ACFL Division One
Lámh Dhearg 1-12-0-14 Con Magees
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
Lámh Dhearg opened up their league campaign with a hard fought 1-12-0-14 win over Con Magee’s at Hannahstown on Sunday morning.
The hosts were first off the mark through a Conor Murray free after 8-minutes. Visitors Con Magee’s won the toss and decided to play with the breeze in the opening half, despite a couple of early misses they pulled level when Conor Carey shot over and hit the front when Daniel McQuillan played a neat one-two and shot over.
Parity was restored for the second time in the half when Conor Murray did enough to move the ball into the path of Ben Rice to sweep over.
A foul on Harry Fyfe allowed Aidan O’Donnell to try his luck from a free and he superbly steered an angled effort from range over the bar for the first two-pointer of the contest.
Glenravel extended their lead further when Sean Higgins continued his run and fisted over before Aidan O’Donnell landed his second two-pointed score, this time from play with a fantastic kick from the outside of the arc to give his side a 0-7-0-2 advantage.
Back-to-back points from Owen McKeown and Ben Rice narrowed the deficit, but on the stroke of half time Rian Lennon kicked a wonderful two-pointer from the outside of the boot to ensure his side went in with a 0-9-0-4 lead at the interval.
Con Magee’s added to their lead within 40-seconds of the restart when Declan McQuillan popped the ball into the path of Lennon to steer his shot over.
It took the hosts nine minutes to get up and running for the second period but it was worth it as Ben Rice took a fisted pass from Conor Murray, sold two dummies and advanced before firing to the net and halving the deficit.
A point followed from Jack Davitt after a one-two in the build up and Paddy Mervyn then reduced arrears to a single-point after confidently charging through and guiding a shot high over the bar.
The Lámhs forged ahead for the first time in the half when substitute Donal Martin shot over his side’s first two-pointed score of the game and they doubled the lead and made it 1-5 without reply when Ciaran Boyd clipped a fine shot over to make it 1-9-0-10.
In the last ten minutes the sides continued to trade scores with Shea O’Brien’s point cancelled out courtesy of a fine angled free from Mark Finnegan that carried over the bar in the wind.
Rian Lennon tapped over a point and in response Lámh’s talisman Ben Rice pointed following a fine passage of play at the other end.
A breach then afforded Mark Finnegan the opportunity to give his side a three-point cushion and he obliged.
The late pressure came from the visitors with Rian Lennon kicking his third score of the afternoon and a close range free from Aidan O’Donnell reducing the deficit to the bare minimum.
The clock was against Gleravel though and when Pearse Fitzsimons drew a free from the resulting kick out, his side were able to control the remaining seconds and see out time to claim their first league victory of the campaign.
