Senior Reserve Football semi-final

Portglenone 2-8 Cargin 1-12

A point from a free with the last kick of the game by corner forward Tom Shivers saw Cargin book their place in the final of the Senior Reserve Football Championship at the expense of Casements Portglenone on Thursday evening.

With the light fading fast and the sides deadlocked going into injury time the prospect of extra time loomed large, but a foul on a Cargin forward with time almost up gave Shivers the chance to land the score and book a final meeting with old rivals and neighbours Creggan next week.

In a low scoring opening quarter full forward John McNabb (who is the senior team goalkeeper) hit three superb points, one from play and two from frees to give his team a three point cushion. James McLarnon got Portglenone on the scoreboard with a pointed free and the home team went ahead when a McLarnon free dropped on the crossbar and bounced up in the air where Sean Byrne palmed it to the net. McNabb hit two more from placed balls, in reply to one by McLarnon at the other end and so the teams ended level at the break. 1-2 to 0-5.

Daniel McNicholl put Casements ahead early in the second half, but a superbly taken goal by Shivers put Cargin two ahead. The teams exchanged two points apiece to keep the gap at two, but two McNabb pointed frees appeared to have given Cargin the edge. Portglenone needed a break and they got it when a high delivery dropped into the Cargin square, and when it broke to Portglenone corner forward Calum Lynch he fired the ball to the net to tie up the scores. Shiver put Cargin back ahead but with time almost up Ciaran McKenna brought the home team level again. Extra time seemed a distinct possibility, and with the light fading fast that could have been a problem. However when Shivers was presented the late chance he stepped up to the mark and slotted it between the post to seal the win.