U21 Football Championship Grading Round
Lamh Dhearg 1-13 Tir na nOg 0-9
Report by Aimee McAtamney. Photographs Bert Trowlen
Lamh Dhearg produced a strong finish to advance to the first round proper of the U21 Football Championship but not before they were given a fright by a battling Tir na nOg at Hannastown on Saturday. Despite dominating for 20 minutes of the second half Tír na nÓg failed to capitalise on their possession and Lamh Dhearg held their nerve to run out seven point winners
The Lamh’s were first off the mark when Mark Finnegan pointed a free off the ground in the opening minute but visitors Tir na nOg replied through Jack O’Mahoney to draw level after good approach work from Darragh Fegan and Ciaran Dobbin.
Ben Rice had the next opportunity on goal and broke through the blue’s defence but shot over the bar when he might have gone for goal. Lamh Dhearg continued to press and good work from Cameron Flynn came to nothing as Donal Nugent hit his team’s second wide after five minutes.
The Hannastown side continued to dominate and Finnegan pointed another free and eight minutes into the game they created a great opportunity after Finnegan knocked the ball to Ben Rice and received it back but a superb reflex save from Sean-Paul McAtamney saw the Randalstown net minder turn the ball wide for a 45. Finnegan made no mistake this time as he fired the ball over the bar to put his side three ahead.
Two minutes later Donal Nugent played the ball precisely over the top for Rice to run onto but once again Sean Paul McAtamney was equal to the task to keep his team in the game. Tir na nOg responded and Ciaran Dobbin hit the next two scores, one from play and one from a free to close the gap to a point but Lamh Dhearg hit back again and Eoin Mckeown set Daire Larkin up for the only goal of the game.
Lamh Dhearg pushed on from here with a point from Nugent and then the post denied Rice as he went for goal. Back came the visitors and Barry McCormick and Jack O’Mahoney linked up well to set up Darragh Fegan who sent over.
The visitors were giving as good as they got at this stage but McAtamney was called upon to deny Cameron Flynn as the home side threatened again and at the other end Conor Fitzgerald and Barry McCormick were off target as the Whitehill side tried to respond again.
Back came Lamh Dhearg as Padraig Mervin placed Martin Murphy for an opportunity which he skilfully dinked over the bar but again Tir na nOg hit back and Aodhan Toland and Darren McCormick registered points. Finnegan continued to show his prowess from the placed ball as he knocked over another 45 but Tir na nOg finished strongly as Aodhan Toland was fouled and Ciaran Dobbin put the resulting free over the bar leaving the half time score 1.7 (10) to 0.7 (7) in favour of the Hannastown men.
Matthew Watson was introduced for Niall Hughes in the Lamh Dhearg side at the start of the second half and three minutes into the half Tir na nOg’s Aaron Reid sustained an injury and was replaced by Darragh Kerr. Mark Finnegan became the second Lamh Dhearg man ordered to leave the pitch for a no gum shield offence and picked up a yellow card and not long after team mate Ben Rice was cautioned for the same offence
When normal service resumed both sides exchanged a number of wides with Mark Finnegan and Declan Mallon off target for the home side and Aaron McNeilly and Ciaran Dobbin equally wasteful for the visitors. The first score of the second half came in the 11th minute courtesy of Tir na nOg’s Jack O’Mahoney as Brendan Cunningham entered the fray for Cameron Flynn and Ben Rice fired over a Lamh Dhearg point to restore his side’s three point lead.
Tir na nOg tried to respond and Declan Mallon broke from defence and played the ball to Toland who passed it to Darragh Fegan but he saw his shot sail just the wrong side of the post. The visitors were now on top and a lot of the second half was played in the Hannastown half as Ciaran Dobbin reduced the deficit to 2 points from a free after a foul on full forward Toland.
Once again Lamh Dhearg found a response as Nugent came forward and spilt the posts. The visitors attempted to hit back but hit four wides in succession as Aaron McNeilly and Sean Duffin were off target as they failed to turn a period of good possession into scores
Lamh Dhearg punished their wastefulness with four unanswered points as they finished with a flourish from Padraig Mervin, the newly introduced John Boyd, Eoin McKeown and Mark Finnegan to leave the final score 1.13 (16) to 0.09 (9) in favour of the Hannastown side.
Lamh Dhearg: 1. A. Slane 2. J. Kennedy 3. P. Larkin 4. N. Hughes 5. J. Trainor 6. R. Stranney 7. R. Diamond 8. D. Larkin 9. D. Nugent 10. P. Mervin 11. M. Finnegan 12. E. Mckeown 13. P. Fegan 14. C. Flynn 15. B. Rice 17. G. Fegan 18. J. Boyd 21. B. Cunningham 22. M. Watson
Subs used: M. Watson for N. Hughes (30mins) J. Boyd for C. Flynn
Scorers: M. Finnegan (0.5- 2frees/2 45s), D. Larkin (1.0), B. Rice (0.2), D. Nugent (0.2), E. McKeown (0.2), P. Mervin (0.1), J. Boyd (0.1)
