O’Neill’s Division One All-County Football League
Aghagallon 1-12-0-18 Lámh Dhearg
By Kevin Herron at Pairc Na nGael
Lámh Dhearg showed remarkable determination to leave Pairc Na nGael with two-league points after a hard fought 1-12-0-18 win over Aghagallon this evening.
The warm elements and a water break a quarter of the way through the game helped the Lámhs -who found themselves 1-06-0-01 behind inside of ten minutes after Euan Walsh’s high ball dropped to the net.
Scores from Brendan McComb, Ryan Murray and Kevin Quinn kept the Hannahstown men in contention at the break and the game was on a knife-edge until late on when three unanswered points sealed back to back league victories.
Aghagallon came racing out the traps early on at Pairc Na nGael and shot themselves into a five-point lead before Lámh Dhearg were able to muster a response.
Euan Walsh popped up with the opening score before Ruairi Loughran converted a free, Dessie Marshall then conjured up a lovely score off the right foot and a double from Niall McShane had Aghagallon 0-05-0-00 ahead against the shell-shocked visitors.
A driving run from Ben Rice yielded Lámh Dhearg’s first response from the wing-half forward – but Dessie Marshall doubled his account for the evening before the a freakish opening goal had the hosts 1-06-0-01 to the good.
Euan Walsh looked to have hit his side’s seventh point of the evening but his high punt forward dropped and despite the best attempts of Mark McIlvenny in the Lámh Dhearg goal, the ball squirmed into the net and Aghagallon were on in dreamland.
Lámh Dhearg were in urgent need of a lift and three successive scores appeared to help their cause midway through the half – Brendan McComb’s marauding burst forward resulted in a fine point before Stephen Tully showed great vision to pop the ball over, then Ben Rice showed great tenacity to dispossess Aghagallon and after a cross field switch McComb conjured up his second of the evening to make it 1-06-0-04.
On the resumption of the water break Aghagallon inched 1-07-0-04 ahead through a second converted Ruairi Loughran free of the half, but Lámh Dhearg would outscore the hosts 0-06-0-03 in the lead up to the break.
Kevin Quinn converted a free in response to Loughran’s and despite Francis Bustard kicking his side six ahead once more three scores on the spin halved the deficit approaching the break – Christopher Nolan’s turnover in defence saw Lámh Dhearg hit the offensive and Ryan Murray struck his first of the evening.
A second would follow for the nippy corner-forward with Kevin Quinn splitting the posts in between as Aghagallon’s lead was cut to three, 1-08-0-08.
Euan Walsh kicked his sides final score of the half but Murray and Quinn responded with late points as Lámh Dhearg trailed 1-09-0-10 at the break.
Lámh Dhearg cut the gap within thirty seconds of the restart – Pearse Fitzsimons broke the ball at midfield and an excellent burst from Kevin Quinn was followed by a score for his fourth of the evening.
Brendan McComb and Quinn both missed the chance to level but with almost ten minutes gone in the second period Ryan Murray converted a 45’ that was brought for dissent to level for the first time at 1-09-0-12.
Mark Finnegan and Domhnall Nugent then entered the fray for the visitors and Nugent made his presence felt and showed his great aerial ability under the high ball.
Aghagallon regained the initiative after referee Fionntan McCotter adjudged Michael Herron to have illegally fouled and substitute Shane Russell sent the free between the posts – though Ryan Murray converted a pressure kick at the other end from a converted free to level for the second time in the half.
Ruairi Loughran edged his side ahead once more but the hosts had goalkeeper Gavin O’Neill to thank for denying substitute Finnegan 12 minutes from time – Finnegan was slipped through and bore down on goal however his low drive was parried clear by a relieved O’Neill.
Instead it fell to Ryan Murray to tie the sides for the third time through a converted free from a difficult angle on the right and with ten minutes to play it was 1-11-0-14.
The Lámhs were ahead for the first time with nine minutes remaining through substitute Declan Lynch whose fine shot sailed between the posts – though it was a short-lived lead as Ruairi Loughran’s high drive dropped over the crossbar to restore parity for the fourth time.
With four minutes remaining Gerard Slane edged Lámh Dhearg in front for just the second time – though it would be decisive on this occasion as the visitors were able to execute their game management.
Ryan Murray kicked his seventh and final point of the evening from a converted free and three minutes into injury-time Kevin Quinn sealed the deal and Lámh Dhearg left Pairc Na nGael victorious – having lost both of the corresponding fixtures last season.
Aghagallon: R O’Neill, A Mulholland, D Donnelly, M McKenna, P Mulholland, P Branagan, M McStravick, E Walsh (1-02), J Lenehan, F Bustard (0-01), C Farr, C Brady, N McShane (0-02), D Marshall (0-02), R Loughran (0-04, 0-02f). Subs: S Russell (0-01f).
Lámh Dhearg: M McIlvenny, C Nolan, A McAufield, M McGarry, G Slane (0-01), M Herron, B McComb (0-02), P Fitzsimons, C Hannon, B Rice (0-01), C Flaherty, K Quinn (0-05, 0-01f), R Murray (0-07, 0-04f), S Tully (0-01), T McCrudden. Subs: M Finnegan for T McCrudden (40 mins), D Nugent for C Hannon (40 mins), D Lynch (0-01) for S Tully (50 mins), J Trainor for B McComb (52 mins), A Byrne for B Rice (59 mins).
Referee: Fionntan McCotter (Sarsfields)
Photographs: Bert Trowlen