ACHL Division 2

Glenarm 3-10 Creggan 2-17

Feystown was the venue on a cold Easter Sunday as Shane O’Neill’s entertained Kickham’s Creggan in the first meeting of these sides for some time.  A strong cross wind threatened to upset the flow of play but both teams quickly got to grips with it and produced an excellent game of hurling. Glenarm were there in numbers, both supporters and players, and they would have felt reasonably confident, given Creggan’s league performance to date. 

 The visitors were first to trouble the scoreboard however and held the lead throughout the game, shaking off their dodgy performances of their last 2 games.  As the Referee, Fionntan McCotter, got things going, it only took one minute for Creggan to get on the scoreboard and added a second 2 minutes later, both converted frees from Oran McCann.  

Glenarm’s response was almost immediate with Darren Hamill pointing from play but  the visitors’ Morgan Nelson edged his side back 2 in front with 6 minutes on the clock.  Hamill’s replied again to narrow the gap to one as the home side started to find their feet.

Morgan Nelson had other ideas blasting a low ball past Glenarm’s keeper, Michael Abram.  Undeterred, Glenarm responded in kind with Liam O’Neill rounding Creggan’s fullback, Teddy McKeown to find himself one on one with Creggan’s net minder Tiernan McLarnon before driving the ball low into the corner of the net. 

Heading into the second quarter of the game the home side trailed by a point and it was nip and tuck as both teams battled for possession.  Creggan greater accuracy was proving the difference however as Glenarm were steadily clocking up the wides, although Sean O’Boyle, Brendan McDermott and Darren Hamill, added to their side’s tally.

The visitor’s score steadily began to increase as we headed towards half time with an additional 7 points from Morgan Nelson 0.02, Kevin Rice 0.02, Dermot Mulholland 0.01, Sam Maguire 0.01 and another converted free from Oran McCann to leave them 1-11 to 1-6 ahead at the break.

 Fionntan McCotter, wasn’t spending much time in the dressing room and was eager to get the match going again and both teams wasted no time getting back onto the pitch with Creggan hopeful of holding onto their 5-point lead and Glenarm keen to narrow the gap. 

The visitors were more relaxed now with Morgan Nelson and Oran McCann pushing their lead to 7 points and the Staffordstown lads looked to be heading for a comfortable win. 

Things swung in favour of the Feystown side however as  Niall McGarel broke through and fired home his team’s second goal of the contest, putting only 4 points between the sides and his colleague,  Ciaran Magill added the next 2 points without reply and now it was anybody’s game.

With just two separating the sides the visitors looked in a spot of bother but they responded positively and Morgan Nelson, bagged his second goal and Glenarm tried to respond but struggled to make their possession count. 

The breakthrough finally came as O’Neill scored his second goal of the contest but that was the end of the home side’s scoring as Creggan kept their cool to add 4 additional points, 2 from Sean Duffin and 1 a piece from Kevin Rice and Morgan Nelson. 

When referee McCotter signalled 4 minutes of added time Glenarm put the Creggan backline under intense pressure but the visitors defence stood firm to collect a useful brace of points.

 Glenarm: Mark Abram, Aidan O’Neill, Barry Hamill, Conal Ward, Liam Og McLoughlin, Blain McDermott, Matthew Black, Ciaran O’Boyle,  Brendan McDermott (0.02), Sean O’Boyle (0.01), Darren Hamill (0.05), Sean O’Hare, Liam Mulvenna, Ciaran Magill (0.02), Liam O’Neill (2.00), Chris Magill, Rory Mulvenna, Owen Best, Ryan McLoughlin, Kieran O’Boyle, Anthony McNeill, Ben O’Boyle, Niall McGarel (1.00), Aidan Scullion, Daniel Black.

 Creggan: Tiernan McLarnon, Michael Carey Small, Aidan McKeown, Senan O’Boyle (0.01), Peadar McGuckian, Sam Maguire (0.01), Jake McAteer, Kevin Rice (0.03), Sean Duffin (0.02), Morgan Nelson (2.04), Oran McCann (0.05), Dermott Mulholland (0.01), Joseph James Smyth, Michael Maguire, Owen Grant, Dannan O’Hara.

Referee: Fionntan McCotter Sarsfields