IHC Group 1
Cloney Gaels 3-15 Creggan 2-19
Cloney Gaels and Kickham’s Creggan served up a real championship encounter to decide who would top Group 1 in the Intermediate Championship in front of a good crowd, which included Davey Fitzgerald at Cloney on Friday night.
In the proverbial game of two halves it was the home side, despite losing Eoin Graham to a hamstring injury after 2 minutes, who were in command for most of the opening half and goals from Ronan Graham and a couple from Colla McDonnell sent them to the dressing rooms leading 3-7 to 0-9 and good value for that lead.
James O’Connell score 0-6 of his sides 7 first half points as he punished some rash tackling while it was Creggan free taker, Morgan Nelson who was very much to the fore for the Staffordstown Road side with 0-7 of his side’s first half total of 0-9.
Sean Duffin 0-2 was the other Creggan first half scorer while Ronan Graham got the Gaels other point to add to his goal which arrived after 23 minutes.
Colla McDonnell fired home from close range when he punished a defensive mix-up, three minutes before half time and the same player got their third as the game edged into time added on.
Ahoghill will feel on reflection that they might have been further ahead at the break as their high press and slick movement put the Kickham’s under constant pressure and there would have been much to discuss in the visitors dressing room at half time.
Whatever was said certainly seemed to do the trick and Creggan were a different team in the second half as they abandoned their sweeper system, which clearly wasn’t working and took a much more direct approach.
They hit the first three points of the second half through Sean Duffin, Diarmuid Mulholland and Ruairi McCann to close the gap to four by the 5th minute before James O’Connell got his side off the mark with 7 minutes gone.
The game took a decisive turn in favour of the visitors when Matthew Rodgers fired to the net in the 10th minute and a point from Conor Small had it back to the minimum at the end of the third quarter.
James O’Connell replied with his 9th of the evening from a free and when he added another from the same scenario the Cloney side appeared to have weathered the storm.
Creggan were having none of it however as the intensity of the exchanges stepped up another notch with the impressive Morgan Nelson, Diarmuid Mulholland and Nelson again brought the sides level and the same player edged them ahead for the first time from a 50 meter free by the 19th minute.
Once again the Cloney response came through the stick of James O’Connell who tied the contest for the second time in the 24th minute and Ronan Graham edged them ahead once more with five minutes remaining.
Just when it looked like the Ahoghill side had regained control it was Kickham’s Creggan whop again responded and Ruairi McCann set up Conor Small for their second goal to restore their lead again and it was clear that this one was going right down to the wire.
Superb free taker, O’Connell converted two on the bounce at the other end but points from Conor Small and a Matthew Rodgers ‘65’ kept the Creggan noses two ahead.
Thomas McGlone replied to close the gap to one again as Cloney Gaels pressed in an attempt to save the contest but that would be as close as they got and it is Kickham’s who now top Group 1.
Cloney Gaels sit only a point behind them but have played a game more and have completed their programme and must wait results from the other group games before they know their fate, but should be safe.
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