O’Neills ACFL Division One 

Ahoghill 2-10-3-19 Lámh Dhearg 

Kevin Herron reports from Ahoghill 

Lámh Dhearg made it back-to-back league wins for the first time this campaign with a 3-19-2-10 win over Ahoghill on Wednesday evening. 

The visitors opened up with points from Marc Jordan and Mark Finnegan in the early stages, but were caught cold when Conor Crossey’s short shot was gathered by Gerard Smyth and he was dispossessed as he tried to break out, with Donal Graham firing the lay off into the empty net. 

A converted Ryan Murray free restored parity and Lámh Dhearg edged back in front through a second Finnegan point, though a two-pointed Colla McDonnell score was followed by an angled James O’Connell point that had Ahoghill 1-3-0-4 ahead.  

Points were traded between Pearse Fitzsimons and O’Connell and Marc Jordan would double his personal tally before the Lámhs hit their first goal of the half in the 22nd minute. 

Calum Fegan-Lappin won an Ahoghill kick-out and quickly went on the attack, offloading to Adam Murray and he popped the ball to Ciaran Boyd, Boyd played a one-two with Evan Stanley and headed goalwards and steered his shot beyond Aiden Graham’s reach to make it 1-6-1-4. 

Their second arrived five minutes later, Boyd switched the play to Pearse Fitsimons and he picked out Ben Rice to apply a close range finish. 

A third goal arrived on the stroke of half time, Pearse Fitzsimons played a one-two with Calum Fegan-Lappin and continued his run towards goal before firing to the corner. 

This prompted a swift response in the four added minutes before the break as Ahoghill halved the deficit. 

Their second goal came after James O’Connell chipped a pass into the area and Patrick Graham got the ball and sold a dummy before finding the top corner from close range to make it 3-6-2-4. 

Conor Crossey added a point before the short whistle as Lámh Dhearg’s eight-point advantage was whittled down in the space of two minutes. 

Lámh Dhearg built up their lead again in the early stages of the second half, Marc Jordan fisted over less than 60-seconds after the restart and Ryan Murray’s wicked shot rose over the bar from an angle. 

Declan Smyth confidently landed a two-pointer as the visitors re-established their eight-point lead. 

Ahoghill hit back through a third Crossey point of proceedings, but Mark Finnegan kicked successive two-pointed frees and points from Calum Fegan-Lappin and substitute Niall McGarry had the Hannahstown side 3-16-2-05 to the good. 

Donal Graham would drop over the first of three unanswered points for the hosts, with James O’Connell kicking the other two from the placed ball. 

Paddy Cunningham made his return to action from the bench and chipped in with a super two-pointed score and kicked a late free, in between times Conor Crossey brought his sides scoring to a conclusion as Lámh Dhearg ran out comfortable winners at the conclusion. 

Ahoghill: A Graham, H O’Donnell, J Magee, S McKeever, P Dougan, Diarmaid Graham, D O’Neill, P Graham, T McGlone, C McDonnell (1×0-2), N O’Connell, C Crossey (0-4), J O’Connell (0-3, 0-2f), M Graham, Donal Graham (1-1). Subs: R Graham for M Graham (12). 

Lámh Dhearg: G Smyth, Ross Murray, E Matassa, M McGarry, D Smyth (1×0-2), B Rice (1-0), D Murray, C Boyd (1-0), P Fitzsimons (1-0), E Stanley, Ryan Murray (0-2, 0-1f), C Fegan-Lappin (0-1), M Finnegan (0-6, 2×0-2f), M Jordan (0-3), A Murray. Subs: N McGarry (0-1) for Ross Murray (HT), O McKeown for E Stanley (45), S McCarthy for C Boyd (49), P Cunningham (0-3, 1×02, 0-1f) for A Murray (50), A Ferris for M Finnegan (59). 
Referee: Collie Thompson (St Johns)