Northern Switchgear Senior Football Championship
Roger Casements, Portglenone 0-12 St John’s 1-9
Sunday September 8
Brendan McTaggart reports from Fr McGuigan Park, Ahoghill
An injury time goal, a late equaliser and a plethora of cards throughout. It was high drama at Fr McGuigan Park, Ahoghill on Sunday afternoon as Portglenone and St John’s renewed acquaintances with a semi-final place at stake but they couldn’t be separated after a pulsating hour and more of championship football.
Portglenone were in control for the majority of this quarter-final and could be forgiven for wondering how they’ve left this one behind. They held a five point lead with 20 minutes remaining and were still ahead by three when the eight minutes of injury time were announced, yet they needed a point from Conal Delargy in the last of those allotted minutes to force a replay.
A breath-taking encounter and a serious show of belief from the Corrigan Park side who played the final quarter of the game with 14 men after substitute Paul McGribben saw red in the 42nd minute. Portglenone had got their match-ups right on the day with Niall Delargy keeping Paddy McBride’s influence to a minimum while Shane Delargy followed Matthew Fitzpatrick around the pitch like an extra shadow. Misfiring from frees and squandering possession, the Johnnies got within touching distance and were putting Portglenone under pressure. Pressure that was brought on the Casements from their own doing. They went into their shells and tried to protect what they had, invited the pressure on and St John’s duly obliged.
Pearse Donnelly’s goal had an air on inevitability when it came. Maybe the manner of the goal wasn’t expected but St Johns had been knocking on the door and Donnelly’s major blew the door off the hinges in the seventh minute of injury time to give them the lead. Portglenone responded with Conall Delargy showing serious nerve to fire over the equalising score, earning him the man of the match accolade with his tally of 0-4 over the hour.
The opening exchanges were more chess like than football with both sides cancelling each other with their set ups. St Johns looked more capable of breaking the line and creating chances but Portglenone’s defence were equal to anything thrown at them as was the Johnnies defence at the opposite end of the field. Scoring chances were at a premium with neither side squandering possession but when turnover ball came, they were celebrated like points from players and fans alike at the Ahoghill venue.
The teams were tied on three points each after the opening quarter, Paddy Kelly, Ronan Kelly and Caolan Tierney finding their range with a brace from McBride (frees) and punched effort from Simon McDonagh the response for the Johnnies.
The second quarter belonged to the Casement’s however as they began to find space more readily and with Paddy Kelly, Ronan Kelly, Conall Delargy and Dermot McAleese finding their range with McBride’s third free of the half the only reply from the Corrigan Park side.
The St Johns challenge in the opening half was being hampered by a number of yellow cards and losing Ryan McNulty to a black after he dragged Paddy Kelly to the ground in the 21st minute. The St Johns management seemed to have a policy of substituting any players on a yellow card and with the enforced change of McNulty included, incredibly they had made four changes in the opening 30 minutes. There was plenty of off the ball incidents keeping the officials busy but Portglenone did enough at the end of the first half to earn their three point half time lead. (0-7 to 0-4)
The Casements stretched their advantage to four when Conall Delargy split the posts despite the close attentions of the St Johns defence. With Matt Fitzpatrick and Conal Kelly in midfield and Ronan McCafferty dropping into centre half at the start of the second half, St Johns needed something to happen to reignite their championship hopes. They looked to Brian Neeson to bring that spark when he came on late in the first half and he fired over a free in the 34th minute.
St Johns had the first clear sight of a goal chance moments later when Sean Wilson found Conor Johnston, putting him through on goal and despite two Portglenone defenders on his tail the St Johns man managed to get his shot away but Ryan O’Neill was equal to his effort and saved bravely from point blank range.
