Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship Group One
Lámh Dhearg 1-15-0-13 St Johns
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
Lámh Dhearg came from two-points behind at the break to seize the initiative in the proclaimed ‘Group of Death’ with a 1-15-0-13 win over St Johns at Hannahsotwn on Sunday evening.
The Johnnies made the much brighter start and only briefly fell behind to a Terry McCrudden goal in an opening half that saw Bam Nesson deny Paddy Cunningham from the spot.
It was a much improved second half display from the hosts with Ryan Murray and Conor Murray landing some terrific scores to complete the turnaround and ensure that the Hannahstown outfit join Champions Creggan at the summit and leave the Group poised for the conclusion in a fortnight.
St Johns came to Hannahstown with a degree of confidence after their opening day win over St Galls that saw them sit on top-spot until earlier in the afternoon when Creggan won at Miltown.
A tense opening day a fortnight ago saw Lámh Dhearg rally late and almost secure victory at the Champions until Ruairi McCann landed a pressure 45’ to share the spoils.
St Johns made the brighter start on a clammy Hannahstown evening with Matt Fitzpatrick curling over their first score.
Patrick McBride then angled over a second and confidence was high when brothers Ciaran and Conor Johnston combined to slip the ball to Ryan McNulty and he floated a shot inside the near post to have the Corrigan men 0-03 to the good.
A Ryan Murray point settled the hosts after a good interchange between Owen McKeown and Marc Jordan in the build-up.
The Johnnies restored their three-point advantage with McBride converting his first free of the evening, though Paddy Cunningham responded from the same scenario.
On 18 minutes the only goal of the game arrived, and it briefly had the hosts in the driving seat for the first time in the half.
Patience was the name of the game as Ryan Murray kept hold of the ball before offloading to Carl Maxwell in midfield, three team-mates would join in the attack which culminated in Terry McCrudden receiving a pass and steering a low shot past Bam Neeson and into the net to give his side a 1-02-0-04 lead.
But in the aftermath referee Sean Laverty decided to black-card Ben Rice for what he deemed an over exuberant celebration of the goal and the Lámhs were reduced to 14-men for a ten-minute spell.
Matt Fitzpatrick dropped a shot over the bar to tie things up for the first time and added his third point of the game with a confident shot that sailed between the posts.
Lámh Dhearg had the chance to hit the front again when Paddy Mervyn cut-out a pass intended for Conor Johnston and fisted the ball to Declan Lynch.
Lynch advanced forward into the penalty area before being felled by a challenge from Andy McGowan- that prompted referee Laverty to award a penalty.
In the first league fixture between the sides this season, a late, late Paddy Cunningham penalty ensured Lámh Dhearg took the spoils.
Cunningham seized responsibility again but, on this occasion, faced Bam Neeson – former Irish League goalkeeper and Ballymacash Rangers stopper.
Neeson would prevail in the battle of wits, guessing correctly to turn Cunningham’s effort to safety and ensure his sides lead was still intact.
A fine sweeping score from Declan Lynch lifted the Lámhs and restored parity again, but back-to-back Paddy McBride free’s ensured that St Johns held a 0-08-1-03 lead at the interval.
Paddy Cunningham converted an early second half free to reduce arrears, though Conal McGlade curled a shot inside the posts in response.
The Lámhs again cut the deficit as Declan Lynch dropped a high shot over the bar from Owen McKeown’s pass and they soon levelled for the third time when Adrian Oliver felled Paddy Cunningham in front of the posts- Oliver was forced to depart through injury as a result and Cunningham converted a straight-forward free to make it 1-06-0-09.
The next five-minutes saw Declan Lynch field numerous kick-outs around the centre point and the hosts hit the front for second time in proceedings through a fine Ryan Murray point.
Murray opened up a two-point gap after Paddy Cunningham popped a free into his direction and he was on-hand to guide a shot over the bar.
Paddy McBride converted his third free of the evening and would level from play moments later after taking a pass off the shoulder from Simon McDonagh.
The game was beginning to open up end-to-end as Lámh Dhearg hit the front again through a nice score from Ben Rice.
Their two-point lead was restored when Conor Murray was impeded, and younger brother Ryan converted the resulting free – Kevin Quinn then dropped over a shot after a fisted pass from Fionn Mervyn to open up a 1-11-0-11 lead with less than 10-minutes remaining.
Conal McGlade reduced the deficit, swinging over a fantastic shot on the turn for his second score of the evening, but at the other end Conor Murray got his name on the scoresheet with a fisted point.
A hop-ball in the aftermath was won by Marc Jordan and he extended the Lámhs lead, at the other end Loughlin McCurdy was impeded and the hosts goal-line was packed in order to try and stop a potential goal opportunity.
Paddy McBride opted to go short to Matt Fitzpatrick to squeeze a shot over the congested goal mouth and the bar to make it a three-point game again.
It was to be as close as the Corrigan outfit would come in the closing stages as the hosts closed the game out with points from the Murray brothers Ryan and Conor to seal with a 1-15-0-13 win and move top of Group 1 with a game remaining.
It means going into the final set of fixtures in a fortnight that three-teams will do battle for the two places in the last eight with two mouth-watering fixtures on the cards to close out the ‘Group of Death’.
Lámh Dhearg: J Finucane, F Mervyn, M McGarry, Ross Murray, D Smyth, D Lynch (0-02), M Hynes, P Mervyn, M Jordan (0-01), C Maxwell, P Cunningham (0-03f), O McKeown, R Murray (0-05, 0-01f), C Murray (0-02), T McCrudden (1-00). Subs: B Rice (0-01) for M Hynes (8),K Quinn (0-01) for C Maxwell (48) A McAufield for R Murray (56), A Byrne for T McCrudden (60+1).
St Johns: B Neeson, P Nugent, A Oliver, C Garland, R Hannigan, C Kerr, A McGowan, S McDonagh, R McNulty (0-01), C McGlade (0-02), P McBride (0-06, 0-03f), C Hand, M Fitzpatrick (0-04), L McCurdy, C Johnston. Subs: P Donnelly for C Hand (HT), L Pedan for A Oliver (39), L Heenan for R McNulty (58).
Referee: Sean Laverty (St Ergnat’s, Moneyglass)
