Reserve Cup Quarter-final
Creggan 1-17-0-19 Lámh Dhearg
Kevin Herron reports from Staffordstown Road
Tiarnan McLarnon’s injury time free saw Creggan edge out Lámh Dhearg 1-17-0-19 in the quarter-final of the Reserve Cup at the Staffordstown Road on Wednesday evening.
The visitors began brightly with Adam Murray dropping over an angled point, converting a free and then a Michael Herron point trebled their advantage in the early stages.
Creggan would go one better though and chalked up four scores in succession. Lee Johnston clipped over their initial response and Tiarnan McLarnon then swung a fine shot over the posts.
McLarnon would double his account, but things should have been much better when Conal McLarnon claimed for a mark and then advanced before firing his shot off the post, follow-up efforts were blocked by Rhys Camlin and Christopher Nolan before Tiarnan opted to pop the ball over and level things up a 0-03 apiece.
A converted Lee Johnston free moved the hosts ahead for the first time- though Niall McGarry received a lay-off from Michael Herron and levelled.
Adam Murray brought his first half tally to 0-03 after a patient build-up and Kieran Fay-Kelly kicked a close range free after Jody Quinn was obstructed.
Creggan halved the deficit through a fine Diarmuid Mulholland effort the sailed inside the posts and a few minutes later play was halted for ten minutes after Oran McCann was forced to leave the field in a lot of discomfort.
When play resumed it was the hosts that restored parity through Aidan McKeown’s perfect rising effort with the outside of the boot.
Tiarnan McLarnon then conjured up his third point of the half to edge his side in front again, but Kieran Fay-Kelly tied things up through a perfectly taken 45’.
Further points were traded between Lee Johnston and Lámhs talisman Murray and before the break Kieran Fay-Kelly nudged his side into a 0-09-0-08 lead with a converted free off the ground.
The Lámhs extended their lead upon the resumption after Matthew McElgunn directed a pass onto of Jody Quinn and he popped the ball off to Fay-Kelly to kick his fourth of the evening.
Quinn would point himself after Fay-Kelly saw an initial effort blocked down though Peadar McGuckian responded to get the hosts up and running for the second period.
Ciaran Boyd squeezed an angled attempt inches inside the posts and Jody Quinn notched his second point in a matter of minutes to extend the visitors lead to four (0-13-0-09).
Scores were then traded between Lee Johnston (free) and Michael Herron and a quickfire double from Aidan McKeown then halved the deficit again.
The next four scores were evenly shared, Kieran Fay-Kelly kicked his second of the half to open up a three-point gap, only for Liam McCann and Tiarnan McLarnon to hit back-to-back scores and close within a single point.
Lámh Dhearg had a glorious opportunity to pull clear when Michael Herron slipped the ball across to Jody Quinn and he in turn found the overlapping run of Chris Nolan whose goal opportunity rose over the bar rather than underneath and to the net- none the less it gave the Hannahstown side a further point’s breathing space with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Diarmuid Mulholland and Niall McGarry exchanged points as Lámh Dhearg maintained their slender advantage.
With ten minutes remaining Creggan hit the front for the first time in the half. David McGuckian got in behind and his fist across the face of goal was met by Lee Johnston to palm to the net and move the hosts 1-15-0-17 ahead.
Johnston doubled his sides lead, swinging a high shot over from an inside pass from Tiarnan McLarnon.
Kieran Fay-Kelly halved the advantage converting his fourth placed ball of the evening and despite seeing a free deflected behind a few minutes later- Kelly wouldn’t miss at the second time of asking and levelled things up at 1-16-0-19 on the 60th minute as extra-time was on the cards.
Creggan would have the chance to seal victory when Aaron McCloskey was penalised for a foul and shown a second yellow-card in the process.
Tiarnan McLarnon steadied himself and made no mistake from the resulting free, sending it between the posts to secure victory and a spot in the last four for the Staffordstown Road outfit.
Creggan: P Graham, M Mulholland, S McAuley, O Hampsey, J McAteer (0-01), L McCann (0-01), P McGuckian (0-01), B McAteer, O McCann, T McLarnon (0-04, 0-01f), L Johnston (1-05, 0-02f), D Mulholland (0-02), S Donnelly, A McKeown (0-03), C McLarnon. Subs: M McIvor for O McCann (29), D Hinfey for M McIvor (42), D McGuckian for C McLarnon (43), N McAuley for S Donnelly (52).
Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, C Nolan (0-01), A McCloskey, J Jones, D Martin, M Murphy, N McGarry (0-02), M McElgunn, C Boyd (0-01), D Cunningham, K Fay-Kelly (0-07, 0-02f, 0-02 45’), O Campbell, A Murray (0-04), M Herron (0-02), J Quinn (0-02). Subs: A McCague for O Campbell (48), L McQuaid for J Jones (60).
Referee: Ray Matthews (Rossa)
