ACFL Division One

Lámh Dhearg 1-06-1-13 Cargin

Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown

County champions and defending league winners Cargin kicked off their league campaign with a comfortable 1-13-1-06 win over Lámh Dhearg at Hannahstown on Sunday evening.

Playing without their respective county contingent presented opportunities for younger members of both panels to showcase themselves for the Championship later in the year.

Cargin had the advantage of the breeze in the opening half and went in front through a Brendan Laverty point before the experienced Kieran Close added another from a tight angle.

Declan Smith responded by converting a free that didn’t look favourable from the angle and kicking against the wind.

Both teams were evenly matched in the first ten minutes, but the visitors began to find pockets of space and took advantage.

Ciaran Bradley sent the ball between the posts and after Michael Hynds was robbed in possession the Toome side broke at pace with Kevin McShane rifling to the net via the underside of the bar to give his side a 1-03-0-01 lead.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when they lost Carl Maxwell and Padraig Mervyn inside the opening quarter of the game- with Maxwell needing to leave the pitch on a stretcher.

Cargin’s purple patch continued, and they landed the next four scores without reply, Paul McCann kicked two quality points with Bradley converting a free and Brendan Laverty doubling his account for the half.

The final four scores of the half were traded equally between the sides, Terry McCrudden landed his sides second score of the half from a placed ball with Kieran Close doing likewise back-to-back. An energetic burst saw Eoin Matassa get into a dangerous position and register the final score of the half for Lámh Dhearg – but they trailed 1-09-0-03 at the interval.

It took six minutes for the first score of the second period to arrive and it fell to the dominant visitors through Michael Clarke from direct in front of the posts. Terry McCrudden responded at the other end though with a fine point. 

Kieran Close landed his third free of the evening to leave double scores between the sides but Lámh Dhearg were awarded a penalty and a slight route back into the encounter.

Terry McCrudden seized responsibility and was denied by John McNabb who guessed the right way- however McCrudden made no mistake from the rebound and rifled it to the roof of the net to make it 1-11-1-04.

Cargin responded through a point from Justin Crozier before substitute Conor McVarnock saw his shot bounce in front of McNabb and over the bar, McCrudden then followed up with his third point of the evening.

They failed to make any further in-roads though and David Johnston wound up the scoring for the evening as the Toome side ran out 1-13-1-06 winners to kickstart their league defence.

Lámh Dhearg: M McIlvenny, R Murray, P Larkin, C Nolan, E Matassa (0-01), P Mervyn, M Hynds, P Fitzsimons, D Smith (0-01f), C Maxwell, M McGarry, D Larkin, D Murray, T McCrudden (1-03, 0-01f), D Straney. Subs: C McVarnock (0-01) for P Mervyn (18), C Hannan for C Maxwell (18), M Herron for D Larkin (39), F Mervyn for M Hynds (48), N McGarry for C Nolan (53).

Cargin: J McNabb, S og Quinn, K O’Boyle, G McCorley, S O’Neill, J Crozier (0-01), B Laverty (0-02), G McCann, K McShane (1-00), D Johnston (0-01), C Bradley (0-02, 0-01f), J Carron, K Close (0-04, 0-03f), P McCann (0-02), M Clarke (0-01).

Referee: Conall Roberts (St Johns)