Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship,
Group One
O’Donovan Rossa 0-11 Erin’s Own, Cargin 3-11
Reigning champions, Erin’s Own Cargin got their Antrim Senior Football Championship campaign off to a winning start when they proved too strong for Rossa at Rossa Park on Saturday.
Hugh McGettigan’s Rossa provided the only blemish in last year’s championship campaign when they defeated Cargin in the group stages at the same venue but the Toome side arrived in Belfast determined that lightning wouldn’t strike twice at the same venue.
The reigning champions put themselves in a strong position with two goals in the opening half to establish an eight-point advantage at the half way stage and finished the job in the second period with Pat Shivers getting his second goal of the day to leave them convincing winners in the end.
With a strong wind at their backs it was Rossa who opened brightly and directly from the throw in Thomas Morgan pointed them ahead but Cargin were quick to settle and slowly they began to dominate.
The visitors were patient in their build up play as they prodded, looking for an opening and Thomas McCann provided it when he fired over after six minutes.
Pat Shivers and McCann again would add further points from frees before Rossa replied through Gerard Walsh but the home side quite simply couldn’t get their hands on the ball as Cargin kept possession.
The visitors struck for the opening goal in the 19th minute and there was an element of good fortune about it as Pat Shivers found Eunan Quinn with an excellent pass and Quinn’s shot deflected of full-back Patrick Moyes before ending in the net.
Cargin goalkeeper John McNabb then fired over from play and after Dominic McEnhill narrowed the gap with A pointed free, Cargin added two more from Thomas McCann to stretch their lead.
The home side were living on crumbs but Rory Grant fisted over as the half entered stoppage time, but from the resulting kick-out, Gerard McCann fielded before finding Quinn with a long pass.
Quinn played a one-two with McCann before squaring to Shivers who finished to an open net and put the visitors into a 2-6 to 0-4 lead at the interval.
Rossa looked to have it all to do as the second half got under way but to their credit, they fought hard to get themselves back into contention but they were finding the target difficult to negotiate as they now faced the stiff breeze.
Goalkeeper Mick Byrne kicked a couple of frees but Cargin replied through Jamie Gribbin and Pat Shivers as the visitors continued to hit on the break.
The Champions continued to control matters and Patrick Moyes made a good interception to deny Quinn but the killer blow arrived in the 48th minute as Shivers gathered before racing through to finish to the net.
Shivers goal put the final nail in the Rossa coffin though they kept going to the final whistle with McEnhill landing a number of frees and Thomas Morgan bringing his personal tally to four.
It proved too little-too late as David Johnston, Conan Johnston and Conhuir Johnston replied with points for the visitors to see them safely through the opening Group 1 fixture and avenge last year’s defeat.
Ronan Devlin will be pleased by his side’s performance and they seem to be running into top form just as the championship gets underway but the Cargin manager will be hoping that an injury to John McNabb, which saw the keeper hobble off, is not too serious.
Next up for Cargin is Tír na nÓg at Kelly Park, Portglenone on the 12th August, while Rossa find themselves needing a result against St John’s at Lamh Dhearg on the same date.
O’Donovan Rossa: M Byrne (0-2, both frees); P Moyes, C McGuinness, M Mallon; J Morris (0-1), G Walsh (0-1), R Gowdy; C McGettigan, E McMenamin; N Crossan, D McEnhill (0-3, all frees), R Grant; D Grego, S Beatty, T Morgan (0-4).
Subs: C Orchin for R Grant (HT), A Devlin for P Moyes (49), C Fleming for D Grego (52), D Rogan for J Morris (52), J McGurk for M mallon (55).
Cargin: J McNabb (0-1); J Laverty, K McShane, K O’Boyle; J Crozier, P McCann, S O’Neill; G McCann, J Carron; D Johnston (0-1), T McCann (0-4, 2 frees), J Gribbin (0-1); P Shivers (2-2, 0-1 free), E Quinn (1-0), Conhuir Johnston (0-1).
Subs: S Laverty for J McNabb (45), R Gribbin for J Carron (49), Conan Johnston (0-1) for P McCann (50), C Bradley for D Johnston (52), T Shivers for P Shivers (56).
REFEREE: Cathal McDermott (Tír na nÓg)