SFC Group 3
All Saints 1-14 Kickham’s 0-24
With half time fast approaching this keenly contested SFC encounter at Quinn Park looked like it might go down to the wire with the sides locked at 0-9 apiece in an evenly contested opening 30 minutes.
Newcomers to the Senior Championship, All Saints were giving as-good as they got when disaster struck. A high challenge by Brendan McDonnell saw referee Ray Matthews reach for Red after consulting his linesman and from the free that followed Jimmy McCann sent a 2 pointer between the uprights.
McCann’s conversion sent the visitors across the road at the interval with a two point lead but it didn’t seem insurmountable and when Patrick McAuley took out Kavan Keenan with a high challenge after 30 seconds of the restart it appeared that parity of numbers might be restored.
This time the card was yellow however and things went from bad to worse for Baker Bradley’s side when Peter McReynolds was sent to the sin-bin after a silly trip with only seven minutes of the second half gone.
The opening exchanges were fairly even as both sides set about gaining advantage on a splendid Quinn Park surface in near perfect playing conditions with Kavan Keenan pointing All Saints ahead after 30 seconds.
Matthew Rodgers squared matters with the game still in the opening minutes and Conor Small moved the visitors two ahead when he raised the orange flag in the 2nd minute.
Two fine points from mid-fielder, Conor Stewart had it back level again by the 7th minute before Small restored his side’s lead again and then Conor McAteer got forward for an excellent point to move Creggan 0-5 to 0-3 ahead with 14 minutes gone.
The home side were battling hard and moving the ball about confidently as Ronan McKillop and James McDonnell struck two in quick reply to level matters for the third time as the game entered the second quarter as two well matched sides went head to head.
Conor Small was in impressive form for the Staffordstown Road side as he restored his side’s advantage again and Shea McCann punished a bad kick-out to increase that lead to two as the pace and intensity of the game increased.
A Ronan McKillop pointed free for All Saints and one at the other end from Conor Small had it still at two with 9 minutes remaining to the break but the Ballymena men hit a purple patch and seemed to be getting on top.
Points from James McDonnell, Conor Stewart and a superb effort with the outside of his boot from Ciaran Campbell saw All Saints hit the front for only the second time in the contest but a Jimmy McCann point saw it tied at 0-9 to 0-9 as the clock ticked down to the break.
McDonnell’s dismissal and McCann’s two point conversion from the resulting free saw the Kickham’s head to the dressing rooms with a two point lead and a one man advantage and the balance of power appeared to have swung decisively in their direction.
Patrick McAuley’s early yellow raised the tempo another level and the second half was only 2 minutes old when All Saints were awarded a penalty which James McDonnell confidently stroked past Oisin Kerr to edge his side ahead once more but the Ballymena side were unable to consolidate that lead.
Instead it was Creggan who began to gain control with Sean Duffin and Matthew Rodgers with a shot that screwed just inside the post, restoring the visitor’s lead.
14 became 13 for the home side after Peter McReynolds’ hand trip in the 7th minute with Conor Small converting the resulting free from close range after the ball had been moved forward for dissent.
Sean McVeigh pulled one back for the men in black but Creggan were now taking full advantage of their numerical advantage as Conor Small, Ruairi McCann and Liam McLernon moved them three clear at the end of the third quarter.
The Kickham’s were now controlling matters as substitute Liam Quinn added two more with his first and second touch of the ball and Jimmy McCann raised another orange flag before a fisted point from Matthew Rodgers moved them 9 ahead with nine minutes remaining.
All Saints continued to fight against impossible odds with corner-back Matty Downey hitting a fine 2 pointer and Conor Stewart added a point in the 28th minute but at this stage it was as good as over.
The group favourites finished in the ascendancy with Conor Small and Sean Duffin taking their total for the evening to 0-24 with substitute, Michael McCarry converting an injury time free for All Saints to conclude the scoring.
Creggan entertain Lamh Dhearg in their next game on Sunday August 3d and on this form look like the side most likely to top the group. The night before All Saints travel to St. Gall’s and anything less than a win is likely to see them facing elimination from the championship.
All Saints: Ryan Stewart, Matty Downey, Kavan Keenan, Cal O’Brien. Joe Rafferty, Shaun O’Callaghan, James McDonnell, Conor Stewart, Emmet Killough, Connell Lemon, Brendan McDonnell, Peter McReynolds, Sean McVeigh, Ciaran Campbell, Ronan McKillop
Subs: Peter McNicholl for Peter McReynolds, Michael McCarry for Ronan McKillop
Creggan: Oisin Kerr, Liam McLernon, Sam Maguire, Fintan Close, Dominic McAteer, Ethan Carey Small, Jimmy McCann, Kealan McCann, Patrick McAuley, Sean Duffin, Conor Small, Ruairi McCann, Shea McCann, Matthew Rodgers, Kevin Small
Subs: Liam Quinn for Dominic McAteer, Joe McAteer for Ethan Carey Small, Conor Johnston for Shea Mccann
Referee: Ray Matthews (Rossa)
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