Antrim ACFL Division 1:
St Mary’s Aghagallon 2-11 Kickham’s Creggan 1-14
Report and photos by Brian Hamill
St Mary’s Aghagallon and Kickham’s Creggan shared the spoils after a dramatic Division One encounter in Creggan on Wednesday evening, the sides finishing level on 17 points apiece after a stirring second-half comeback from the home side.
Aghagallon looked well on course for the points at the interval after a controlled opening half saw them establish a six-point cushion, 1-9 to 0-6. Their greater efficiency in front of goal and a strong spread of scorers left them in command, with their opening goal, by Ruairi McCann, giving them a platform they maintained through the second quarter.
Creggan, however, emerged with renewed intent after the turnaround and gradually chipped away at the deficit, driven by the accuracy of Shea McCann, who finished with points from open play and placed balls.
The key moment in the comeback arrived in the 50th minute when Creggan wing-back Dominic McAteer burst through to fire home a well-taken goal, levelling the contest at 1-10 to 1-10 and swinging momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour.
That parity was short-lived, however, as Aghagallon responded impressively. Within three minutes, they struck for their second major, with Gareth Magee finishing clinically to restore the visitors’ advantage and underline their attacking threat.
With the game in the balance entering the closing stages, Aghagallon appeared to have done enough when they nudged two scores clear, but Creggan refused to yield. Their use of the new two-point arc proved decisive in keeping them in contention.
The decisive moment came deep into added time when Jamie McCann stepped up to convert a superb two-point effort, tying the match at 1-14 to 2-11 and ensuring the spoils were shared after a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout.
Aghagallon will rue missed opportunities to close out the game, particularly after twice regaining the lead in the second half, but they can take encouragement from their attacking display.
Defensively, both sides had their moments, with Aghagallons keeper Luke Mulholland, saving two shots on goal and Creggan also registering key saves at vital junctures to keep themselves within reach before launching their late surge.
In the end, a draw was probably a fair reflection of a contest that saw spells of dominance from both sides, Aghagallon impressing early and Creggan finishing with a flourish to secure a hard-earned share of the points.
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