Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship Final
Cargin 0-10-0-08 Portglenone (AET)
Kevin Herron reports from Corrigan Park
Cargin won their third Padraig McNamee Cup on the spin but were forced to dig deep and go to the well in their 0-10-0-08 extra-time win over Portglenone at Corrigan Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Champions were pegged back deep in second half injury time when Aidan McAleese kicked his second free in a matter of minutes to restore parity and force extra-time.
Late in the first period, Pat Shivers and Tomas McCann pointed inside of 60-seconds to edge them back ahead before their insurance score arrived from a Eunan Quinn point in the dying embers of the second period of extra-time to ensure the Toome outfit make it three successive county titles and six in the last seven years.
Portglenone were first off the mark inside of sixty-seconds, Conor Magee fed the ball off to Oisin Doherty- who weaved his way forward and clipped the ball over.
At the other end Tomas McCann bore down on goal and dragged his low shot a few yards wide of the far post.
A turnover in midfield led to the Bannsiders doubling their advantage with Ronan Kelly firing in a pass that was laid off to Enda Lynn to float over.
Ronan Kelly then converted an angled free as the Ports had settled the better on the Whiterock Road.
It took Cargin until the 13th minute to register on the scoreboard, Tomas McCann popping over from the placed ball and Pat Shivers then swung over another less than 60-seconds later – taking a pass from Mick McCann and dropping his shot between the posts.
With five minutes to the break Portglenone were temporarily reduced to 14-men. Dermot McAleese was cited for a bodycheck off the ball and referee Kevin Parke issued a black card.
A fine block from Conor Magee prevented a possible Cargin goal before the break after Sean O’Neill was advancing and had lined up a goal-bound effort.
The Champions would hit two scores in less than a minute to edge ahead at the break. Tom Shivers ran onto a Mick McCann pass through the hands and dropped over with Conor Johnston adding another in the first minute of added time to ensure the Toome outfit were 0-04-0-03 ahead at the midway point.
Portglenone returned to their full complement two minutes after the restart and the returning McAleese kicked an advanced mark to draw the game level.
Approaching the midway stage in the second half, Cargin regained their slender advantage after Mick McCann found John McNabb with a quick free and the veteran keeper hung up a high shot that dropped over.
Their lead was doubled when Sean O’Neill was hauled down and Tomas McCann converted the placed ball, but Enda Lynn replied quickly from play.
Cargin restored their two-point lead on the 59th minute, again O’Neill was illegally brought to ground and this time Pat Shivers swung over the free to give his side a 0-07-0-05 lead going into added time.
Substitute David Johnston was adjudged to have overcarried and Aidan McAleese clipped over the free to make it a single point game again.
It looked as though his side’s chance had come and gone however when they were awarded a difficult angled free that Michael Hagan hung up and Pat Shivers claimed, but after Sean O’Neill was blown for overcarrying the chance of redemption came and Aidan McAleese kicked his second free of injury time to draw the game level and ensure extra-time was on the cards.
Extra-time:
Portglenone drew first blood early in extra-time when Aidan McAleese’s free dropped short and Niall McKeever’s fisted attempt snuck inside the large post.
However, Cargin hit back with a late double at the end of the first period. John McNabb hoisted a high ball that Mick McCann gathered and laid off to Pat Shivers to land a marvellous angled point.
A trip on Jamie Gribbin then afforded Tomas McCann to kick his third free of the contest and he obliged to ensure his side held a 0-10-0-09 lead at the midway point in extra-time.
The second period ebbed and flowed with McCann’s score still the difference. Enda Lynn dragged an attempt off the target and that would be his sides last proper attempt.
A minute into time added on at the end of the second period Cargin substitute Eunan Quinn settled the game with a fine shot that sailed over the bar.
Cargin: J McNabb (0-1), K O’Boyle, R Gribbin, Conan Johnston, J Crozier, K McShane, S O’Neill, P Shivers (0-3, 0-1f), G McCann, B Kelly, Conor Johnston (0-1), J Laverty, T McCann (0-3f), M McCann, T Shivers (0-1). Subs: J Carron for G McCann (23), J Gribbin for B Kelly (44), E Quinn (0-1) for T Shivers (47), D Johnston for Conan Johnston (50), B Kelly for R Gribbin (73), C Gribbin for P Shivers (77), R Devlin for S O’Neill (80+1).
Portglenone: K Mullan, R Delargy, K O’Kane, D McNicholl, C Magee, R Hagan, N Delargy, N McKeever (0-1), D McAleese (0-1m), F O’Kane, E Lynn (0-2), S Kelly, O Doherty (0-1), M Hagan, R Kelly (0-1f). Subs: A McAleese (0-2f) for S Kelly (37), R Convery for C Magee (37), S Byrne for R Kelly (50), K McKenna for F O’Kane (58), S Delargy for R Delargy (68).
Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Éanna)
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