Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship, Quarter-final
Rossa 1-10-1-15 Creggan Kickhams
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
Creggan were the third team to book their place in the semi-finals of the Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship after seeing off the challenge of Rossa with a 1-15-1-10 victory at Hannahstown on Sunday afternoon.
Conditions on the hill were less than ideal with a swirling wind and lashing rain at times making things difficult.
It was Kickhams who were off the mark inside of two minutes with Matthew Rodgers steering a shot between the sticks and Joe McAteer swung over a second shortly afterwards.
Rossa took 10-minutes to open their account with a fine Thomas Morgan point and at the midway point of the half they pulled level after Dominic McEnhill was felled and goalkeeper Mick Byrne kicked the resulting free.
The sides traded two-pointed frees, Creggan had restored their two-point advantage through Ruairi McCann’s effort from the edge of the arc.
A foul on Morgan allowed Rossa the opportunity to peg them back, albeit from a difficult angle- though Byrne had little trouble in guiding the subsequent opportunity between the posts.
Parity was only restored briefly as McCann kicked his second two-pointed placed ball in a three-minute period to have his side 0-6-0-4 ahead at the interval.
Creggan made a lightning start to the second period and kicked two further two-pointed scores within the first two minutes of the restart.
Jamie McCann was first to line up a shot from range that dropped over and Matthew Rodgers then added his side’s fourth of the afternoon.
There was some brief respite for the Shaws Road men when Thomas Morgan bustled his way towards goal and popped over, though Dominic McAteer laid the ball off to Matty Rodgers to clip over his third score of the contest.
Gerard Walsh had again reduced arrears for a brief period, though his side fell further behind to a third two-pointed free from Ruairi McCann that had the score 0-13-0-6.
A converted Dominic McEnhill free and Morgan’s third point of the afternoon ensured that Rossa were still within touch in the final quarter, but Creggan were still in control and Joe McAteer doubled his personal tally.
The first goal of the game arrived in the 54th minute, newly introduced substitute Tiarnan McAteer took off and before a tackle came in, he was able to slip the ball into the path of Ruairi McCann to dispatch to the net and make it 1-14-0-8.
A close range Conor Small free finished his sides scoring for the day, but Creggan were guilty of sleeping at the wheel in the later and Rossa claimed 1-2 unanswered in injury time.
A curling shot from Thomas Morgan left Oisin Kerr unmoved in the Creggan goal, though the score was little more than scant consolation.
There was still time for Diarmaid Rogan to swing over a nice point and Dominic McEnhill added a further score with the last action of the game to ensure some respectability on the final scoreline, though it was Creggan who advanced to the last four and keep their Championship hopes alive.
ROSSA: M Byrne (0-3, 1f, 1×0-2pf), C Orchin, G McGrath, P Moyes, T Murphy, N Crossan, R Gowdy, G Walsh (0-1), O McVicker, A Devlin, C McDonald, D Rogan (0-1), T Morgan (1-3), D McEnhill (0-2, 0-1f), S Beatty. SUBS: E McMenamin for G McGrath (HT), R Grant for O McVicker (36), C Walsh for C McDonald (52), C O’Neill for P Moyes (58).
CREGGAN KICKHAMS: O Kerr, L McLernon, R Johnston, E McAteer, D McAteer, E Carey-Small, J McCann (1×0-2pt), K McCann, P McCauley, F Close, C Small (0-1f), R McCann (1-6, 3×0-2pf), S McCann, M Rodgers (0-4, 1×0-2pt), J McAteer (0-2). SUBS: S Duffin for E McAteer (36), K Small for P McCauley (42), T McAteer for S McCann (53), S Maguire for E Carey-Small (56).
REFEREE: Paddy Tumelty (LÁMH DHEARG)
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