Reserve Football Cup quarter-final
Lámh Dhearg 4-07 4-18 Portglenone
By Kevin Herron at Hannahstown
Portglenone recovered from a Lámh Dhearg revival to book their place in the semi-final of the reserve football championship and claim two points in the all-county reserve league in the process.
Rather than Portglenone travel for two games in a week, it was decided that the result would stand in the all-county league as well – the visitors had lead for the majority of the opening half until quick fire goals from Jack Trainor and Caithar Shannon had Lámh Dhearg ahead. Sean Paul Gibson found a fourth goal early in the second half as the Hannashstown men led by four, but Portglenone turned the game around with 2-08 without reply to book their place in the last four and claim two league points.
Portglenone made a bright start at Hannahstown and Ronan Kelly combined with Owen Doherty for the opening score after less than a minute, three minutes later Casements hit the opening goal of the game as the Lámh Dhearg defence failed to clear their lines and Kelly turned from provider to scorer – rifling past Mark McIlvenny in the Lámhs goal.
Lámh Dhearg missed two glorious goal chances themselves in the early stages as Cathair Shannon saw his shot charged down in the area and wing-half forward Daire Larkin saw his shot cannon off the crossbar with cousin Cormac Hannon sending the rebound wide of the post.
Owen Doherty increased his sides lead after ten minutes but within sixty seconds Lámh Dhearg had a route back into the game – Cormac Hannon burst through the visitors defence and just when it looked like he had overran the ball Hannon rounded Ryan O’Neill in the Portglenone goal, with little option O’Neill tripped the half-forward and referee Barry Coyle signalled for a penalty.
Gerard Slane took responsibility and cooly sent O’Neill the wrong way, blasting low into the right hand corner to reduce the deficit to two-points, 1-00-1-02.
Cormac Hannon converted free to put the bare minimum between the sides, though midway through the half Corey McLaughlin restored his sides two point advantage.
Sean Paul Gibson narrowed the margin again after bearing down on goal, but his subsequent shot flew over rather than under the bar.
Successive frees from Ronan Kelly and Owen Doherty increased Casement’s lead to free, however Mark Lynch and Gerard Slane combined and after Sean Paul Gibson laid the ball back into Slane’s path the centre half-back popped the ball between the sticks to make it 1-03-1-05.
Ronan Kelly popped the ball over the bar with Cormac Hannon atoning for an early missed free with a fantastic conversion from range at the other end. Kelly and Cathair Shannon traded further scores but on the stroke of half-time Tony Convery blasted low to the net to give Portglenone a five-point lead approaching the interval, 1-05-2-07.
The Lámhs showed powers of recovery though as Sean Paul Gibson’s through ball was gathered by Jack Trainor who charged through and fired low past Ryan O’Neill under pressure to make it 2-05-2-07.
Remarkably before Barry Coyle’s half-time whistle Lámh Dhearg completed a late turnaround and took the lead – Ryan Diamond burst through the heart of the Portglenone defence and fed Cathair Shannon who lobbed O’Neill and sent the ball into the empty net to give his side a 3-05-2-07 lead at the break.
Just like the first-half it was Portglenone who were first off the mark in the second period as Peter Duffin rounded Shane McKenna and popped the ball over to level.
Five minutes after the restart Lámh Dhearg restored the lead as scorer of the third goal, Cathair Shannon picked out the unmarked Sean Paul Gibson and the corner-forward rifled low past Ryan O’Neill to give the Lámhs a three-point lead.
Shannon converted a free within sixty seconds after Daire Larkin played a one-two with Hannon before he was upended and the hosts were 4-06-2-08 to the good.
But that was to be as good as it got for the Hannahstown men as they were very much on the back foot for the remainder of the half as Portglenone racked up 2-08 without reply.
Points from Mark Graham and a converted Ronan Kelly free halved the deficit approaching the 40 minute mark and on 41 minutes the visitors edged ahead again as Fergal O’Kane’s hand pass across the face of goal was scrambled home by a team mate to give his side a 4-06-3-10 lead.
Cathair Shannon almost hit back at the other end with a second lobbed shot which was destined for the goal but for a fist from a Portglenone defender to turn the ball off the line and instead three successive points courtesy of Stephen Kelly, O’Kane and Brendan Donnelly had Portglenone 4-06-3-13 infront midway through the second-half.
Ronan Kelly hit successive points from a converted free and another from play before Stephen Kelly hit his second point of the evening.
Lámh Dhearg had a sustained period of pressure in the aftermath of Kelly’s 48th minute point but it was to no avail and five minutes from timeStephen Kelly collected a Ryan O’Neill kick out on the halfway line and went on a mazy solo run which ended with the substitute rifling past McIlvenny to put the game beyond doubt at 4-06-4-16.
Cathair Shannon ended his sides scoreless twenty minute run with a 56th minute point , it was merely consolation however as Brendan Donnelly and a converted Mark Graham free gave Portglenone a 4-07-4-18 victory over the Lámhs who were reduced to fourteen men after the dismissal of Tony Brown late on.
Lámh Dhearg: M McIlvenny, T Brown, C Nolan, S McKenna, R Diamond, G Slane (1-01, 1-00f), M Lynch, S Tully, G Walls, D Larkin, C Hannon (0-02, 0-01f), J Trainor (1-00), M McGarry, C Shannon (1-03, 0-01f), SP Gibson (1-01). Subs: B McCrudden for M McGarry, C Klivert for G Slane.
Portglenone: R O’Neill, A McKeever, D McErlean, R McGuigan, P Graffin, P Carey, C McGhee, C McLaughlin (0-01), B Donnelly (0-02), R Kelly (1-06, 0-05f), O Doherty (0-03), F O’Kane (0-01), P Duffin (0-01), T Convery (1-00), M Graham (0-02, 0-01f). Subs: S Kelly (1-02).
Referee: Barry Coyle (St Paul’s)