Creagh Concrete Minor Football Championship (semi final)
Erin’s Own Cargin 2-12 Patrick Sarsfield’s 0-09
Defending Champions Erin’s Own Cargin remain on course to retain their title when they came from off the pace to gain a berth in the 2020 Creagh Concrete Minor football championship final at the expense of a more than useful Patrick Sarsfield’s side at Hightown on Thursday evening.
The Toome lads started well as they raised four white flags without reply in the opening ten minutes, despite playing against the wind, but they lost their way as Sarsfields took over and they failed to score again for the remainder of the opening half, while the Paddies hit seven points on the trot to lead by o-7 to 0-4 at the break. They were made to work hard in the second half as well but they gradually wore down a tiring Sarsfields side and in the end booked their place in the county final with a bit to spare.
A clinically despatched 45 metre Benen Kelly in 5th minute saw the South West side open their account and when Conhuir Johnston added a couple and Paudie Mc Laughlin followed suit in the 10th minute they were in cruise control.
Sarsfields did take a time to settle however and having found the target as elusive in the extreme in the opening phase they found their feet and began to claw their way back.
With Joseph Mc Fauland Miceal Ferris dominating the centre of the park they got on the scoreboard just at the end of the first quarter with a Caomhin Kennedy point from a free.
A the half progressed the Cargin boys struggled to maintain the zest so evident in the early minutes. Paul Gorman doubled the Paddies total when sent away on the right by the impressive Conal Duffy to split the posts in the 17th minute and the city lads were very much in dominance.
Back to back points claimed by Joseph Mc Faul in the 21st and 23rd minutes saw Sarsfield’s draw abreast and when the under pressure Cargin lads yielded again a foul on the incoming Conal Duffy opened the way for full forward Caomhin Kennedy to send the resultant award between the posts the ‘Bear Pit’ residents were in full flow.
The Sarsfield’s show was really on the road as the opening period progressed and although the Cargin rearguard was functioning they were struggling to turn defence into attack and despite the positivity evident in the green and white in the opening minutes it was now missing and late points from the excellent Miceal Ferris saw seven whites raised without reply to give Sarsfield’s a 0-07 to 0-04 advantage at the break.
With wind advantage in the second half the champions set about getting back into the game and after early pressure Paudie McLaughlin pulled a point back and two on the bounce from full forward Conhuir Johnston saw them earn parity 0-07 apiece at the 38th minute.
Sarsfield’s regained the lead with a splendid 15th minute point from the cultured boot of mid fielder Miceal Ferris from out on the left wing gave them an 0-09 to 0-08 advantage at the second water break.
However the final quarter belonged to Cargin as they began to get on top of their tiring oppoents and Conhuir Johnston brought them level again soon after the resumption. They were back in front again when Sean Og O’ Neill who had impressed within the ranks of his senior side on the Championship trail on the previous week-end, was halted illegally on a forward trek and Conhuir Johnston punished the indiscretion with a pointed free to go 0-09 to 0-08 up.
PJ Quinn broke away on the left to send the ball between the Sarfields posts
before a sure finish by Paudie Mc Laughlin gave the Cargin lads a o-11 to 0-08 advantage
Sarsfield were now treading water as Cargin went four clear with another top class finish from Conhuir Johnston then a foul on Conhuir Johnston saw the man in charge signal a penalty which the hugely impressive Johnston despatched to the corner of the net.
Sarsfield’s to their credit battled on and Miceal Ferris raised a late white flag but in was merely token resistance by this stage and a PJ Quinn goal following a Shane Gribbon cross gave the Toome teenagers a slightly flattering 2-12 to 0-09 scoreline and into another meeting with last year’s opponents St Brigid’s in the final in nine days’ time.
Referee M Quinn (St Enda’s)
Cargin
Shea Laverty, Craig Thornton, Chair Donnelly, Conan Johnston, Malachi Johnston, Sean og O’ Neill, Conan Kennedy, Odhran Molloy, Eunan Quinn, PJ Quinn (1-01), Benen Kelly (0-01), Charlie Mc Cann, Tom Shivers, Conhuir Johnston (1-07), Paudie Mc Laughlin (0-03)
Subs
Shane Gribbon for C Mc Cann
Sarsfield’s
Jonathan Rogers, Caolan Mc Donnell, Pearse Murray, Joel Joly Panikalengza, Conal Duffy, Michael Johnston, Riun Mc Shane, Joseph Mc Faul (0-02), Miceal Ferris (0-04), Paul Gorman (0-01), Ruairi Devlin, Richie Patterson, Daniel Mullan, Caomhin Kennedy (0-02), Liam Mitchell
