ACFL Division 3
Creggan 3-21 All Saints 2-7
In a game of two halves, only 3 points separated the sides at the break. Creggan had the upper hand with a 3-point lead, with a fortunate second goal from Conor McCann. With the second half underway, there was only one team in it. Creggan controlled the play adding 1.11 to their tally as All Saints failed to score.
A confident Creggan won the toss and played with a strong breeze while All Saints went in search of their first win of the season. The home side registered the first score 3 minutes in from Conor McCann from play. Eoin McGuigan levelled 2 minutes later with a 20 metre free.
From here until the short whistle both teams matched each other, score for score’ at 10 minutes gone it was 3 apiece, two additional frees, tapped over by Creggan’s Morgan Nelson and one each from Eoin McGuigan and Damien Gillen.
McCann added a goal followed by 2 quick points to increase the home side’s lead by 5 points. McGuigan responded from the next puck out finding the net from the edge of the square leaving little between the sides.
As the contest progressed into the second quarter, Creggan increased their lead by 3 points with 2 frees from Morgan Nelson, a fine point from Lee Johnston and another from Conor McCann.
The visitor’s response kept them within touching distance with a point from Sean McDermott and 2 converted frees from Eoin McGuigan, to leave it finally balanced with 24 minute gone.
As half time neared, Conor McCann got a second goal to the delight of the home supporters but the 6-point lead was short lived when Liam Cassley rattled the Creggan net from close range.
HALF TIME SCORE: CREGGAN 2.10 – ALL SAINTS 2.07.
Referee, Danny O’Neill, got proceedings underway for the second half. The home side’s Sean Duffin scored a point from the throw in and this was quickly followed by a second goal from Conor McCann, to put 7 points between the sides.
At this stage in the contest, Ballymena seemed to have run out of steam while Creggan’s ability to control most of the possession afforded them the opportunity to attempt scores from distance and difficult angles which increased their wides-tally.
As the contest approached the final quarter, the game was well and truly over. The home-side’s Morgan Nelson added 4 further points from frees while Sean Duffin equalled his tally with 4 points from play while Conleith McGrenagan scored his first which was the last score of the game. All Saints battled on with several attempts on goal which were confidently cleared by Creggan’s Oran McCann.
CREGGAN: No.1 Oran McCann, No.2 Paedar McGuckian, No,3 Aidan Maguire, No.4 Dylan Hinfey, No.5 Senan O’Boyle, No.6 Keelan McCan, No.7 Jake McAteer, No8 Niall McAuley, No.9 Sean Duffin (0.05), No.10 Morgan Nelson (0.09), No.11 Lee Johnston (0.01), No.12 Thomas McCann, No.13 Sean McAuley (0.01), No.14 Conor McCann (3.04), No.15 Conleith McGrenagan (0.01), No.16 Brendan Maguire, No.17 Michael Maguire, No.18 Joseph Smyth, No.19 Cormac Rice.
ALL SAINTS: No.1 Ciaran Cassley, No.2 Kevin Brady, No3 Eoin McAllister, No.4 Archy McGreevy, No.5 Padhraig Magill, No.6 Cormac Magill, No.7 Daniel Gray, No.8 Cathaoir Cunning, No.9 Vincent Esler, No.10 Sean McDermott (0.01), No.11 Eoin McGuigan (1.05), No.12 Daniel Kelly, No.13 Damian Gillen (0.01), No.14 Liam Cassley (1.00), No.15 Niall Savage, No.17 Dermott Casey, No.18 Frank Casey, No.19 Luke Walsh.
REFEREE: DANNY O’NEILL. (Gort na Mona)