O’Neills Sportswear Antrim Football League Division One
St Brigid’s 1-14 Creggan 0-8
St. Brigid’s came strong in the second half to maintain their unbeaten record and spoil that good opening to the season of Creggan at Musgrave Park on Wednesday night.
The home side produced a blistering ten minute spell where they hit 9 points on the bounce and put the game out of sight of a Creggan side who had been giving as good as they got up to this juncture in proceedings.
St. Brigid’s led from first whistle, but Creggan were right on their shoulder for 42 minutes when the hosts went into overdrive to put real daylight between the teams on what was a sunny evening in the city.
Both sides went into this game on maximum points so something had to give and it was the home side who found their shooting boots when it mattered after a fairly balanced opening half where both sides missed chances.
Creggan’s Joe McAteer had a shot drop onto the top of the crossbar, then bounce up onto the post and back into play and this was perhaps a sign of things to come for Kickham’s.
Eventually, James Smyth opened the scoring with a point after five minutes and while Conor Small responded with the first of his six points of the evening from a mark, Smyth would then burst through on 11 minutes and finish past Oisin Kerr.
This gave the home side a lead they would never again relinquish, but they failed to build on their early success as chances went astray and the visitors were still well in contention at the halfway stage.
McAteer was impressing for the Staffordstown Road side and he placed Keelan McCann for a fine Creggan score, while Conan McNicholl hit back with a free for the Biddies to leave that goal between them after 14 minutes.
It took another 13 minutes before the next score arrived as Conor Small placed Tiernan McLarnon to fire over and Small kicked an injury-time free to narrow the gap to one at the halfway stage with St Brigid’s leading 1-2 to 0-4.
It took a while for the second half to spring into action but eventually this game came to life with Oran Downey finishing two fine moves to leave a goal between them and although Small replied with a pair of frees to leave the minimum in it once more, it was the hosts who found another gear.
They would hit nine points without reply to put themselves in a commanding position with the impressive James Smyth fisting over to spark them into life. Conor McAleer then converted a free before half-time substitute Peter Lundy split the posts and then set up Ronan Boyle and suddenly there was five between them.
Creggan were finding it difficult to find a man from their kick-outs as St. Brigid’s pushed up and were winning nearly everything that was thrown at them and after Michael Cummings added another to put six between them, it would get worse for the visitors on 49 minutes as Tiernan McLarnon was shown black for a drag down.
McAleer kicked the free but there was no let-up from St Brigid’s as Niall Duffy got in on the act. McAleer added another free and Smyth brought his tally for the evening to 1-3 as the gap was now out to 10 in a period where the home side were totally dominant.
The game was over now and although Small kicked frees either side of a McAleer point for the home side, they were mere consolation scores with Joseph Finnegan close to putting a real gloss on it for the hosts late, but his shot canoned off the bar.
It wouldn’t matter as the points were long since secured by St Brigid’s who maintained their winning start to the season.
St. Brigid’s: D Heery; F McKernan, P King, J McCarney; R Carleton, J Finnegan, S Campnell; R Boyle (0-1), M Cummings (0-1); J Logue, O Downey (0-2), J Smyth (1-3); N Duffy (0-1), C McNicholl (0-1f), C McAleer (0-4, 3f).
Subs: P Lundy (0-1) for J Logue (HT), J Toner for J McCarney (54), R McErlean for C McNicholl (54), S Boyle for M Cummings (58), B McGurk for P King (58).
Creggan: O Kerr; C McCann, E Carey-Small, Jake McAteer; A Maguire, R McCann, O Hampsey; K McCann (0-1), D McGuckin; S Duffin, Joe McAleer, T McLarnon (0-1); D McAteer, A McKeown, C Small (0-6, 5f, 1m).
Subs: P Coey for A McKeown (HT), D McCann for D McGuckin (53), S McAuley for O Hampsey (57).
Referee: R Matthews (Rossa)