Northern Switchgear SFC – Group 3
Creggan 1-12 St Galls 0-10
Saturday 29 July
Brendan McTaggart reports from Creggan
In a game dictated more by the elements than anything, it took a goal from Joe McAteer with eight minutes remaining to decide who would earn the championship points. Creggan would run out five point victors at the end of the hour, a scoreline that was probably harsh on the travelling St Galls team who had held a three point lead at the short whistle.
Having won the toss, St Galls played with the elements at their back in the first half but it was the home side who controlled the majority of the game. Creggan held onto possession, sucking the life out of the game and were happy to keep St Galls at arms length, negating the St Galls wind advantage.
The first score of the game came in the fifth minute, Conaill Murray splitting the posts for the Milltown Row blues. Creggan continued to dominate possession and while efforts on goal were few and far between, they did drop three attempts short before Callum Walsh doubled the St Galls lead in the 13th minute.
A patient move and a sustained period of play in the Creggan half yielded a point from Dubhiltach Wilson at the midway point of the half as St Galls began to dictate play on their own terms.
The first Creggan score of this years championship came in the 22nd minute through the right foot of Dominic McAteer. A super strike with the outside of his foot from distance, riffling the ball into the wind and dissecting the posts. With the home side beginning to press St Galls higher up the pitch, the game began to open up in the time that remained of the first half with Niall Burns and Brendan Bradley influential for St Galls.
A free from Burns preceded Callum Walsh’s second score of the game to open the gap to four points but scores from Conor Small and Dominic McAteer either side of Burns’ second of the game left St Galls 0-6 to 0-3 ahead at the short whistle.
With the wind showing no signs of calming, Creggan would have been confident of reeling in the St Galls lead and inside five minutes of the restart, they had restored parity to the score line. A brace of frees from Paddy Coey and a long range free from Ruairi McCann.
St Galls were using pace to try and break the Creggan defensive wall but it was a piece of individual brilliance from Burns that yielded the first St Galls score of the half. Down the left hand side, Burns twisted one way and another before creating the half yard he needed to split the posts. A super score from a player who was giving the home side plenty to think about.
He took his tally to four points for the afternoon in the 39th minute, converting a free after Niall Fallon was fouled by Ruairi McCann to open a two point lead once more before the Creggan captain split the posts from a free to leave the minimum between the sides.
St Galls restored their two point advantage when Bradley was on the end of a patient move that pulled the Creggan defence from one side to another, creating the yard he needed. It would be their last score for 15 minutes however as Creggan turned the screw in midfield.
With Creggan employing a high press, Conor McCann turned over possession before finding Dominic McAteer. Despite the presence of two St Galls defenders, McAteer split the posts before a Coey free tied the scores with nine minutes remaining.
Creggan were well on top in midfield and the defining score of the game came from a brilliant piece of fielding from Dominic McAteer in the middle third. Leaping highest, he caught the ball from a Lewis McCormick kick out and found his brother Joe in space. Despite having the chance to raise another white flag, he took the ball in another couple of yards before finding the bottom corner of the St Galls goal. An emphatic finish as the heavens opened at the Staffordstown Road pitch.
Further scores followed from Conor Small and Joe McAteer to leave five between the sides with just three minutes of the hour remaining. St Galls went in search of the goal that would bring them back into the tie but all they could muster from their efforts was another Niall Burns free while Paddy Coey had the final say to dissect the uprights for his third point of the game.
St Galls will welcome 2022 Intermediate Champions Dunloy to the Milltown Row in two week’s time while Creggan will travel to the Cuchullains in four weeks with the hope their injury list begins to clear.
TEAMS
Creggan: Oisin Kerr; Ethan Carey-Small, Ricky Johnston, Conor McCann; Dylan Hinfey, Ruairi McCann, Aiden Maguire; Kealan McCann, Kevin Rice; Tiarnan McLarnon, Conor Small, Joe McAteer; Paddy Coey, Dominic McAteer, Odhran McLarnon
Subs: Sam Maguire for O McLarnon (19); Kevin Small for T McLarnon (29); Liam McCann for E Carey-Small (59); Dermott McCann for K Rice (60)
Scorers: J McAteer 1-1; D McAteer 0-3; R McCann 0-3 (3fs); P Coey 0-3 (3fs); C Small 0-2
St Galls: Lewis McCormick; Jack Hopkins, Tiarnan Keenan, Eoghan McCurdy; Gaireach MacAdhainn, Conal McGirr, Conaill Murray; Tommy Bunting, Ryan Irvine; Ruairi Wilson, Brendan Bradley, Niall Burns; Dubhiltach Wilson, Niall Fallon, Callum Walsh
Subs: Con Doherty for N Fallon (53); Michael Hopkins for J Hopkins (56)
Scorers: N Burns 0-5 (3fs); C Walsh 0-2; D Wilson 0-1; B Bradley 0-1; C Murray 0-1
Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Eanna)
