Northern Switchgear Senior Football Championship
Group 1 – Match Day 3
Cargin 1-21 Dunloy 2-13
Saturday 30 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Portglenone
Cargin maintained their 100% record in the championship with a five point win over Dunloy on Saturday evening. It was a titanic tussle between these sides with the Toome men just pulling away in stoppage time at the end of the hour with John McNabb starring for his side.
The Erin’s Own netminder finished the contest with eight points beside his name, hitting three two-pointers, two of those from open play while his kickouts were excellent throughout.
Conhuir Johnston also shone on the evening, finishing with 1-4 and was a major threat throughout. His goal came in first half injury time and a key, pivotal moment in the game given the reigning champions were playing into the elements in the opening 30 minutes.
Gerard McCann’s dominance in the middle third gave Cargin a strong foothold in the game, especially in a second half where the Toome men looked to turn the screw and pressurise the Cuchullains kickouts.
Keelan Molloy was a constant threat for the Cuchullains, finishing with seven points beside his name and giving the Cargin defence plenty to think about over the hour. While the organisation of the Cargin defence looked to stave the Cuchullains attack, Dunloy showed plenty of patience and precision to try and cut their way through. Ryan McGarry, Eoin McFerran, Eoin O’Neill and Seaan Elliott were all constantly threatening.
It was the period of play mid-way through the second half were Cargin hemmed Dunloy into their own half with ‘Stork’ McCann lording the middle third and claiming first phase possession, his positioning and aerial ability exeptional. Five points in four minutes that included two pointers from Tomás McCann and McNabb took Cargin two clear and while Seaan Elliott scored the Cuchullains second major with a little over 10 minutes of the hour remaining, a strong finish from Cargin ensured they controlled the game and took the honours.
Playing into the elements on the pristine surface of Kelly Park in front of a large attendance, Cargin looked to control the game. Their ability to recycle possession and keep Dunloy at arms-length was the overriding factor of the opening quarter. Tomás McCann and Conhuir Johnston split the posts in the fourth minute to give Cargin a two point lead early doors but there was already signs of the pressure the Toome men would put on the Dunloy restarts early doors.
The Cuchullains rallied to hit three points in as many minutes through a brace from Molloy (one free) and a fisted point from Eoin McFerran and while McNabb split the posts for his first of the game from placed ball, Dunloy had their best spell of the game.
A two pointed free from Karl Fitzpatrick preceded a brace of scores from the Dunloy inside forward (one free) with a scores from Benen Kelly and Tomás McCann the response for Cargin to leave two between the sides with five minutes of the half remaining. The scoreboard could and probably should have been sitting better in favour of the Cuchullains but Fitzpatrick’s instinctive effort went to the right hand side of the posts and wide when it looked like the goal was at his mercy.
McNabb’s first two pointer (free) of the contest brought parity to the sides only for Keelan Molloy to respond with a two pointer of his own as the clock ticked into first half injury time and Dunloy two ahead.
Cargin scored the opening goal of the tie with Tom Shivers on the end of a brilliant pass in the middle third and speeding through the heart of the Dunloy defence. He found Conhuir Johnston in space and while the Dunloy defence scrambled, he rifled his effort to the top corner to give Chrissy McMahon little or no chance of stopping it.
Dunloy and Seaan Elliott had the final say of the half to leave the half time score 1-7 to 0-10. There seemed to be a discrepancy in the score line with plenty in attendance having the Cuchullains ahead at half time but after a recheck, referee Darren McKeown confirmed the score with his officials upon the restart of the second half.
After the first half, it was very much advantage Cargin as they had the elements at their backs. They made a strong start to the half and kept possession but the Cuchullains breathed fire into their challenge by scoring their opening goal of the half. Playing with an element of patience and looking to probe the Cargin defence, Ryan McGarry broke the line and found substitute Luke McFerran in space. The Cargin defence scramble and looked to have staved the threat but McFerran showed incredible composure to hammer the ball beyond McNabb in the Cargin goals.
Cargin’s response was typical of the inner confidence and belief within the side. A brace of scores from Conhuir Johnston, the second of which could easily have been a major but his effort only just cleared the crossbar.
Keelan Molloy split the uprights with his fifth and sixth points of the game to put three between the sides after the opening quarter. Cargin took control in the middle third however with Gerard McCann instrumental. They did hit a number of wides that threatened to derail their challenge but Tomás McCann and McNabb both split the posts with two pointers from open play with another McNabb point coming from a ’45 to leave the Cargin men two ahead.
Dunloy broke the Cargin momentum briefly when Seaan Elliott scored their second major. Tom McFerran claiming the loose possession in the middle third before laying the ball into the path of Seaan Elliott. The dual star sped through and while he had a wall of black. Cargin shirts in front of him, Elliott hammered the ball to the back of the Cargin net to put his side ahead again with 10 minutes of the hour remaining.
That was as good as it got for the Cuchullains however. They missed chances for further scores either side of Tomás McCann’s second two pointer of the game before Conhuir Johnston took his tally to 1-4 to put two between the sides once again.
Keelan Molloy responded to leave the minimum between the sides once again with his third free and seventh point overall but Cargin controlled the time that remained.
Points from Tomás McCann, substitute Callum Gribbin and a brilliant two pointer from ‘Jinny’ McNabb with the outside of his left foot rounded off the scoring.
Five points felt like it was harsh on the Cuchullains but Cargin were well worthy of their win. McNabb gave an exhibition while Gerard McCann’s second half influence was pivotal to the winning of the game.
Both sides progress to the quarter finals with Cargin now facing Aghagallon while Dunloy will have a rematch against St Brigid’s in what will be a repeat pairing of the same fixture from 12 months ago.
TEAMS
CARGIN: John McNabb; Ronan Gribbin, Kevin McShane, Jack O’Neill; Conan Johnston, Seán O’Neill, Benen Kelly; James Laverty, Gerard McCann; David Johnston, Michael McCann, Paul McCann; Conhuir Johnston, Tomás McCann, Tom Shivers
Subs: Eunan Quinn for P McCann (46); Callum Gribbin for R Gribbin (56)
Scorers: J McNabb 0-8 (2xTP, 1xTPF, 1xF, 1x’45); C Johnston 1-4; T McCann 0-7 (4xTP, 1xF); B Kelly 0-1; C Gribbin 0-1
DUNLOY: Chrissy McMahon; Reece Cunning, Aaron Crawford, James Scally; Aodhan McGarry, Ryan McGarry, Jack Martin; Eoin McFerran, Eoin O’Neill; Nigel Elliott, Tom McFerran, Seaan Elliott; Barry McCloskey, Keelan Molloy, Karl Fitzpatrick
Subs: Luke McFerran for K Fitzpatrick (30); Kevin McQuillan for B McCloskey (49); Paudie McGilligan for E McFerran (Inj)
Scorers: K Molloy 0-7 (1xTP, 3xF); K Fitzpatrick 0-4 (1xTPF, 1xF); S Elliott 1-1 (1xF); L McFerran 1-00; E McFerran 0-1
Referee: Darren McKeown (Naomh Gall)
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