Casement SC Antrim JHC Group 2
Gort na Móna 1-18 Lámh Dhearg 2-15
Despite a personal haul of 1-14 from former Antrim County player, Derssie McClean, Gort na Mona had to settle for a share of the spoils in this keenly contest Junior Hurling Championship encounter against Lamh Dhearg at Enright Park on Saturday.
The draw was enough however to secure them second spot in the group ahead of Saturday’s opponents on score difference but the Hannastown men will also go through to the quarter-final.
Lamh Dhearg will be disappointed they didn’t see it out after leading by four with ten minutes remaining and two as the game edged into time added on but conceded two late frees which the mercurial McClean converted to give his side the draw they needed.
Patrick McCaffrey was first to register as he pointed he Gorts ahead in the second minute but Adam Murray brought the sides level with his first free of the day.
Points from Thomas McCaffrey and Nathan Gibson edged the home side back ahead and Odhran Waldron replied for the visitors but at this stage the scores dried up for a time as both sides wasted chances.
It would be nine minute before Adam Murray added his second of the day to bring the side’s level again and a further seven before Dessie McClean made his first contribution of the evening to edge Gort na Mona ahead for the third time.
McClean had taken 16 minutes to announce his arrival but he would go on to have a massive influence on the game and would ultimately provide the scores to give his side a share of the spoils.
He added two more converted frees with Odhran Waldron and Mark Finnegan replying for the Hannastown side before McClean weighed in with two more as Gort na Mona enjoyed the better of the exchanges.
The Mona Bye Pass men might well have had a goal at this stage but wasted a good opportunity but they made their next opportunity count and after Ryan McCamlinn saved from Tiernan O Cadhlaigh, McClean gathered the rebound and fired to the net.
Lámh Dhearg responded well with three points on the bounce from substitute Evan Stanley – who had replaced the injured Ryan Diamond – and a pair of Murray frees, but another from McClean left the hosts 1-9 to 0-9 ahead at the interval.
It was the Red Hands who made the better start to the second half as Murray pointed a free before Padraig McHugh was adjudged to have fouled Gerard Smyth with referee, Piaras McCaffery pointing to the penalty spot and Finnegan hammered the resulting free to the corner of the net.
Dessie McClean levelled matters again with Odran Waldron edging the visitors ahead once more before Lamh Dhearg got in for a second goal in the 38 minutes as a long ball broke to Waldron and he fired home despite the best efforts of Gort’s goalkeeper Caolan McCrory.
Waldron extended the gap out to four and it looked like the points would be heading up the road to Hannastown but Gort na Móna replied through three McClean frees and a fine effort from Thomas McCaffrey to draw level once more with time almost up.
Two more from the excellent Finnegan looked again to have sealed the win for Lamh Dhearg as McClean as Murray exchanged further score to keep the gap at two.
There would be a final twist in what had been an excellent contest as Gort na Mona were awarded a late fee which McClean converted and then another free was moved forward for dissent with McClean becoming the Gort’s saviour.
McClean finished with 1-14 to his name and 13 of those points came from the placed ball as his side now have a home quarter-final against Ardoyne to look forward to while Lámh Dhearg will head to Davitt’s
Gort na Mona: C McCrory; J Connolly, P McHugh, L Dixon; G McKenna, Neil Henry, N Gibson (0-1); J Hicks, T O Cadhlaigh; D McClean (1-14, 0-13f), T Morton, T McCaffrey (0-2); Niall Henry, P McCaffrey (0-1), M McMullan.
Subs: J Monaghan for Niall Henry (36), D Hughes for L Dixon (45), M Carlin for M McMullan (55).
Lamh Dhearg: R McCamlinn; N McGarry, A McGuigan, C Camlinn; T McKenna, R Diamond, D Murray; C Boyd, F Mervyn; A Murray (0-6, 5f), M Finnegan (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-2f), O Waldron (1-4); M McGarry, G Smyth, C Lappin.
Subs: E Stanley (0-1) for R Diamond (22), O Lee for M McGarry (51)
Referee: Piarais McCaffrey (St Gall’s)