ACHL Division 2
St. Brigid’s Cloughmills 0-16 Kickham’s Creggan 1-11
Last year’s Division 3 and Junior Championship winners, St. Brigid’s Cloughmills got their division 2 campaign off to a winning start when they defeated last year’s Intermediate Champions, Kickham’s Creggan in Cloughmills on Saturday.
The game turned into a shootout between St. Brigid’s number 10, Liam Kearns and Creggan’s number 10, Morgan Nelson and while Nelson won that individual battle it was Kearns who finished on the winning side.
St. Brigid’s might have had a goal within 30 seconds of the throw-in but there was no one there to get the finishing touch as the sliothar bounced along the Creggan goal line.
Liam Kearns opened the scoring with a point for the ‘Biddies’ after 6 minutes before Morgan Nelson tied the contest from a free and the same player converted two more to move the visitors 0-3 to 0-1 ahead by the 13th minute.
A couple of pointed frees from St. Brigid’s captain Kearns had it all square by the 18th minute before Morgan Nelson edged Creggan back ahead with a splendid point from play.
Callum McKendry became the second name on the Cloughmills score card as he brought the sides level again in the 20th minute but Morgan Nelson was keeping his side in contention single handed as he edged them ahead once more from a 22nd minute free.
Last year’s Junior Champions were growing into the contest however and Kearns brought them level once more and they finished the half on the ascendancy with James Doherty, McKendry and an exquisite effort from Liam Kearns sending them to the dressing rooms 0-8 to 0-6 ahead.
Creggan’s final score of the half coming from that man Nelson in injury time.
Things continued to heat up as the second half got under way with Liam Kearns for Cloughmills and Jake McAteer for Creggan exchanging early points and Callum McKendry restoring St. Brigid’s three point advantage with only six minutes of the new half gone.
The visitors were still fighting hard for every ball and Morgan Nelson continued to lead by example as he pointed from play and followed from a free to leave just one in it with 12 minutes gone.
Once again the Cloughmills response would come from Liam Kearns but their captain was then shown a Red card following an altercation and things didn’t look good for the home side as they were reduced to 14 men.
The ‘Biddies’ showed great character however as Callum McKendry struck his third of the afternoon from a free and followed from another placed ball as he successfully assumed the mantle of free taker for his side.
The home side were flying and playing with an intensity that the visitors couldn’t match as Stephen Smyth and McKendry with two more excellent scores moved them six ahead by the 26th minute.
It looked all over at this stage but Creggan finished strongly and Sean Duffin split the posts before they were awarded a penalty in injury time which Nelson drilled beyond the reach of Christopher McKernan.
It proved too little, too late and it is St. Brigid’s who have the points on board as they make an excellent start on their return to division 2 and they will hope to build on this performance as they set about establishing themselves back in the higher grade.
St. Brigid’s: 1 Christopher McKernan, 2 Rian Dobbin, 3 Corey Blair, 4 Johnny Duffin, 5 Geoffery Og Laverty, 6 Odhran McCurdy, 7 Kevin O’Boyle, 8 Stephen Smyth, 9 Martin Dobbin, 10 Liam Kearns, 11 Callum McKendry, 12 James Doherty, 13 James O’Boyle, 14 Ruairi Laverty, 15 Niall McNaughton, Subs Joe Smyth and Reece Watt,
Kickham’s: 1 Cormac Rice, 2Aiden Maguire, 3 Aiden McKeown, 4 Peadar McGuckian, 5 Liam McCann, 6 Kealan McCann, 7 Senan O’Boyle, 8 Sean Duffin, 9 Jake McAteer, 10 Morgan Nelson, 11 Niall McAuley, 12 Thomas McCann, 13 Michael Maguire, 14 Lee Johnston, 15 Conleth McGrenaghan. Subs: Danan O’Hara and Dillon Himphey.
Referee: Darren Mullen (Cathair an Ri)
