O’Neill’s Sportswear ACFL Division One
Lámh Dhearg 0-16-1-11 Aghagallon
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
Lámh Dhearg ended their league campaign with a victory over Aghgallon that saw them leapfrog the South-west outfit on head-to-head and finish 3rd in the table after a 0-16-1-11 win at Hannahstown on Sunday afternoon.
Aghagallon made the trip to Hannahstown two-points clear of their counterparts in the league and hoped to maintain their momentum of late in their last competitive outing before Championship begins in three weeks’ time.
The early signs for positive for Pete McGrath’s charges as they went two points ahead courtesy of scores from Niall McShane and Patrick Branigan.
Conor Murray conjured up his sides opening score, though Jonathan Hannon converted a free and then bent a high shot between the posts to give his side a 0-04-0-01 lead with 18 minutes gone.
The hosts came to life in the last ten minutes of the half. Adam Murray kicked a close-range free and Shaun McManus then steered over from an advanced mark.
Danger-man Owen McKeown popped over to level and then swung a high effort over the posts to ensure his side were ahead for the first time.
Aghagallon thought they had done enough to ensure parity at the break thanks Padraig Gowdy’s effort that squeezed inside the uprights, but Conor Murray doubled his account at the other end to ensure his side held a slender 0-06-0-05 lead at the interval.
Murray would double his sides lead with the first score of the second period, converting a close-range free.
Aghagallon replied with a fine Eunan Walsh point and then regained the lead on 38 minutes. Playing against the strong elements, a shot from Jamie Lamont crashed off the large post and Enda McCartan reacted quickest, and his fisted attempt was adjudged to have crossed the line- despite the best efforts of John Finucane to keep it out- giving the visitors a 1-06-0-07 lead.
The Lámhs reacted positively however and chalked up six-unanswered points in response. Declan Lynch ran at the heart of the visitor’s defence and laid the ball off to Shaun McManus- who opted to sweep the ball over for his second of the afternoon.
Substitute Carl Maxwell landed the equaliser after a link-up with Declan Dunne and then hosts began to turn the screw thereafter.
Lynch would edge his side ahead again after a fine burst forward and a perfectly measured attempt that drifted inside of the posts.
The lead was extended with three further points, Matthew McElgunn got in on the act, Carl Maxwell dropped one over from distance and a second Conor Murray free of the afternoon had the hosts 0-13-1-06 up with ten minutes remaining.
With five minutes remaining the deficit was halved though, sub goal-keeper Luke Mulholland trotted forward to send over a free and then Niall McShane bent an effort inside the posts from the same scenario.
Conor Murray converted his third free of the contest and moved his side three clear going into injury-time, only for Jonathan Hannon to hit back from another placed ball.
Lámh Dhearg opened up a three-point deficit on two further occasions before the conclusion as Owen McKeown conjured up a spectacular point and Carl Maxwell notched up his third point since his introduction.
Ciaran Maginnis and Jamie Lamont would reply for the visitors, but the scores were merely consolation as Aghagallon were unable to close out their league campaign with a third straight win.
Both sides finished level on points in the table with the Lámhs two victories in the fixtures seeing them finish in 3rd place- their highest league finish since last winning the league back in 2015 as the duos preparation now turns to their respective Championship openers in three weeks’ time.
Lámh Dhearg: J Finucane, F Mervyn, P Mervyn, R Murray, O McKeown (0-03), D Lynch (0-01), M Hynds, S McManus (0-02, 0-01m), M McElgunn (0-01), D Smith, A Murray (0-01f), E Matassa, T McCrudden, D Dunne, C Murray (0-05, 0-03f). Subs: A McAufield for D Smith (37), C Maxwell (0-03) for A Murray (37), P Larkin for E Matassa (52), E Stanley for D Dunne (56).
Aghagallon: D O’Hagan, C Maginnis (0-01), E Walsh (0-01), P Branigan (0-01), S Devlin, J Lamont (0-01), M McAfee, D Donnelly, P Maginnis, P Gowdy (0-01), J Hannon (0-03, 0-02f), E McCartan (1-00), H Hannon, N McShane (0-02, 0-01f), C Mulholland. Subs: L Mulholland (0-01f) for D O’Hagan (49).
Referee: Ritchie Leahy (St Comgall’s)
