Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship Quarter-final
Lamh Dhearg 1-13-0-11 Creggan
From Kevin Herron at Chapel Hill
Lamh Dhearg powered into the semi-final of Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship after a 1-13-0-11 win over Creggan at Chapel Hill this evening.
An exhibition of shooting from Paddy Cunningham accounted for 0-10 of his sides scores throughout the sixty minutes.
The Hannahstown men may have been under pressure – losing Conor Murray to a second yellow-card before the break, though Creggan lost Marty Johnson at the beginning of the second-half.
The decisive moment arrived with little over ten minutes remaining as Terry McCrudden claimed the games only goal to set his side on the way to the last four.
Last years beaten finalists Creggan went into the game as slight favourites – having twice beaten the 2017 winners in the league this season.
And the Staffordstown Road side registered the first score of the game through full-forward Conor Small.
A sensational Paddy Cunningham free levelled proceedings and although Small (free) restored his sides lead, Cunningham angled the ball over to level at 0-02-0-02.
The Hannahstown men hit the front through a converted free from Cunningham and the Lamhs Mr reliable doubled his sides lead on the 17th minute.
Creggan closed the gap through an impressive David McGuckin pop over the bar, though four unanswered points gave Lamh Dhearg a solid lead approaching the break.
Paddy Cunningham kicked three from frees and the energetic Eoin McKeown added a further point in-between as their side opened up a five-point advantage.
Conor Small (free) and Fintan Burke conjured up two scores before the break and they were handed a further boost on the stroke of half-time when referee Colm McDonald issued Conor Murray with a second yellow-card for dissent.
Although Lamh Dhearg retreated to the dressing room with a 0-08-0-05 lead at the interval the dismissal of Murray could have had dismal consequences for his side at the games resumption.
Creggan closed the gap within two minutes of the restart through a converted Ruairi McCann 45’ – but a super Marc Jordan point was followed by a sixth converted Paddy Cunningham free.
Marty Johnston received a yellow-card along with Cunningham for an off the ball tussle in the aftermath of the last score and moments later Johnston departed through a second yellow as parity was restored on the player count.
Two converted Conor Small free’s closed the gap to two points with little under a quarter of an hour remaining but the next score in the game would prove decisive.
The Lamhs fielding was phenomenal in the second period as Pearse Fitzsimons and Chris Nolan dominated the kick-outs, it was the turn of towering midfielder Fitzsimons who won a clean catch from John Finucane’s kick-out.
Fitzsimons quick pass put Ryan Straney in the clear and Straney had the presence of mind to burst forward and pick out substitute Terry McCrudden unmarked – McCrudden made no mistake, rifling past Oisin Kerr to give his side a 1-10-0-08 lead.
Paddy Cunningham then extended his sides lead with a smart point – although Conor Small brought his evenings tally to 0-07 with two further converted frees.
A tenth Paddy Cunningham score of the evening and a second point from infectious Eoin McKeown was their sides insurance scores.
Conor Small would add his sides last score in a frantic end to the game that saw Ryan Straney and Paddy Cunningham depart through second yellow-cards.
It mattered little as Creggan couldn’t penetrate a late strike and Lamh Dhearg saw the game out to advance on a scoreline of 1-13-0-11.
The Hannahstown men must wait a few days to see who will emerge from Wednesday evenings quarter-final replay between St Johns and Portglenone before knowing their semi-final opponents.
Lamh Dhearg: J Finucane, C Nolan, P Mervyn, M McGarry, R Straney, M Herron, B Rice, P Fitzsimons, D Smyth, E McKeown (0-02), C Murray, M Jordan (0-01), P Cunningham (0-10, 0-06f), R Murray, K Quinn. Subs: T McCrudden (1-00) for K Quinn (42); C McIlvenny for C Nolan (48).
Creggan: O Kerr, A Maguire, R Johnson, C McCann, R McCann (0-01 45’), M Johnson, S Maguire, C McCann, K Rice, F Burke (0-01), D McGuckin (0-01), E McAteer, O McLarnon, C Small (0-08, 0-07f), T McAteer. Subs: L Quinn for A Maguire (HT); O McAteer for T McAteer (50).
Referee: Colm McDonald (St Galls).
