ADAMSTOWN STUNNED reigning champions Horeswood to gain a fivepoint victory in a pulsating WFC Senior football championship quarter-final at Wexford Park on Saturday last.

Brendan Kehoe was the hero as it was his punched goal from an Eric Bradley lobbing free four minutes into the second-half that gave his side the lead for the first time, a lead they were never subsequently to relinquish.

While Kehoe was the scoring hero, it was the power, pace and footballing skills of Eric Bradley which inspired Adamstown to a second-half display which was one of their best since elevation to Senior ranks, even when reduced to 13 players for the closing ten minutes.

Under no pressure going into this game as Horeswood were the warmest of favourites, Adamstown battled to stay in contention through the opening 30 minutes playing into the breeze. Although they trailed by just three points they still had a real battle on their hands, but the manner in which they responded to the challenge, restricting the reigning champions to a single second-half point while chipping in with 1-6 of their own, saw them produce one of the shocks of the current championship campaign.

Horeswood, apart from an impressive closing few minutes, stuttered through the opening half, although it must be said they were desperately unlucky with a couple of goal attempts, particularly one minute into first-half additional time when a Johnny Keating effort from a P.J. Banville pass crashed back off the crossbar. A goal at that stage could have changed the whole course of the game. However, their second-half fall-out was surprising as they were completely outplayed, never being seriously able to mount a worthwhile challenge.

Horeswood opened impressively with David Shannon kicking two points, one free, to have his side 0-2 to nil in front. While Adamstown did a lot of pressing during that opening spell, they were unable to prise open their opponents' defence.

Adamstown had to wait until the eleventh minute for their opening score, with Michael Furlong advancing out of defence to kick a fine point. A quick advance from 'keeper Diarmuid Hartley denied Shane Bradley a score.

Horeswood responded with points from P.J. Banville and Ciarán Deely while Shane White from a free kept Adamstown in touch. Brendan Kehoe and White (free) followed with further points to have the sides level (0-4 each) after 28 minutes.

Horeswood up to this had been finding it hard but they turned in a scoring flourish in the closing three minutes with points from Deely, Barry Hearn and David Larkin to lead by 0-7 to 0-4 at the interval.

Adamstown got into a rhythm from the opening minutes of the second-half. Within 30 seconds Shane Bradley pointed to reduce the deficit, but in the 34th minute the whole trend of the game changed.

Eric Bradley, who had been fouled in midfield, lofted the resulting free to the edge of the small square, with Brendan Kehoe rising highest to flick the ball overhead to the roof of the net, putting his side in front for the first time by 1-5 to 0-7.

It is not often they get their day in the sun, but Adamstown were now beginning to enjoy themselves, as Bradley lorded the midfield battle. The looked by far the more determined side, with substitute P.J. Carroll kicking a fine 36thminute point, while Shane White pointed a '45 after a John Finn goal attempt was blocked away.

Horeswood had to wait until the 43rd minute for their solitary second-half score - a David Shannon pointed free - leaving it 1-7 to 0-8.

Adamstown were keeping their game simple, playing the long ball, and leaving them dominant in the air. Paddy Whitty kicked a fine point, which was followed by a well-executed Barry Power effort on 47 minutes to put them into a 19 to 0-8 lead. The final score of the game arrived twelve minutes from the end, with Brendan Kehoe finding the target.

Adamstown had John Finn sent-off on a second yellow card offence ten minutes from the end to be followed by Barry Power eight minutes later, also on a second yellow card, but their dominance was never threatened even when reduced numerically.

This was Adamstown's first championship win over Horeswood since the quarter-final of 1999, and they were exacting sweet revenge for losses in the 2005 final and the following year's quarter-final.

Most people didn't see this result coming, and departure for Horeswood at this relatively early stage for a side with big ambitions will be a huge blow.

Adamstown will now meet Castletown for the first time since 2005 when they prevailed by a point in a second round encounter. They have come a long way since playing a dour draw with GlynnBarntown at the start of the campaign.

- BRENDAN FURLONG