Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship Group 3
Lámh Dhearg 1-16-4-11 St Galls
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
ST GALLS joined group favourites Creggan at the summit of Group 3 of the Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship after seeing off Lámh Dhearg 4-11-1-16 at Hannahstown on Sunday afternoon.
The Milltown outfit would have been hoping for improvements from last season’s Championship campaign, that saw them take part in the relegation Play-Offs, whilst Lámh Dhearg were hoping to build upon a campaign that saw them reach the last four.
It was the visitors who quickly set the tone for the afternoon earning an early free that Niall Burns converted.
Roving goalkeeper Kevin Niblock kicked a two-pointed score and Gerard O’Neill squeezed an angled attempt inside the posts to extend their advantage.
It took eight minutes for Lámh Dhearg to get up and running for the afternoon through a Declan Smyth point, but they found themselves further behind when Niall O’Neill took a pass from Conn Doherty and guided his shot past Gerard Smyth to make it 1-4-0-1.
Adam Murray shot over his sides second of the afternoon midway through the half, and it would prove to be their last of the first period as St Galls continued to dominate with ease.
A point from Brendan Bradley was almost followed by a second goal- though Gerard Smyth parried Gerard O’Neill’s goal bound effort.
Instead further points arrived, Niall Burns kicked his second free and Dubhaltach Wilson popped over before being forced off through injury before the break.
A second 2pointer score was swept over by Niblock and on the stroke of half time, Burns added a further free after Lámh Dhearg were pulled up for a two-man infringement as St Galls held a 1-10-0-2 advantage at the halfway stage.
Playing with the wind in the second period, Lámh Dhearg would have been seeking a fast start to the second period, but instead their task was made much harder when Niall Burns surged forward and thumped home his side’s second goal to make it 2-10-0-2.
After Mark Finnegan replied in the form of a two-pointed free, the hosts began a revival and cut the deficit.
With little over a quarter of an hour remaining Paddy Mervyn kicked a magnificent 2pointer from play, Finnegan landed a 45’ and after seeing his initial attempt blocked; substitute Terry McCrudden palmed the loose ball into the empty net to have the Hannahstown natives within six with 12 minutes remaining (2-10-1-7).
Any hope of a comeback was dealt a huge blow when St Galls replied with their third goal of the game, as Brendan Bradley was afforded far too much space and he pulled the trigger from distance to make it 3-10-1-7.
The Lámhs kicked successive 2pointers in reply through Adam Murray and McCrudden, though Niall Burns clipped over his fourth free and the killer score came on the 58th minute when Gerard O’Neill got in behind and shot low to the net at the near post to give his side a 4-11-1-11 lead.
Mark Finnegan kicked three frees in closing stages, one from inside the arc and the other two were two-pointers from the outside, it was scant consolation however as St Galls ran out 4-11-1-16 winners at the conclusion to join Creggan at the top of the table after the first weekend of action.
LÁMH DHEARG: G Smyth, Ross Murray, P Mervyn (1×0-2pt), F Mervyn, D Smyth (0-1), B Rice, O McKeown, E Matassa, P Fitzsimons, M Jordan, R Murray, D Murray, M Finnegan (0-8, 3×0-2ptf, 1×0-1f, 1 45’), A Murray (1×0-2pt), C Fegan. SUBS: D Martin for D Murray (25), R Diamond for E Matassa (25), T McCrudden (1-2, 1×0-2pt) for F Mervyn (45), J Quinn for A Murray (53), C Boyd for M Jordan (56).
ST GALLS: K Niblock (0-4, 2×0-2pt), G Mac Adhaimh, C McGirr, R Wilson, G O’Neill (1-1), E McCabe, L Lynn, C Ryan, A Gallagher, D Wilson (0-1), B Bradley (1-1), N Burns (1-4, 0-4f), C Doherty, N O’Neill (1-0), D Quinn. SUBS: N McCurdy for D Wilson (27), C Murray for A Gallagher (54), M Murray for R Wilson (60).
REFEREE: Kevin Parke (NAOMH EANNA)