ACHL Division 3
Rasharkin 5-21-1-13 Lámh Dhearg
Kevin Herron reports from Rasharkin
Rasharkin secured their third straight win to move into fourth place in the table with a 5-21-1-13 win over Lámh Dhearg at Rasharkin on Wednesday evening.
Although it took four minutes for the hosts to register their first score in the form of a Conor McFerran point- they never looked back and dominated the game for long spells.
Conor McKeever floated over his sides second of the evening and then converted a 65’ a few minutes later.
Lámh Dhearg replied after Fionn Mervyn was felled and Adam Murray converted the resulting free.
Mervyn turned provider for his sides next score with a popped pass to pick out Daniel Murray and he pointed from range.
Approaching the midway point in the half, Rasharkin found the net for the first time in the evening through a low Donagh Quigg strike into the corner that gave his side a 1-03-0-02 lead.
The visitors would chalk up three points in succession to make it a one-point game once again.
Adam Murray dropped over a 65’ and then converted his second free of the evening. Then Chris Nolan sent a pinpoint pass down the channel that Micky McGuigan got on the end of and swung over the bar.
McKeever would convert his first free of the evening in response and then turned provider for a Cathair Henderson point that ensured Rasharkin were 1-05-0-05 to the good.
Lámh Dhearg briefly cut the gap through a third Murray free, though the hosts put significant daylight between the sides with 2-03 in the space of five minutes.
Conor McKeever had the chance to grab his sides second goal but opted to kick over the bar instead- the goal would come in time, however.
The full-forward added his fifth point and then found the net after Cathair Henderson had dropped a high ball into the danger area where McKeever swung low past Rhys Camlin to open up a 2-07-0-06 advantage.
Rasharkin’s talisman made it four points unanswered with a second converted free of the half and a minute into injury time Donagh Quigg doubled his goal tally, reacting quickest to the loose ball breaking and stabbing home to make it 3-08-0-06.
Paddy Mervyn hit back with a point before half-time after a link-up with younger sibling Fionn- though the Hannahstown side were 3-08-0-07 in arrears with work to do.
The sides traded the opening few scores of the second period, McKeever added a further point to his increasing personal tally and Cathair Henderson dropped over his second point of the evening.
In-between times Paddy Mervyn saw his shot rise over the bar and Adam Murray landed his fourth placed ball.
Rasharkin claimed their fourth goal on the 35th minute after Henderson launched a high ball that Conor McKeever got on the end of, Rhys Camlin did well to deny McKeever’s initial shot, but Donagh Quigg was on hand for the simplest of tap-ins to claim his hat-trick and give his side a 4-10-0-09 lead.
Paddy Mervyn notched up his third point in response and the Lámhs captain gave his side a slight glimmer of hope, meeting Dan Murray’s pass and leading the charge that would end with him firing a low angled shot past Liam Tunney in the Rasharkin goal.
The visitors could have further closed the gap when referee Colm McDonald awarded them a penalty, but Adam Murray scuffed the opportunity wide of the target.
Conor McKeever got his side back in the ascendancy- converting his third free of the evening and a point from play followed through Tiernan O’Boyle.
Adam Murray would atone for his penalty miss with another conversion from the placed ball and after a short water-break further scores were traded.
O’Boyle doubled his tally with a long-range effort and Daire Cunningham dropped over an angled point in reply.
Adam Murray would also conjure up a magnificent, angled score that had three goals separating the sides going into the final ten minutes (4-13-1-13).
It was one-way traffic thereafter as Rasharkin chalked up with 1-08 without reply to make the outlook more empathic.
Conan McMullan would start the late scoring burst; Conor McKeever added a further point from a free and substitute Terry McGregor made an impact from the bench.
Goal scorer Quigg added his first point of the evening before the steering home his fourth goal of the evening to make it 5-17-1-13 a minute from time.
Talisman Conor McKeever hit three scores in succession, two coming from free and another from play. Conor McFerran started the evenings scoring and ended it with a late point that wrapped up a comfortable night’s work for his side at the conclusion.
Rasharkin: L Tunney, J Higgins, A McKeever, C Higgins, R O’Boyle, S Hasson, C McMullan (0-01), E McFerran, D Hasson, C Henderson (0-02), C McFerran (0-02), T O’Boyle (0-02), C Maria, C McKeever (1-12, 0-06f, 0-01 65’), D Quigg (4-01). Subs: T McGregor (0-01) for C Maria (43), J Quinn for C Higgins (48), C Donaghy for E McFerran (56).
Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, C Nolan, J Brady, T McKenna, D Murray (0-01), O Waldron, F Mervyn, N McGarry, E Stanley, A Murray (0-07, 0-05f, 0-01 65’), P Mervyn (1-03), A McCague, D Cunningham (0-01), M Lynch, M McGuigan (0-01). Subs: A Ferris for E Stanley (44), C Tumelty for A McCague (54), M McGarry for M McGuigan (60), C Megraw for M Lynch (60).
Referee: Colm McDonald (St Galls)