Portglenone were picking holes in the St Johns defence in the early exchanges of the second half and when Ronan Kelly fired over a brace of points (one free) in the 40th minute, the Casements held a five point lead and had all the momentum. They kept asking questions that the Johnnies had no answer to and while McBride brought the city men to within four points once again with his first point of the second half, they were dealt a major blow after Paul McGribben was sent off for an off the ball incident in the 42nd minute. With Neeson and ‘keeper Padraig Nugent also misfiring from frees, St Johns were increasing the pressure on themselves but it was McBride who, as he often is, the man to step up when his club needed him most.
A point and free either side of Conall Delargy’s third of the contest brought St Johns to within three points as the game ticked into injury time. Portglenone packed their defence and looked to protect what they had but the Johnnies had the bit between their teeth in the closing stages. A point from Ronan McCafferty kept their score ticking over before they scored the games only goal in the seventh minute of injury time. Fitzpatrick with a high ball into the heart of the Portglenone defence more in hope than by design. Normally a bread and butter ball for Ryan O’Neill to deal with but he lost possession and with Neeson being fouled referee Toland seemed to blow for a penalty. The players never heard the call and when the ball fell to Pearse Donnelly, he showed the required composure to find the back of the net.
As all in attendance looked at the clock on the big scoreboard at Fr McGuigan Park, Portglenone remained calm. Claiming the ball from the resulting kickout, they worked their way up the pitch to try and orchestrate one last chance. The ball fell to Conall Delargy 35 yards from goal and after what had transpired, the Portglenone management wouldn’t have wanted anyone else in that position. His fourth point of the match and the equalising point.
There was still time for more drama when Conor McEvoy saw red to reduce St Johns to 13 men but it had little impact on the result with time being called soon after.
It was hard hitting, high intensity and high-octane football with plenty going on needing the referee’s attention. It was by no means an easy game to officiate but Brendan Toland had a good game and got the big calls spot on. It will feel like a defeat for the Casements who are bound to be deflated having gained what felt like a winning position with three minutes remaining while the Johnnies can breathe again, despite the concession of the late equaliser.
The best thing about it? We get to enjoy it one more time.
TEAMS
Portglenone: Ryan O’Neill; Johnny Convery, Shane Delargy, Ryan Convery; Ronan Delargy, Dermot McAleese, Caolan Tierney; Niall McKeever, Fergal O’Kane; Conall Delargy, Niall Delargy, Kieron McKenna; Ronan Kelly, Michael Donnelly, Paddy Kelly.
Subs: Ryan McGuigan for J Convery (56); Michael Kelly for P Kelly (57)
Scorers: Ronan Kelly 0-5 (2 f’s); Conall Delargy 0-4; Dermot McAleese 0-1; Caolan Tierney 0-1; Paddy Kelly 0-1.
Yellow Cards: C Tierney (43); P Kelly (46); S Delargy (46); N McKeever (52); N Delargy (56); D McAleese (inj); R McGuigan (inj); R Kelly (inj).
St Johns: Padraig Nugent; Michael Dudley, Ryan McNulty, Jack Bohill; Conal Bohill, Ciaran Garland, Sean Wilson; Ronan McCafferty, Simon McDonagh; Paddy McBride, Conal Kelly, Peter McCallin; Conor McEvoy, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Conor Johnston.
Subs: Paul McGribben for J Bohill (9); Pearse Donnelly for R McNulty (22); Adrian Oliver for C Garland (24); Brian Neeson for C Bohill (30); Domhnall Nugent for S McDonagh (44); Stephen Tierney for P McCallion (58).
Scorers: Paddy McBride 0-6 (5 f’s); Pearse Donnelly 1-00; Ronan McCafferty 0-1; Simon McDonagh 0-1; Brian Neeson 0-1 (1f).
Yellow Cards: J Bohill (4); C Garland (17); S McDonagh (28); M Fitzpatrick (56); A Oliver (inj); D Nugent (inj).
Black Cards: R McNulty (21).
Red Cards: Paul McGribben (42); Conor McEvoy (inj)
Referee: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)
