Antrim Football League Division 1
Kickhams Creggan 4-22 | O’Donovan Rossa 1-06
Anyone arriving late to Creggan on Wednesday evening would have missed a breathless opening to this Division 1 encounter, but what followed was a clinical exhibition from the league leaders. Despite a frantic first minute that saw both teams raise early green flags, the men from the Loughshore quickly found their rhythm, putting O’Donovan Rossa to the sword with a devastating display of scoring power to ultimately run out 25-point winners.
If the opening sixty seconds—which saw both nets rattle in a true score-fest tease—suggested a tight shootout, Creggan quickly dispelled the notion. After the early exchange of goals left the sides level at 1-1, Creggan’s Keelan McCann nudged them ahead with a well-taken point just two and a half minutes in.
Rossa pressed hard for an immediate response. Conal McDonald made a surging run and unleashed a shot that looked destined for the net, only for the Creggan keeper to pull off a superb save. The resulting ’45’ was coolly converted by Eoin Fleming to keep the city men in touch.
However, Creggan quickly shifted through the gears. Their right-half forward Sean Duffin slotted a point from play, and a brilliant team movement in the 9th minute culminated in a rare goal from their overlapping fullback on the right wing, stretching the lead to 3-1.
Creggan Turn the Screw
From there until the short whistle, it was one-way traffic. Creggan’s midfield and half-forward lines dominated the breaking ball. Their number 8 added another from 20 meters, followed swiftly by a point from their number 10. Shea McCann (11) then tapped over a close-range free to push the score line to 2-5 to 1-2 by the end of the first quarter.
While Conal McDonald managed a free for Rossa at the 17-minute mark to stem the tide briefly, Shea McCann immediately answered with another free of his own. The defining blow of the half came in the 21st minute when Liam Quinn collected the ball, fashioned some space, and fired home Creggan’s third goal off the post.
McDonald added a lovely score from play for Rossa, but the Loughshore men finished the half relentlessly. Sean Duffin finished off a slick build-up, and Conor Johnstonn landed a super point just before the break, leaving Creggan fully in control at 3-10 to 1-04 at half-time.
Second Half: The McCanns Take Over
Any hopes of a Rossa revival were extinguished immediately after the restart as Joe McAteer picked up right where he left off, firing over the first point of the half. Creggan’s Conor Johnston followed up with a beautiful curling left-footed effort.
The third quarter became the Jamie McCann show. Operating at number 9, he drove the team forward, pointing in the 9th minute to keep the scoreboard ticking. Moments later, a sweeping move involving Sam Maguire and Conor McCann (19) teed up Joe McAteer to pop the ball over the bar. Ruairi McCann then got his name on the scoresheet as Creggan’s lead extended even further.
Substitute Ronan McGuckian (21) made an immediate impact upon his introduction, justifying his deployment with a lovely left-footed point following a period of sustained Creggan possession. Jamie McCann then added another from midfield to compound Rossa’s misery.
Rossa briefly interrupted the onslaught when Corey Walsh found his range, scoring twice in quick succession from the right wing around the 22nd minute. But the respite was short-lived. Jamie McCann immediately struck back with a sweet left-footed effort from the left flank, completely neutralizing the Rossa momentum.
In the closing stages, Creggan were simply queuing up to score. Joe McAteer and Shea McCann kept the umpires busy, and fittingly, Creggan’s Sean Duffin landed the final point of the evening in the 29th minute. With a fourth goal registered in the second half alongside an avalanche of points, the final whistle brought an end to a torrid evening for Rossa.
Creggan marched on, their 4-22 to 1-06 victory a resounding statement of their Division 1 title credentials.
TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/uWxZL6dGABqAf4/?invite=82786534-b3d7-4b14-baaf-573a9352df46