Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC Group 1
St Galls 2-08-0-14 Lámh Dhearg
Kevin Herron reports from Milltown
Lámh Dhearg secured a place in the last eight of Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship, but had to come from behind to do so after fighting back to claim a 2-08-0-14 draw with St Galls at Milltown on Saturday evening.
It was nip and tuck throughout the sixty plus minutes of tense Championship football and it was all square at the midway point.
Niall Fallon’s goal opened up a four-point gap and looked to have St Galls on the way to victory and leave the Lámhs on a 24-hour sweat for their fate.
However, the Hannahstown outfit dug in and got back on terms through a late Conor Murray point to ensure a place in the last eight- their particular position in the Group still to be ironed out.
Lámh Dhearg went into Saturday evenings encounter knowing that a draw or victory would ensure progression on the night. While St Galls only had personal pride to play for after back-to-back defeats to St Johns and Creggan.
The visitors made a solid opening and led through a confident Marc Jordan point and a fisted effort from Conor Murray.
But St Galls hit back with the opening goal of the game after five minutes, Niall Burns shifted the ball to Niall Fallon in the area and Fallon held off the challenge of Fionn Mervyn and popped the ball to un-marked Callum Walsh to punch to the net.
Ben Rice burst forward and floated over an equaliser instantly, though his side fell behind again to back-to-back points from Michael Pollock and Niall Burns.
For the second time in the half parity was restored courtesy of successive Ryan Murray scores- the first from a converted free and that was quickly followed by another from play to make it 1-02-0-05 approaching the midway point in the opening period.
The Lámhs edged ahead again after Owen McKeown dropped a shot between the posts and they doubled their lead when Eoghan McCabe was penalised for catching Ben Rice late with an elbow- McCabe was perhaps fortunate to only escape with a yellow card, nonetheless the resulting free was converted by Ryan Murray.
Despite their lead the Hannahstown outfit would need to see the half out and begin the opening period of the second half a man light after Carl Maxwell was black carded for checking the run of Ryan Irvine after he had popped the ball to Eoghan McCabe.
St Galls would make the most of their numerical advantage and pulled level as Niall Burns landed successive frees.
Conor Murray thought he had struck back after fisting home a high free from brother Ryan- but the goal was ruled out as the umpire felt that Murray had entered the square before the ball and at the break it was 1-04-0-07 and all to play for in the second half.
Upon the resumption St Galls took the lead for the third time, Eoghan McCabe dropped a pass into the path of Niall Burns who conjured up his fourth point of the evening and second from play.
A dreadful stint of shots saw several opportunities to level pass the Lámhs by in the aftermath and things got worse 10 minutes into the half when St Galls found their second goal of the evening.
Eoghan McCabe shifted the play to Callum Walsh, and it was roles reversal of the first goal as he slipped in Niall Fallon to break through a heavy rear-guard and thunder a low shot to the net to give his side a 2-05-0-07 lead.
Ryan Murray eventually kicked the Lámhs into gear through a converted free, though at the other end Niall Burns responded from the same scenario.
Back-to-back points from Marc Jordan and Kevin Quinn halved the deficit- but a fourth converted free from Niall Burns followed.
Second-half substitute Declan Dunne kicked a terrific angled 45’ and Ryan Murray squeezed a shot between the posts to ensure the bare minimum separated the sides.
The Lámhs had the chance to draw level through a Murray free that was spurned, but a few minutes later he atoned for that error and sent a further chance between the posts to make it 2-07-0-13.
St Galls immediately restored their lead at the other end as substitutes Kevin Bradley and Fergus Donnelly combined for the later to float a shot over at the near post.
Two minutes into injury-time the game was level once again thanks to a fantastic outside of the boot effort from Conor Murray that sailed over.
Murray’s score would prove to be the last but both sides spurned late chances to claim the win.
Niall Burns turned the ball over and with John Finucane out of his goal and back-tracking, Burns found Michael Pollock who in turn slipped in Kevin Bradley to go one-on-one with Finucane- though the Lámhs shot stopper won the battle of wits and turned away the low effort.
At the other end Conor Murray dropped a high ball into the path of Declan Dunne whose low shot was blocked by Niall McCurdy- a scramble ensued on the goal-line and referee Karol Doherty eventually hoped the ball.
Ruairi Wilson had a further goal opportunity for the hosts as the game stretched, but he run out of momentum and his tame effort failed to test Finucane.
There were further opportunities for Lámh Dhearg to snatch the win, though Ryan Murray was unable to convert a late free and Kevin Quinn saw the last chance of the evening drift wide of the target as the sides were forced to share the spoils in a frantic finish at Milltown.
Lámh Dhearg will take their place in the last tight but must sit tight and wait for the conclusion of Sundays fixtures before the picture becomes clear as to who they will face in the last-eight.
St Galls: N McCurdy, J Hopkins, C Flannery, E McCurdy, C Bradley, E McCabe, G Mac Adhaimh, M Pollock (0-01), R Irvine, R Wilson, N Burns (0-06, 0-04f), C McGirr, C Walsh (1-00), N Fallon (1-00), M Hopkins. Subs: F Donnelly for M Hopkins (45), C Chada for E McCurdy (52), K Bradley (0-01) for C Walsh (56), O McIlhatton for R Wilson (60+4).
Lámh Dhearg: J Finucane, F Mervyn, M McGarry, A McAufield, D Smith, D Lynch, C Maxwell, P Mervyn, M Jordan (0-02), O McKeown (0-01), K Quinn (0-01), B Rice (0-01), R Murray (0-06, 0-04f), C Murray (0-02), T McCrudden. Subs: M Hynds for A McAufield (40), D Dunne (0-01 45’) for B Rice (42), A Byrne for C Maxwell (48), S McManus for D Smith (50).
Referee: Karol Doherty (Rasharkin)
