U21 ‘B’ Football Championship
First Round
Aldergrove 1-7 Dunloy 4-8
Saturday October 28
By Brendan McTaggart
Dunloy advanced to the quarter-finals of the U21 ‘B’ football championship on Saturday afternoon with a 10 point win over 14 man Aldergrove. The Cuchullains showed no sign of a hangover from their heavy defeat to Rossa in the grading round as they accounted for the Crumlin side comfortably to set up a meeting with All Saints.
The Cuchullains cause was helped by a man of the match performance from dual star Conal ‘Coby’ Cunning, the Dunloy forward put on a stellar show for his side finishing the match with a personal tally of 2-5 while the other majors for the winners came from Keelan Molloy and Liam McCann.
The home side lost Michael Brazier late in the game, the Aldergrove man seeing red for a strike on one of the Cuchullains when the game threatened to descend into a fracas with a number of incidents bringing an abrupt end to the contest but the Cuchullains victory was already assured by that stage.
Playing with the wind in the first half at a soggy St James’ pitch, Dunloy were dominant from the first whistle with their pace and agility all over the pitch leaving Aldergrove chasing shadows for long periods of the first 30 minutes. Despite this though, they could only muster one point from their efforts in the opening nine minutes, Molloy with the first point of the match in the fourth minute.
The Cuchullains racked up four wides in the opening exchanges and while Aldergrove’s forays into the Dunloy half were few and far between, the fact that Dunloy hadn’t made the most of their control would have given them belief.
The Cuchullains persisted though, dominating possession and they were rewarded for their efforts with Cunning’s first goal of the match. Molloy providing the assist and Coby firing low beyond Christopher Teggart in the Aldergrove goals.
Indeed, were it not for the brilliance of Teggart between the sticks for the home side, the score line could have been even more favourable in the Cuchullains favour. Three times throughout the hour Teggart thwarted Dunloy when they looked nailed on to find the back of the net.
Full forward Paddy Morris scored the home sides first point of the match in the 14th minute but Cunning had already split the posts moments before to extend the Cuchullains lead. The second Dunloy goal came when forward Liam McCann intercepted a short kick out from Teggart. Taking full advantage and slotting low to find the back of the net in the 21st minute.
The third Dunloy major came just four minutes later, Cunning with the finish and Molloy with the assist again but Teggart was desperately unlucky to have been beaten when he superbly saved Cunning’s initial effort. Coby reacted quickest to the loose ball and found the back of the net in the 25th minute.
By the time star Aldergrove forward Seamus McGarry pointed a free in the 28th minute the Dunloy lead was already at 12 points and the home side had an uphill task in front of them after the restart. At the short whistle, the score was Dunloy 3-4 Aldergrove 0-2.
The sides swapped white flags in the opening exchanges with Brendan O’Callaghan and Cunning finding the range for their sides when a piece of individual brilliance from McGarry gave Aldergrove a glimmer of hope. Cutting through the heart of the Cuchullains defence, McGarry fired his shot goal ward but Frankie Cochrane was equal to his effort. The ball fell loose and McGarry made no mistake with his rebound to reduce the Aldergrove arrears to eight points after six second half minutes. Michael McCarthy pointed his first of three second half points to breathe further live into the St James’ side challenge but a brace of frees from Cunning in the 41st and 45th minute steadied the ship for the Cuchullains.
Nine points separated the sides when McCarthy scored back to back points for the home side in the 46th and 50th minutes but a superb individual goal from the rampaging Molloy in the 51st minute all but ensured the Cuchullains passage to the next round.
Molloy and McGarry swapped frees in the time that remained as the Cuchullains saw out the remainder of the game comfortably. The home side were reduced to 14 men in injury time, referee Kevin Parke sending Brazier off for an off the ball incident involving Callum Scullion when tempers threatened to fray but the dismissal had no effect on the outcome of the game. The Cuchullains advance after an impressive victory.
TEAMS
Aldergrove: Christopher Teggart; Michael Brazier; Stephen Johnson; Michael McCarthy; Brendan O’Callaghan; Tomás O’Callaghan; Michael Sheridan; Padraig Hanna; Ryan Owens; Gary Duffy; Seamus McGarry; Eoin Masterson; Michael Smart; Paddy Morris; Brendan McGuinness
Dunloy: Frankie Cochrane; Anton McGrath; Conor Kinsella; Aaron Crawford; Ciaran Doherty; Deaglan Smith; Chrissy McMahon; Oisin McPoland; Callum Scullion; Oran Shivers; Keelan Molloy; Ryan Elliott; Conal Cunning; Eoin O’Neill; Liam McCann
SCORERS
Aldergrove: Seamus McGarry 1-2 (2 frees); Michael McCarthy 0-3; Brendan O’Callaghan 0-1; Paddy Morris 0-1
Dunloy: Conal Cunning 2-5 (3 frees); Keelan Molloy 1-3 (2 frees); Liam McCann 1-00
Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Éanna)
PHOTOGRAPHS: BERT TROWLEN