U21 Football ‘B’ Championship – Semi-Final @ O’Cahan Park, Portglenone

Roger Casemenets, Portglenone 1-11 Dunloy Cuchullains 2-9

By Brendan McTaggart

While 99% of Gaels across the county were glued to the events at the Aviva on Tuesday evening, Dunloy and Portglenone were playing out a classic.  Under the floodlights of the superb surroundings at O’Cahan Park, the Cuchullains edged their South West rivals by the narrowest of margins in dramatic fashion to advance to the Final of the U21 ‘B’ Championship.

Both teams looked like they had the game won at different times in a superb contest between two evenly matched teams.  In the end, the Cuchullains did just enough to edge the home side but there was drama until the final whistle.  Missed chances, phantom points, superb scores and incredible misses.  This one had it all but and it wasn’t decided until deep into time added on at the end of the hour.

With the game entering the second minute of injury time and the sides tied, Portglenone appeared to have won it when they took the lead through Michael Hagan’s fourth point of the match. However Dunloy went straight down the field from the kick out to score the game’s decisive goal thanks to midfielder Callum Scullion who beat two defenders before adding to his first half effort, when he found the back of the Casement’s net in the third minute of injury time.  There was still time for more drama as Hagan added another point to reduce the lead to the minimum but time wasn’t on Portglenone’s side as referee Gerard Dougan called a halt to it all on the kick-out.

It was an incredible match that really had everything.  Both teams played an attractive brand of football and in the closing stages they threw caution to the wind in search of the decisive scores.  Fergal O’Kane in midfield for the home side had an outstanding game, covering every blade of grass for his side while Hagan was proving to be a handful for the Cuchullains defence.  Deáglan Smith at centre half for Dunloy was a huge influence on the game with his searing runs from deep adding another dimension to a lively attack but it was midfielder Callum Scullion who proved to be the difference between the sides with a man of the match performance.  The 18 year old scored two goals from midfield with his first a superb individual score while his second proved to be the match winner in an excellent display for the Cuchullains.

The match proved to be a slow burner with four scores shared equally in the opening 15 minutes.  Liam McCann and Scullion points for the Cuchullains sandwiched by two points from McLarnon.  Portglenone were playing some fast and incisive football and at times cut through the heart of the Dunloy defence.  With more composure, they would have tested Cochrane in the Dunloy goals but the Cuchullains defended for their lives to keep the home side out.

The visitors hit a purple patch in attack and dominated the midfield exchanges in the closing stages of the first half.  Four points unanswered in the space of five minutes from Conal Cunning (two), Deáglan Smith and Eoin O’Neill put the Cuchullains firmly in control before Stephen Kelly stopped the rot for the Casements with his 24^th minute point.

The first goal of the game came just two minutes later, Scullion ghosting past Kelly before finding the top corner of Ryan O’Neill’s goal from an acute angle to give the Cuchullains a six-point lead.  Portglenone hit back though and in the first minute of injury time scored the goal that that brought them back into this semi-final.  Hagan’s effort at a point was partially blocked and looked to be slipping wide, but Kelly gathered possession and although he still had plenty of work to do, he drilled a ferocious effort beyond Frankie Cochrane in the Dunloy goals.

Half Time Portglenone 1-3 Dunloy 1-6

The game showed signs in the first half of opening up but in the second half we were treated to a classic.  Just eight minutes had past when the home side had restored parity to the score line with the introduction of Reece McDonnell proving to be a master stroke by the Portglenone management the scores coming from Fergal O’Kane (two) and McDonnell.  The trio of points meant the Casement’s had reeled off 1-3 without reply and although Keelan Molloy pointed in the 42^nd minute with the first score from a free by either side for the Cuchullains to regain the lead, the game was back in the melting pot.

Cunning and Hagan exchanged frees in the 48^th minute before the Cuchullains crafted another golden goal chance.  Both O’Neill and substitute Anthony Smith failing to find the back of the net when given the chance when it looked for all the world the goal was there for the taking.

Anthony Smith split the posts in the 52^nd minute before two points from Hagan (one free) tied the scores for the third time with just four minutes remaining.

There was still time for missed chances and drama aplenty.

Cuchullains Captain Cunning thought he had scored his fourth point of the match but for referee Dougan to change his mind after consultation with an umpire, and call his shot wide.  To the Cuchullains anger, Portglenone went up the pitch and took the lead for the first time in the match since the seventh minute, Hagan with the score in injury time.

The Cuchullains dug deep though and Scullion found the back of the Portglenone net in the third minute of injury time to all but seal Dunloy’s passage to the final.  Hagan halved the deficit with the last kick of the game but it’s the Cuchullains who advance to a Final showdown with Tír na nÓg.

SCORERS

Portglenone: Michael Hagan 0-5 (2 frees); Stephen Kelly 1-1; James McLarnon 0-2; Fergal O’Kane 0-2; Reece McDonnell 0-1

Dunloy: Callum Scullion 2-1; Conal Cunning 0-3 (1 free); Liam McCann 0-1; Eoin O’Neill 0-1; Keelan Molloy 0-1 (1 free); Deáglan Smith 0-1; Anthony Smith 0-1

Portglenone: Ryan O’Neill; Ryan McGuigan; Brian Lewis; Cormac Mooney; Ronan Delargy; Declan Dobbin; Conor McGhee; Fergal O’Kane; Paul McAleese; Ronan Kelly; Michael Hagan; Caolan Tierney; Ryan Convery; Stephen Kelly; James McLarnon

Dunloy: Frankie Cochrane; Anton McGrath; Conor Kinsella; Aaron Crawford; Ciaran Doherty; Deáglan Smith; Chrissy McMahon; Oisin McPoland; Callum Scullion; Oran Shivers; Keelan Molloy; Ryan Elliott; Conal Cunning; Eoin O’Neill; Liam McCann

Gerard Dougan (Creggan)