Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship – Semi Final
Dunloy 0-18 Portglenone 1-10
Friday 26 September
Brendan McTaggart reports from Dunsilly
Dunloy produced a stunning final quarter against Portglenone at Dunsilly to book their place in the senior decider for the second time in three years. Five points was the difference at the end of the hour as the Casement’s semi-final voodoo struck again, Friday nights defeat their sixth loss in seven years at this stage.
Keelan Molloy and Seaan Elliott led the way for the Cuchullains, scoring 14 points between them and shared four two pointers as well as putting daylight between the sides with the game in the melting pot.
This was a contest where the Cuchullains showed both sides of their play. Playing with patience and dictating the first half, facing whatever wind was blowing at Dunsilly while the second half showcased their ability to break at speed and when given a yard of space, they weren’t found wanting when it came to taking scores from outside the arch.
Deaglan Smith was at his instrumental best in the middle of the park and had plenty of support with Eoin McFerran while Reece Cunning, Aaron Crawford and Ryan McGarry all formed part of an excellent defence.
Portglenone were reliant on the trickery and brilliance of Michael Hagan, he would score four points in the first half but he had little in the way of support.
When Daniel McNicholl scored the only goal of the game in the 51st minute, it reeled the Cuchullains lead in to the minimum and gave Portglenone a shot of adrenaline with the game going into the closing stages. It was Dunloy who finished strongly however as the Casement’s got little joy from a well organised Cuchullains defence.
Dunloy dominated the opening quarter with Portglenone struggling to get a footing in the game. Seaan Elliott opened the scoring before a rare attack from the Casement’s yielded a point from Hagan to tie the scores. Portglenone wouldn’t register another score for close to 15 minutes however as Dunloy kept control.
Point from Nigel Elliott and a brace from Molloy (one free) put three between the sides before Seaan Elliott had a sight of the Portglenone goals. Cutting through the heart of the defence with a strong run, Elliott went low with the outside of his boot but Kevin Mullan dived at full length to push the ball away. Elliott did convert the resulting ’45 to put four between the sides by the 16th minute.
Portglenone began to press Dunloy further up the field and as a result, began to find their way into the semi final. Caolan Tierney split the posts moments after Aidan McAleese saw his effort crash against the crossbar.
Luke McFerran restored the four point Dunloy lead before a brace from Hagan breathed life into the Casement’s challenge as Portglenone played with momentum and drive in the closing stages of the first half.
A Smith free from an acute angle was Dunloy’s last score of the opening 30 in the 25th minute but a controversial two point free for a ‘three man’ infringement in the Dunloy half from Paddy Kelly left the minimum between the sides with Hagan rounding off the scoring with his fourth of the half to leave the sides tied on seven points each at the interval.
Those closing stages were a blow for the Cuchullains who had played the majority of the football in the first half. Portglenone showed how dangerous they could be when given the opportunity and half time came at the perfect time for Dunloy.
They opened the scoring with a brace of points from Molloy and Seaan Elliott while another three man infringement handed Paddy Kelly the chance to reduce the Dunloy lead to the minimum.
The third quarter was similar to the first but this time it was Portglenone who had the lion’s share of possession, looking to find gaps in the Dunloy defence. The Cuchullains looked to counter but neither side were finding scoring chances easy.
Portglenone did go close with Dermot McAleese’s goal bound effort superbly blocked by a recovering Reece Cunning but Dunloy, with Molloy and Seaan Elliott taking centre stage.
A brace of two pointers either side of a point from Aidan McAleese opened a four point lead for the Cuchullians once more with 11 minutes of the hour remaining. Portglenone got a lifeline through half back Daniel McNicholl scoring the only goal of the game. Coming at the end of a brilliant run from Aidan McAleese with Dermot McAleese prominent in the build up also to leave the minimum between the sides.
It looked like that goal would give Portglenone any momentum there was going but Dunloy hit back through a quite brilliant two pointer from the outside of Seaan Elliott’s right boot.
It was all Portglenone in the closing stages as they looked for another goal. Enda Lynn brought the best out of Chrissy McMahon from an acute angle before a monstrous two pointer from Molloy stretched the Dunloy lead to five with two minutes remaining. That score making it four of Dunloy’s last scores to that point were two pointers.
Dermot McAleese and Deaglan Smith swapped points at the death as Dunloy saw out the remaining time to qualify for a meeting with the winners of Sunday’s Loughshore derby between Creggan and reigning champions Cargin.
TEAMS
DUNLOY: Chrissy McMahon; Reece Cunning, Aaron Crawford, James Scally; Aodhan McGarry, Ryan McGarry, Conor Kinsella; Eoin McFerran, Deaglan Smith; Eoin O’Neill, Seaan Elliott, Tom McFerran; Luke McFerran, Keelan Molloy, Nigel Elliott
Subs: Jack Martin for J Scally (37); Barry McCloskey for L McFerran (56)
Scorers: K Molloy 0-7 (1f, 1xTPF, 1xTP); S Elliott 0-7 (2xTP, 1’45); D Smith 0-2 (1f); L McFerran 0-1; N Elliott 0-1
PORTGLENONE: Kevin Mullan; Ryan Convery, Kevin O’Kane, Ronan Delargy; Conor Magee, Niall Delargy, Daniel McNicholl; Niall McKeever, Dermot McAleese; Oisin Doherty, Enda Lynn, Caolan Tierney; Paddy Kelly, Michael Hagan, Aidan McAleese
Subs: Johnny Convery for K O’Kane (45); Ronan Kelly for N McKeever (45); Stephen Kelly for C Tierney (59); Sean Byrne for M Hagan (60)
Scorers: M Hagan 0-4; P Kelly 0-3 (1f, 1xTPF); D McNicholl 1-00; D McAleese 0-1; C Tierney 0-1; A McAleese 0-1
Referee: Paddy Tumelty (Lámh Dhearg)
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