ACFL Division 1
Cargin 0-13 Aghagallon 1-11
A goal resulting from a 40 metre free kick well into injury time saw Aghagallon gain the verdict over Cargin in a fiercely contested encounter in Toome on Wednesday night.
The home side had recovered from a sluggish start after a slick moving Aghagallon raced into to a four point lead before a Ciaran Bradley point saw them open account.
Peter Mc Grath’s side continued to lead the way for most of the opening period with the home side playing catch up and at the short whistle the St Mary’s men were good value for a 0-07 to 0-06 advantage.
The Toome men improved during the second half with Gerard McCorley and Sean Og Quinn strong in defence and centre forward David Johnston working like a beaver up front and they moved into a four points (0-13 to 0-09) with just five minutes on the clock.
Aghagallon kept battling in the latter stages as the Toome men missed chances to put the game to bed and when Gareth McGee’s late free ended in the back of the net the St Mary’s men had earned due reward.
A repeat of last year’s senior decider as the inform St Mary’s Aghagallon visited Toome on Wednesday evening with a good crowd in attendance.
The visitors did not require much time to get it together and after the home side spurned a couple of openings to get on board, Aghagallon seized opportunity and had gained a four point advantage by the 10th minute.
Jack Lenehan was first to strike with a fine 3rd minute point and Jonathan Hannon raised a couple of white flags from free kicks before Marc McAfee added another to put the visitors in early control.
Having taken a time to get going the home side opened their account in the 13th minute as a composed Ciaran Bradley nipped through to raise the home side’s first white.
Cargin had settled to the task on hand following the Bradley strike with a foul on John Carron punished when John McNabb came forward to send the resultant 40 metre free between the posts.
A crisp alliance in attack saw James Laverty and the hard grafting David Johnston combine to send John Carron to add a 17th minute point and only the minimum separated the combatants after 20th minutes.
A fine Jonathan Hannon pointed free kick following an indiscretion on Marc Mc Afee allowed the visitors to nip a couple of points clear but James Laverty replied at the other end before Pauric Mc Guinness converted a 35 metre free to re-established a 0-06 to 0-05 advantage as half time approached.
A Tom Shivers 28th minute point after an impressive approach by David Johnston and John Carron allowed the home side to draw abreast on the score board in the 29th minute but it was Aghagallon who would have the final say.
Jonathan Hannon stepped up to send another free between the posts and his 4th score from a placed effort saw the visitors take respite with a 0-07 to 0-06 advantage.
Cargin were quick to get going at the start of the second half and a foul on the impressive Ciaran Bradley was punished when John McNabb came forward to stroke the resultant free between the posts and it was all square.
The home side grabbed the initiative as the second half progressed but it was not until the 38th minute that a Tome Shivers point enabled them to take the lead after a series of misses.
Aghagallon were back abreast again with a fine Chris Mc Cartan 43rd minute point but the Toome men were quick to reply as Tom Shivers, following a Gerard Mc Corley clearance and a Ciaran Bradley assist, fired over to see his side ahead at the end of the third quarter, 0-09 to 0-08.
The Toome men opened up a three point gap 0-11 to 0-08 by the 22nd minute but the visitors replied when Pauric Mc Guinness raised white a minute later but the home side were still calling most of the shots at this stage.
A John Mc Nabb kick out opened the way for John Carron to add a 55th minute point and when Ciaran Bradley added another the Toome men had taken a 0-13 to 0-09 lead and looked in charge.
Aghagallon replied with a 27th minute Pauric Mc Guinness point but as the clock moved onwards to conclusion the home side looked to have done enough.
St. Mary’s looked firmly on the ropes but they were far from finished and a 32nd minute Gareth McGee point reduced the gap to a couple of points.
The corner forward became his side’s hero when he assumed duty after another award, well into time added and when his high delivery into the danger area finished in the back of the Cargin net a dramatic recovery had been completed and the points were on the way to Aghagallon.
Cargin: John Mc Nabb (0-02), Sean og Quinn, Gerard Mc Corley, Cahir Donnelly, Justin Crozier, James Laverty (0-01), Ben Mc Lernon, Gerard Mc Cann, John Carron (0-02), Benen Kelly, Conan Johnston, Paudie Mc Laughlin, Tom Shivers (0-04), Ciaran Bradley (0-04)
Subs
Enda Mc Grogan
Hugh O’ Donnell
Aghagallon: Damien Hagen, Ciaran Maginnis, Aidan Mulholland, Pat Brannigan, Conor Magill, Donal Donnelly, Pat Gowdy, Jack Lenehan (0-01), David Mc Alernon, Jonathan Hannon (0-03), Pauric Maginnis (0-02), Marc Mc Afee (0-02), Enda Mc Cartan (0-01), Niall Mc Shane, Gareth Magee (1-01)
Referee: Mark O’ Neill