ACFL Division One
St Mary’s Ahoghill 0-04 Kickham’s Creggan 3-13
Kickham’s Creggan got off to a flying start to the 2021 season when, despite being without the services of their county panel, they travelled down to Clooney on Sunday and returned with both points, proving far too strong for the St Mary’s men.
Little separated the sides in the opening phase and in fact the home side opened positivity in the opening exchanges with a a James O’ Connell point to take the lead and more than a few chances went a begging before Jamie Mc Cann split the posts at the other end.
The central defender’s score seemed to light the touch paper in the ranks of the green and Gold and a superb Paddy Cooey goal gave them the lead and aided them to a 1-05 to 0-02 interval advantage.
Cooey went on to raise a trio of white flags in sequence, with big full forward Tiernan Burke adding another.
The arrival on the scene and point from his first touch by PJ O’ Connell in the latter stages of the half hinted at better to come from the Clooney men, but although he went on to double his tally just after the restart the visitors were to dominate the remainder of the game.
James O’ Connell added to the Ahoghill tally with a super finish from 45 metres just after the restart but when replacement Dominic Mc Ateer seized on a defensive mix up to find the net a few minutes later the Kickham’s men were on the march.
McAteer really caught the eye after his introduction was quick to add a couple of points to the major before Aiden Mc Keown, and corner back Sam Maguire followed suit.
The Creggan men had kicked on to lead 2-11 to 0-04 at the second water break and the die at such juncture was most certainly cast.
The home side tried hard in the last quarter but it was all in vain with Creggan, taking the opportunity to add a number of replacements, in complete charge and after the high fielding Tiernan Burke found the net Oran Mc Larnon, who had worked hard throughout, grabbed a late score to see the Kickham’s men breast the line at 3-13 to 0-04.
Teams
Ahoghill
Francis Neeson, Diarmuid Graham, James Magee, Bernard Graham, Eamon Brady, Paddy Dougan, Fionnbar O’ Neill, Tom Mc Glone, Patrick Graham, Eoin Graham, James O’ Connell (0-02), Dan O’ Neill, Ronan Graham, Colla Mc Donald
Subs
PJ O’ Connell (0-02) for D Graham
Eoin Neeson for C Mc Donald
Stephen O’ Connell for R Graham
Gerard Graham for D O’ Neill
Creggan
Leon Bonnes, Cory Ethan Small, Eunan Mc Ateer, Sam Maguire (0-01), Aodhan Maguire, Jamie Mc Cann (0-02), Ricky Johnston, Caolan Mc Cann, Dermot Mc Cann, Paddy Cooey (1-04), David Mc Guckin, Aiden Mc Keown (0-01), Sean Duffin, Tiernan Burke (1-01-02), Oran Mc Larnon (0-01)
Subs
Killian Burke for D Mc Cann
Dominic Mc Ateer (1-02) for D Mc Guckin
Joe Mc Ateer for S Duffin
Jake Mc Ateer for E Mc Ateer
Referee Karl Doherty (Rasharkin)