ACFL Division One
Lamh Dhearg 1-10-3-06 Portglenone
By Kevin Herron from Hannahstown
Portglenone demonstrated the importance of timing as goals at the beginning and the end of the game helped them edge Lamh Dhearg 3-06-1-10 at Hannahstown this evening.
Chasing a fourth successive league win – the hosts were rocked early on by Michael Hagan’s goal and trailed 1-04-0-06 at the interval.
Ronan Kelly then gave the Ports a 2-05-0-06 lead before Gerard Slane goaled for the Lamhs to give them renewed hope.
An edgy game was on a knife-edge with minutes remaining but Kelly doubled his goal tally for the evening with just minutes of normal time remaining and the visitors went back to base with the spoils after a fierce and feisty encounter.
The Lamhs went into the contest looking for a fourth successive win which would have elevated them above this evenings visitors – but were hit with an early sucker-punch inside the first minute and a half.
They failed to deal with a high hanging ball into the area which was seized upon by Ronan Kelly whose popped pass found Michael Hagan – Hagan showed composure and rifled in at the near post past John Finucane to give his side a 1-00-0-00 lead.
Paddy Cunningham responded with an excellent free which curled over but at the other end Hagan did likewise from the same scenario to leave his goal separating the sides with almost ten minutes played.
Ryan Murray and Patrick Kelly (free) traded scores and the visitors goalkeeper Ryan O’Neill would breathe a huge sigh of relief at the midway point in first-half proceedings.
O’Neill made a hash of a clearance that fell to Conor Murray – Murray went for the spectacular and lofted the ball over the back peddling goalkeeper and towards the empty net, only for O’Neill to somehow turn the ball over at full stretch at the expense of a point and treatment for a back injury sustained in doing so.
The Portglenone keeper was able to continue and when the game got back underway it was his side who clinched the next score after a patient passing move saw Ronan Kelly fire between the posts to make it 1-03-0-03 with little over ten minutes to the break.
Lamh Dhearg closed the gap to the bare minimum with the ever reliable Paddy Cunningham converting back to back frees in the space of three minutes.
Michael Hagan tagged his second free of the evening in response as the Ports continued to hold the Lamhs at bay.
Minutes before the break Portglenone survived a second scare – a probing move saw Gerard Slane pick up the reins and head direct for the target before offloading to Paddy Cunningham – Cunningham saw his close range shot blocked and the rebound fell to Ryan Murray whose strike crashed off the underside of the bar and was eventually scrambled behind.
A score was forthcoming however as Cormac Hannon converted a ‘45’ at the second time of asking but Lamh Dhearg had work to do at the interval – trailing 1-04-0-06.
Ronan Kelly extended his sides lead with a point moments after the restart and then rocked the hosts further – going through one-on-one with John Finucane and steering the ball beyond the reach of the Lamhs shot stopper, despite Finucane getting hands to it.
2-05-0-06 down the home side needed a quick-response and on 38 minutes they found a lifeline – half-time substitute Ryan Straney picked up possession and shaped for a shot that was dipping low and the fist of Gerard Slane diverted the ball beyond the reach of Ryan O’Neill and into the Ports net to make it a two-point game once more (2-05-1-06).
Hagan’s third free of the evening gave his side a three-point cushion – although Paddy Cunningham landed a remarkable free from range and Ryan Straney shot over from the tightest of angles to put the bare minimum between the sides with little over ten minutes to play.
Lamh Dhearg pressed for the equalising score but Portglenone were proving difficult to break down – though with four minutes to play the opportunity arrived through a free that was moved forward for protests by referee Eamon McAuley.
Paddy Cunningham didn’t crack under the pressure and cooly converted his fifth of the evening to draw the sides level for the fist time in proceedings (1-09-2-06).
But Lamh Dhearg shot themselves in the foot after working so hard to get back on level terms – the resulting kick-out was fumbled in midfield and Portglenone broke onto the loose ball; which was worked into the path of Ronan Kelly who turned and fired to the net to make it 3-06-1-09.
Michael Hagan had the chance to double his goal tally late on – but shot wide from a promising position.
Lamh Dhearg were forced to go for broke and Paddy Cunningham kicked his sixth point of the evening late-on.
A dramatic and late goal was beyond the hosts in the end as Portglenone claimed a scalp at Hannahstown and headed homewards with two well deserved league points.
Lamh Dhearg: J Finucane, C Nolan, P Larkin, R Diamond, B Rice, M Herron, P Mervyn, P Fitzsimons, C Hannon (0-01 45’), E McKeown, G Slane (1-00), C Murray (0-01), P Cunningham (0-06f), R Murray (0-01), D Lynch. Subs: R Straney (0-01) for C Hannon (31 mins), D Bellew for C Nolan (41 mins), T McCrudden for G Slane (46 mins), M Finnegan for R Murray (black card sub – 50 mins), C McIlvenny for B Rice (56 mins).
Portglenone: R O’Neill, J Convery, C McLaughlin, R Delargy, M Kelly, N Delargy, C Tierney, N McKeever, F O’Kane, C Delargy, M Hagan (1-03, 0-03f), P Kelly (0-01f), R Kelly (2-02), D McAleese, R Convery. Subs: C McKenna for C Delargy (47 mins), M Graham for F O’Kane (63 mins).
Referee: E McAuley (Erins Own)