LOCC Solicitors
Intermediate Football Championship
Quarter-Final
St James, Aldergrove 1-13 All Saints, Ballymena 2-8
Saturday September 7
Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc Uí Cheallaigh, Portglenone
When Rory McVeigh pointed for the second time in the half to leave five between the sides in the 41st minute, this quarter-final looked over. Aldergrove had just lost their ace marksman, Seamus McGarry to a black card following a yellow barely three minutes earlier and All Saints looked to be heading to a comfortable victory. McGarry had scored five of Aldregrove’s points up to that moment and the Crumlin side were facing another early elimination from the championship.
What transpired in the final quarter was championship football at it’s finest. All Saints were caught in the ‘stick or twist’ scenario, protect what we have or go for the jugular. Aldergrove chipped away at the Ballymena sides lead with Kian Jones and Conor Morris leading the charge. The pivotal moment came with four minutes of the match remaining and All Saints can’t say they hadn’t been warned. Aldergrove had moved Ronan Hanna to the edge of the square, giving them an outlet and a target man with a long ball. He was giving the Ballymena men all they wanted and more and had already gone close to scoring a major 12 minutes earlier. When he found the net in the 56th minute, Aldergrove took the lead and had their opponents rattled. The All Saints pushed for the scores they needed, gave everything they had in the time that remained but ultimately came up short at the end of a breath-taking hour of championship football.
Aldergrove started this tie superbly and had scored two points in the opening minute. Seamus McGarry evading the close attentions of the All Saints defence to find the target twice to give the St James’ men the perfect start.
All Saints were enjoying plenty of possession in the opening exchanges but weren’t turning it into points on the scoreboard. Two wides, a shot dropped short and Aldergrove ‘keeper Shane O’Neill denying Kavan Keenan a goal with a fine save – all in the opening five minutes. After the initial burst from Aldergrove however, the Ballymena men were in control and scored their first goal and score in the eighth minute. Rory McVeigh punching the ball to the back of the net, wrong footing ‘keeper O’Neill in the process after good work by Eoghan Daly in the build-up.
A free from Michael McCarry and a fine score from Sean McVeigh gave the All Saints a deserving three point lead in the minutes that followed before Seamus McGarry fired over his third point of the game and his first free in the 24th minute. McCarry (free) and Kian Jones’ first of the match preceded another McGarry free in the 25th minute to leave the minimum between the sides but All Saints and Conor Stewart finished the half on top.
The young midfielder was having a major influence on this quarter-final with his range of passing and ability to break the line and he put his side in a superb position with his exploits in the closing minutes. First splitting the uprights in the last minute of 30 before scoring his sides second major in injury time. Sean McVeigh providing the last pass and while he had work to do, Stewart powered through the Aldergrove defence before finishing smartly to give All Saints a five point lead at the short whistle.
All Saints had deserved their lead at the interval. Stewart’s major added gloss but they were showing more attacking intent and had the players to break the line. The game to create something from nothing while Aldergrove lacked a cutting edge in the opening 30 minutes. Once All Saints kept a closer eye on McGarry, they looked in control.
Rory McVeigh added to his early goal when he pointed to give All Saints a six point lead moments after the restart and while McGarry and Jones responded for Aldergrove, they were dealt a major blow when they lost McGarry. Minutes after receiving a yellow card, the Aldergrove forward was black carded after referee Conal Roberts consulted with his umpires. Five points down and a man less for the next 24 minutes, Aldergrove were starring into the championship abyss and when Rory McVeigh split the posts to take his tally to 1-2 for the match, the writing was on the wall for the St James’ men.
They rejigged their team though and moving Hanna onto the edge of the square they looked more dangerous. They had a major goal threat and he created a goal chance for Gerard Mallon before bringing the best out of All Saints ‘keeper McAvoy himself. McCarry pointed for his first from play in the 42nd minute between times but the last 15 minutes belonged to Aldergrove.
Conor Morris landed points either side of Hanna’s first of the match to leave three between the sides with ten minutes remaining. Midfielder Stewart replied for the Saints in the 51st minute but that was to be their last score of the game as minor star Jones took centre stage. He scored his third point of the game before assisting for Hanna’s major. Intercepting a kick out, Jones passed to Hanna and while the All Saints defence dallied, Hanna showed the composure required to find the back of the net to bring parity to the sides with four minutes remaining.
Aldergrove were in the ascendancy and despite their numerical disadvantage, they looked more likely to push for the winner. That moment came in the first minute of injury time, Jones showing maturity beyond his years to land his fourth point of the match and give Aldergrove the lead.
Despite close to eight minutes of injury time, the Ballymena men couldn’t get the score needed to revitalise their championship hopes. Gerard Mallon pointed the insurance score in the seventh minute of injury time and while McCarry saw a late goal bound effort acrobatically saved, Aldergrove saw out the time that remained.
They now progress to a meeting with either Glenavy or St Pauls while All Saints will be wondering how they let this one slip.
Aldergrove: Shane O’Neill; Paul Cushley, Ferdia Carson, Ronan Wilkinson; Oisin Graham, Christopher McVey, Conor Totten; Ryan Owens, Brian McQuillan; Kian Jones, Fearghal Burke, Ronan Hanna; Conor Morris, Gerard Mallon, Seamus McGarry.
Scorers: Seamus McGarry 0-5 (2 f’s); Kian Jones 0-4; Ronan Hanna 1-1; Conor Morris 0-2; Gerard Mallon 0-1.
All Saints: Steven McAvoy; Joe Rocks, Rhys O’Mullan, James Gillan; Ciaran McGarry, Damian Kelly, Emmet Killough; Sean McVeigh, Conor Stewart; Michael McCarry, Eoghan Daly, Kavan Keenan; Shea O’Brien, Rory McVeigh, Eoin Campbell.
Scorers: Conor Stewart 1-2; Rory McVeigh 1-2; Michael McCarry 0-3 (2 f’s); Sean McVeigh 0-1.
Referee: Conall Roberts (St John’s)
