O’Neills ACHL Division Three
Lámh Dhearg 3-13-2-13 Davitts
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
Lámh Dhearg withheld a strong Davitt’s fightback in the second half to edge to victory in the Belfast derby with a 3-13-2-13 win at Hannahstown on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts opened up brightly on a sunsoaked Hannahstown morning with Adam Murray shooting over back-to-back scores within the first two minutes.
A converted Donn Whelan free halved the deficit, but Lámh Dhearg hit the game’s opening goal.
Niall McGarry won the breaking puck-out and laid a pass off to Donal Martin, he in turn found Adam Murray whose initial shot was blocked before he found the net at the second time of asking.
Murray clipped over successive frees, with Deaglan Mooney replying for Davitts prior to an injury to Don Whelan that saw proceedings halted.
Goal number two arrived in the 9th minute after Donal Martin received a pass from talisman Murray and lashed in at the near post to make it 2-4-0-2.
A Stephen McGivern point in reply was followed by a lull in the scoring – especially for Davitts- who went 20 minutes without a score; in between times Murray converted his third free of the half and a stinging snapshot from Ciaran Boyd was turned over the bar to safety.
Adam Murray helped himself to a further 1-1 before the half was out, on both occasions he linked up with Donal Martin to devastating effect as his personal tally stood at 2-6 and the Lámhs led was 3-7-0-3.
In first half injury time, successive frees from Christopher Gallagher narrowed the margin slightly but double figures separated the duo.
Lámh Dhearg extended their lead upon the resumption through an excellent Ryan Diamond point, however Davitt’s hit three unanswered points through Anthony Rowntree and another two Gallagher frees.
Momentum was briefly halted when Daniel Murray intercepted and swung over a point, though Thomas Toland converted a free and midway through the second half a Christopher Gallagher long range shot from the half-line dropped and was adjudged to have crossed the line according to the umpire as Davitt’s were beginning to grow in belief with the score 3-9-1-9.
Daniel Murray doubled his personal tally with an angled score and a long range Adam Murray free appeared to have settled the hosts.
However Davitts were far from finished as Gallagher sent over his fifth free of the afternoon and Anthony Rowntree held off a challenge and shot over on the turn.
Gallagher added another point from the placed ball and on the 59th minute the Beechmount outfit who trailed by 13 before the break were now just two points in arrears thanks to a fantastic Caoimhin Rainey goal that made it 3-11-2-12.
Two Murray free’s in injury time allayed any nerves that the Lámh’s might surrender the spoils, with Deaglan Mooney’s point in reply only consolation in the end as Davitt’s fightback fell short and Lámh Dhearg edged to victory.
Lámh Dhearg: PJ Herron, F Clenaghan, C Rafferty, T McKenna, N McGarry, F Mervyn, SP Gibson, C Boyd (0-1), D Murray (0-2), M Finnegan, O Waldron, A McGuigan, D Martin, R Diamond (0-1), A Murray (2-9, 0-6f). Subs: C McConville for F Mervyn (35), G Smyth for M Finnegan (47), C McGuigan for A McGuigan (52).
Davitt’s: G Cosgrove, O Cosgrove, T Toland (0-1f), E Gallagher, C Gallagher (2-6, 0-6f), C Heaney, J Winters, C McKee, D Mooney (0-2), C Rainey (1-0), S McGivern (0-1), C Maguire, L O’Grady, A Rowntree (0-2), D Whelan (0-1). Subs: O Persson for D Whelan (10), M Glennon for C Rainey (60+1).
Referee: Paul McSparron (Cushendun)
