O’Neill’s All-County Football League Division One
Lámh Dhearg 1-16-3-18 Cargin
By Kevin Herron at Hannahstown
Cargin bounced from successive league defeats in the meeting between last year’s league and championship winners at Hannahstown this afternoon.
Two Michael Magill goals had Cargin in the ascendancy at the break and Tomas McCann struck his sides third just minutes after the restart – Conor Murray rifled home for Lámh Dhearg late on but it was the men from Toome who headed back to base with two league points in the bag.
Michael McCann shot the visitors into an early lead at Hannahstown but Lámh Dhearg began brighter and hit three successive points in reply.
Kevin Quinn broke the ball from Gerard Walls kick-out and Paddy Cunningham soon picked up possession and sent the ball high between the posts.
Michael McGuickin’s subsequent kick-out was lost cleanly to Pearse Fitzsimons who laid the ball into the path of the advanced Brendan McComb who gave his side the lead for the first time.
Lámh Dhearg were pushed up high early on and after McGuickin kicked a ball over the line – Conor Murray combined with younger sibling Ryan who angled his shot and gave the Lámhs a 0-03-0-01 lead.
Tomas McCann cut the deficit through a converted free and on six minutes Cargin hit the opening goal of the game – Gerard Wall’s kick-out was claimed by John Carron who set his side on the attack, Ciaran Bradley’s fisted pass picked out Michael Magill who rifled past Walls to give his side a 0-03-1-02 lead.
The men from Toome had their tails up and three further points followed in succession; two from the boot of Tomas McCann with goal scorer Magill claiming his first of the afternoon.
Paddy Cunningham converted a free and ended the visitors run of 1-04 without response but Cargin were dominant in midfield and continue to cause problems and increase their tally.
Tomas McCann kicked over his fourth point of the half and Ciaran Bradley followed suit within sixty seconds – Cargin made it three on the spin for the second time in the half as the lively Enda McGrogan claimed possession from the resulting kick out and the ball eventually made its way to David Johnston who angled the ball over the bar.
Again it was Paddy Cunningham, who briefly ended Cargin’s momentuem with his third score of the half but Ciaran Bradley hit back to give his side a 0-05-1-09 lead ten minutes before the break.
Lámh Dhearg suffered a further blow after a heavy hit on Ryan Murray saw the Antrim corner-forwards afternoon come to a premature end and the subsequent free from Kevin Quinn tailed wide.
Cargin almost had their second goal through James Laverty who saw his low drive parried by Walls in the Lámh Dhearg goal; Paddy Cunningham brought his tally to 0-04 with a point but with five minutes of the half remaining the Toome men scored the second goal that their play had threatened through ace marksman Magill and Cargin were 0-06-2-09 to the good.
Patrick Larkin’s tenacity led to Brendan McComb hitting his second point of the afternoon in response and after Kevin Quinn burst forward and popped the ball off to Eoghan McKeown – the pacy wing-half forward shot over the bar to reduce the deficit to seven at the break, 0-08-2-09.
Lámh Dhearg hit the first score of the second-half through Ciaran Flaherty though Cargin all but secured the spoils as Michael McGuickin’s kick out was claimed by Michael McCann who burst forward – the visitors committed numbers and with an overload on the back post Tomas McCann palmed the ball to the net past Stephen Tully to give Cargin a three-goal lead, 0-09-3-09.
McCann hit a further two scores; converting a free after a foul from Patrick Larkin and after Stephen Tully came forward to take a 45’ the ball dropped short and Cargin quickly turned defence to attack – momentarily a goal chance presented itself but the final delivery to McCann made the angle difficult the full-forward instead opted for a point.
Kevin Quinn hit his first point of the afternoon after Aaron McAufield battled to win back possession – the wing-half forward and team mate Cunningham shot wide in the aftermath but things were looking slightly more promising as Declan Lynch linked up with Brendan McComb for the number seven’s third point of the afternoon.
As well as carrying out his attacking duties well; McComb was at the right place at the right time to block off a Tomas McCann goal chance, the ball rebounded back to McCann who popped the ball over the bar at the second time of asking.
Three was proving the magic number for Cargin – Enda McGrogan scored a point that his afternoon play merited and for the third time in the encounter the Toome outfit made it three points without reply thanks to McCann who brought his personal tally to 1-08 and increased his sides lead, 0-11-3-14.
Lámh Dhearg responded with three successive points of their own – Paddy Cunningham hit back to back scores with a point from play and the other from a converted free and after Declan Lynch got a hand to a McGuickin kick-out; he made space for himself and floated the ball over the bar to reduce arrears.
Michael McCann and Ciaran Bradley hit back to back scores to give Cargin all eleven-point cushion with five minutes remaining – Lámh Dhearg had rarely tested goalkeeper Michael McGuickin in the Cargin goals until Paddy Cunningham’s quick free released substitute Mark Finnegan whose shot crashed off the large post and back into play.
Finnegan turned provider for the next score as fellow substitute Declan Dunne slid in but his shot scooped over the bar when he had intended it to drop under.
The Lámhs hit the net with little under two minutes remaining as Paddy Cunningham’s ball across the face of goal was gathered by Dunne who popped the ball into the path of Conor Murray and the Murray rifled past McGuickin to reduce the deficit to two goals, but it was too little too late at 1-16-3-16.
Two Tomas McCann converted frees finished the afternoon scoring as Cargin deservedly got back on the winning track again.
Lámh Dhearg: G Walls, P Larkin, A McAufield, M McGarry, D Lynch (0-02), P Mervyn, B McComb (0-03), P Fitzsimons, C Murray (1-00), E McKeown (0-01), C Flaherty (0-01), K Quinn (0-01), P Cunningham (0-06,0-02f) , T McCrudden, R Murray (0-01). Subs: M Finnegan for R Murray (22 mins), S Tully for G Walls (31 mins), D Bellew for M McGarry (44 mins), D Dunne (0-01) for B McComb (48 mins), B Rice for C Flaherty (52 mins).
Cargin: M McGuickin, M Keegan, M Kane, G McCorleey, M Clarke, K O’Boyle, J Laverty, G McCann, J Carron, D Johnston (0-01), M McCann (0-02), E McGrogan (0-01), C Bradley (0-03), T McCann (1-10, 0-04f), M Magill (2-01). Subs: K McShane for E McGrogan (50 mins).
Referee: Danny O’Neill (Gort Na Mona)