ACFL Division 1
Creggan 2-5 Rossa 1-7
A Tiernan McAteer point, deep into injury time earned Kickham’s Creggan an opening day win as they overcame the challenge of Rossa in a low scoring but entertaining encounter in the first game of this year’s league.
With both teams playing without their county players and missing players through injuries it gave fringe players a chance to play at senior level.
Rossa got out of the blocks quicker with Colm Fleming scoring their first 2 points from well taken frees in 2nd and 6th minute. Kickhams eventually settled after kicking a few wides with Sam Maguire kicking a nice point in the 15th minute and this was followed by a great goal from Kevin Rice who soloed from the 45m before blasting to the net.
The visitors kicked their last point of the half in the 20th minute and Dominic McAteer replied for Kickhams with the last point on the 26th minute to leave Kickhams 1-02 to 0-03 ahead at halftime.
Kickham’s made the better start to the second half with Dominic McAteer and Liam Quinn kicking firing over points in the 1st and 5th minutes but Rossa replied with a well taken Colm Fleming point in the 7th minute.
Liam Quinn got on the end of a great team move before firing to the corner of the net in the 10th minute as the home side threatened to take control. It didn’t materialise however and Rossa came back strongly with Noel Crossey hitting his first point in the 11th minute and the same player followed with a goal in the 20th minute and the momentum was now very much with the visitors.
Crossey followed with another point in the 24th minute to leave Rossa just a point behind and when Colm Fleming hit his 4th point of the day in the 28th minute to draw the match level the visitors looked to have earned a useful point.
Both teams went looking for the winner but Creggan’s persistence paid dividends and it was Tiernan McAteer who kick the winner in the 32nd minute to break Rossa’s resistance and leave the Kickhams winners by a point.
