of pace before firing over on the run.
The battle at midfield was intense with Ballinahinch's Adrian Kelly seeing plenty of ball and indeed it was a foul on Kelly that allowed Ger Grifin collect his second pointed free of the evening to edge his side ahead. Newport however began to show signs of their attacking potential and despite overplaying at times their ability to work the ball better through the middle third was ominous.
Mike McKeogh landed the pick of the first half points after a fine pass from Padraig Hogan and as half time approached midfielder Conor Flyod burst forward for a great point courtesy of a pin-point pass from Shinners. Adrian Kelly replied with a good point for Ballinahinch before Eoin Shinners ended a scrappy period of play with a point for Newport but a third Ger Griffin free on the stroke of half time tied the contest at seven points apiece.
Newport began the second with intent through a Padraig Hogan point, his last significant contribution before leaving the field with an injury. Martin Carey combined with Conor Floyd before finding the range to open up a two-point lead as Ballinahinch struggled for possession. A good run by Brendan Ryan did allow Ger Griffin a point from a free but it was only a brief respite as Newport substitute Christy Doyle made an immediate impact with a point after a bustling run of his own.
Indeed it was Doyle's vision that created the only goal of the game in the tenth minute of the second half as he combined with Patrick Ryan to feed Martin Carey who held his nerve and placed the ball under Cormac McGrath in the Balllinahinch goal.
Ballinahinch tried hard to respond with a number of positional switches and Ger Grace did his best, driving forward from wing back to land a point. But instead it was Newport that all but ended the tie with three points without reply from Conor Floyd, Odran Floyd and the impressive Christopher Doyle and with a lead of seven points it looked as if they wouldn't be beaten despite ten minutes remaining.
Shane McGrath surged forward to land a trade mark point and two Ger Griffin frees and a 65 kept their hopes alive but a lack of guile in attack meant that they couldn't get within striking distance. In contrast their opponents found the target with greater consistency as Eoin Shinners added two late points as well as a well worked point from Odran Floyd
NEwpoRT: Michael Flannery; Mike O'Brien, Paddy Jones, Joe Connolly; Christopher O'Connor, Sean O'Brien, Robert Houlihan; Brian O'Sullivan, Conor Floyd (0-2); Mike McKeogh (0-1), Odhran Floyd (0-2), Martin Carey (1-1); Eoin Shinners (0-5, 2f), Padraig Hogan (0-3), Patrick Ryan. Subs: Christopher Doyle (0-2) for Hogan (inj); Mark Maguire for McKeogh.
BALLINAhINCh: Cormac McGrath; Raphael Ryan, Kevin Mulcahy, John Ryan (0-1); Sean Sheehy, Shane Mc-Grath (0-3, 1f), Shane Healy; Adrian Kelly (0-1), Daragh McGrath; Dave Ryan, Paddy Kelly, Paudie Berkery; Mark Kelly; Ger Griffin (0-7, 6f, 1 65), Brendan Ryan (0-1). Subs: Donnacha McGrath for M Kelly; Kevin Fitzpatrick for Berkery; Cathal Ryan for B Ryan; Shane Fitzgerald for Sheehy.
The group stages of the County Intermediate have now come to a conclusion with eight of the twelve knockout berths now known.
Group winners Lattin Cullen Gaels, Newport, Ballina and Sean Treacys progress s to the quarter finals.
The group runners-up, Shannon Rovers, Ballinahinch, Moyne-Templetuohy and Thurles Sarsfields go into the preliminary quarter finals where they will play the divisional championship winners.