ACFL Division 1
Cargin3-21 Rossa 2-12
Erin’s Own, Cargin produced a power packed second half performance to overcome the challenge of a depleted Rossa in Toome on Sunday morning.
The visitors held their own throughout the opening half and actually led 2-7 to 1-9 at the interval with their goals coming from James Tennyson and Eoin Fleming.
It was a different story during the second half as the hosts took control with Callum Gribbin leading the way with some excellent scores and his goal after 8 minutes put his side in complete control.
Cargin hit the ground running with a point inside the opening 30 seconds but Rossa quickly responded when Mick Byrne slotted over a 2-point free. Cargin reclaimed the momentum through points from a Eunan Quinn fisted effort and Callum Gribbin, and David Johnston added further point, countered only by a point from Rossa’s Eoin Fleming.
The game’s first green flag arrived in the 11th minute when veteran Mick McCann rose highest to palm a high, dropping ball into the back of the Rossa net, firing Cargin into a 1-04 to 0-03 lead. Rossa refused to buckle, clawing their way back via another Mick Byrne 2-point free and a fine score from Eoghan McMenamin, though Marty Kane kept Cargin ahead with an 18th-minute point.
After a Thomas Morgan free cut the deficit, Rossa suffered a blow when Ruairi Donaghy went off injured. His replacement, James Tennyson, made an instant, impact—scoring a goal with his very first touch. Gribbin responded with a point to leave the sides deadlocked at 1-07 apiece by the 26th minute but Rossa struck gold again shortly before the break when Eoin Fleming fisted home a long, high delivery. Late points from Cargin’s Patrick O’Neill and Benen Kelly narrowed the gap, leaving Rossa ahead by a single point at the short whistle.
The second half began with a crucial moment just two minutes in. Rossa goalkeeper Mick Byrne pulled off a spectacular save to deny Odhran Molloy. That sparked Cargin into an entirely different gear. Callum Gribbin took absolute control of the contest, firing over a ’45’ followed immediately by a point from play to edge Cargin back in front.
Mick McCann added another point before Gribbin added another. In the 39th minute, Gribbin put the finishing touches on a spectacular team move, rattling the net to suddenly put Cargin 2-13 to 2-07 ahead. Patrick O’Neill extended the lead with a fisted point, before Thomas Morgan finally registered Rossa’s opening score of the half in the 41st minute.
Any hopes of a Rossa fightback were permanently extinguished when Jack O’Neill ghosted through to slam home Cargin’s third goal, making it 3-14 to 2-08.
Cargin showed no mercy in the final quarter. Kevin McShane (fisted), McCann, Quinn, and a brilliant 2-point effort from Benen Kelly added to the tally. Rossa kept plugging away, and Daniel McCann produced an excellent save in the Cargin goal to deny Morgan, the Belfast side managed late scores through a Byrne ’45’, another Morgan point, and a final Byrne free. Fittingly, it was the exceptional Gribbin who had the final say, striking points in the 58th and 61st minutes to cap off a master class in clinical forward play.
Cargin: 1 Daniel McCann, 2 Hugh O’Donnell, 3 Kevin McShane, 4 Cahir Donnelly, 5 David Johnston, 6 Benen Kelly, 7 Jack O’Neill, 8 Gerard McCann, 9 John Carron, 10 Eunan Quinn, 11 Marty Kane, 12 Odhran Molloy, 13 Callum Gribbin, 14 Michael McCann, 15 Patrick O’Neill.
Subs: Jimmy Gribbin, John McNabb, Tomas McCann
Rossa: 1 Mick Byrne, 2 Mattie McKernan, 3 Peter Byrne, 4 Setanta McDonald, 5 Daire Morgan, 6 Stephen Beatty, 7 Fiachra McDonald, 8 Eoghan McMenamin, 9 Michael McEnhill, 10 Corey Walsh, 11 Eoin Fleming, 12 Daire Rocks, 13 Colm Fleming, 14 Thomas Morgan, 15 Ruairi McDonagh
Subs James Tennyson, Niall Crossan
Referee: Paddy Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)
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