Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC quarter-final (AET)
Lámh Dhearg 0-15 Kickham’s, Creggan 0-13
It took extra time to separate these protagonists at Chapel Hill on Sunday before Lamh Dhearg overcame the challenge of Kickham’s Creggan in a game that hung in the balance right to the final whistle. Nothing separated the sides throughout and at the end of 60 plus absorbing minutes they couldn’t be separated.
Creggan seemed to have it sewn up going down the home straight when they led by four but the Hannastown side found the resolve as they finished strongly as Declan Smyth and Cunningham (free) pointed to cut the deficit to two and late points from another Cunningham free and one from Declan Lynch sent it into extra time.
It was Creggan who started strongly with points from Jamie McCann, who punished a foul on Ethan Carey-Small and the South West side won the resulting kick-out and Martin Johnston returned it post haste between the uprights.
It took Lámh Dhearg eight minutes to get their hands on the ball and their first attack saw Ryan Murray play a teasing ball across the face of goal, but it was turned over and Joe McAteer’s shot at the other end dropped short but bounced over for a point.
Lamh Dhearg finally opened their account from a Conor Murray free in the 14th minute as things began to get physical and the returning Ryan Murray marked his championship debut for the year with a great point.
Jamie McCann and Paddy Cunningham (free) exchanged further points but Creggan were still edging the exchanges and Sean Duffin and Tiernan McAteer added points at the other end to move their side three ahead.
They might have been further in front when Ethan Carey-Small found himself free on goal, but Gerard Smyth made a good save at the expense of a’ ‘45’ which came to nothing.
It was the Hannastown men who finished the half strongly and Paddy Cunningham sent over a superb point with the outside of his boot before setting up Conor Murray for another and the gap had been cut to the minimum at half time.
Half Time Creggan 0-6 Lamh Dhearg 0-5
Creggan started the second half as they had started the first and Ruairi McCann pointed an early free before Ethan Carey Small added another from play but they were off target on a number of occasions when they might have been further ahead.
Paddy Cunningham, who had been guilty of a couple of misses himself, finally found his range to reduce the gap but further scores from Kealan and Ruairi McCann put four between the sides as we moved into the final quarter.
The Kickham’s wouldn’t register again as the Hannastown side finished on the front foot with Declan Smyth, Cunningham 0-2 and a late score from Declan Lynch sent the game into extra time.
The momentum was now with the men from the Hill and Mark Lowe kicked a ‘45’ and then a free from an identical position, but Creggan hit back to level at 0-12 apiece through a Ruairi McCann free and Tiernan McLarnon from play.
It was nip and tuck and still anybody’s game as the excellent Owen McKeown fired over a great point with Jamie McCann replying for Creggan before a Paddy Cunningham free moved Lamh Dhearg ahead again with six minutes remaining.
Try as they might Creggan couldn’t muster another score as the Lamh Dhearg defence swept up everything that came their way before countering and Callum Fegan-Lappin saw his well struck shot come back of the crossbar.
It didn’t matter in the end as the Kickham’s lost a player to a Red card following a high challenge and Paddy Cunningham converted the resulting free to send his side through to a semi-final meeting with Casement’s in two weeks-time.
Lamh Dhearg: C Smyth; B Rice, M McGarry, Ross Murray; O McKeown (0-1), D Lynch (0-1), D Smyth (0-1); P Fitzsimmons, M Jordan; D Murray, T McCrudden, Ryan Murray (0-1); P Cunningham (0-7f), M Herron, C Murray (0-2, 1f).
Subs: M Lowe (0-2, 1 45, 1f) for T McCrudden (38), F Mervyn for Ross Murray (ET start); T McCrudden for D Murray (ET 10), C Fegan-Lappin for Ryan Murray (ET 12), Ryan Murray for B Rice (ET 20).
Kickham’s Creggan: O Kerr; S Maguire, R Johnston, A Maguire; E Carey-Small (0-1), M Johnston (0-1), J McCann (0-3, 1f); K McCann (0-1), P McAuley; S Duffin (0-1), R McCann (0-3f), T McAteer (0-1); J McAteer (0-1), C McCann, C Small.
Subs: D McAteer for E Carey-Small (52), T McLarnon (0-1) for J McAteer (ET start); J McAteer for T McAteer (ET 13), O Hampsey for S Duffin (ET 15), C Johnston for P McAuley (ET 16)
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy).
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