Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC Group 2 

St Pauls 1-11-3-15 Creggan 

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Naomh Pol 

CONOR JOHNSTON struck Creggan’s third goal in the 51st minute and it proved crucial to seeing off the stern challenge of hosts St Pauls in his sides 3-15-1-11 win at the Shaws Road on Saturday evening. 

Both sides went into the game knowing the importance of victory having tasted defeat in their respective opening encounters to Ballymena and St Johns. 

It took four minutes for Creggan to find the opening score courtesy of Kevin Small and brother Conor doubled the advantage from a close range free a few minutes later. 

The opening goal arrived after 9 minutes and fell to visitors. Ethan Carey Small and Shea McCann played a one-two close to the byline and the ball was slipped into Kevin Small to apply the finish. 

A fisted Eunan McAteer point followed, before St Pauls got up and running for the evening through a Ciaran O’Dufaigh free after a push on Conal Duffy and O’Dufaigh swung over an angled placed ball within 60-seconds. 

The hosts first from play came through Conal Duffy after a shot had drifted across the face of goal and was kept in play by Niall McStravick, who laid the ball to Duffy to pop over. 

At the other end Sean Duffin opened his account, ahead of Ciaran O’Dufaigh swinging a two-pointed free between the posts to make it 1-4-0-5. 

The Small brothers combined as Kevin added to his 1-1 already amassed in the opening exchanges and it was the start of a ruthless purple patch before the interval. 

In the 23rd minute Creggan had their second goal of the game, perhaps fortuitous as Jamie McCann’s attempted cut back was deflected past Jack McAufield. 

Points followed through goal scorers Small and McCann, with Ciaran O’Dufaigh kicking his second two-pointed free of the half briefly halt the visitors momentum. 

Creggan almost had a third goal before the break, Jamie McCann floated a forward pass that Jack McAufield didn’t deal with convincingly  and in the chaos that ensured Conor Small settled for an angled point. 

On the stroke of half time Jamie McCann added a free as his side held a 2-9-0-7 lead at the midway point in proceedings. 

The visitors extended their lead eight minutes after the restart, Sean Duffin played the ball down the channel into the path of Conor Johnston, the corner forward headed towards the target and fisted over a point. 

St Paul’s cut arrears by a third with a goal in the 40th minute. Skipper Mark Munce floated a pass over the top that Ciaran O’Dufaigh raced onto, he dribbled the ball towards the target and rounded Oisin Kerr before half time substitute Shea Burns applied the finish and thumped home to make it 2-10-1-7. 

Fellow substitute Sean Og McLaren shot over and with little under a quarter of an hour remaining a third two-pointed free from O’Dufaigh had a goal separating the sides. 

It wasn’t until the 51st minute that Creggan opened up some breathing space. A quickly taken free was played into the path of Conor Johnston and he had the simple task of turning the ball home from close range to give his side a 3-10-1-10 lead. 

A converted free followed from Conor Small and then Kevin added to his personal tally after good work from substitute Sam Maguire in the build-up. 

Substitute Kevin Rice fisted over shortly after entering the fray, with Ciaran O’Dufaigh adding his sides final score of the evening from the placed ball. 

There was still adequate time for Jamie McCann to flash over his third point of the contest and Sean Duffin to fist a further point to close out the game and ensure Creggan ran out 3-15-1-11 winners and reignite their hopes of progressing from the Group. 

Creggan will hope that they can secure progression from the Group with a victory over All Saints when they meet in Randalstown in two weeks time, while St Pauls only have pride to play for in their clash against St Johns in Hannahstown on the same Sunday afternoon. 

ST PAULS: J McAufield, A Kavannagh, E McGreevy, C Killyleagh, M Duffy, M Munce, L Phillips, C Trainor, C Finnegan, N McKenna, Conal Duffy (0-1), C Hughes, Caomhin Duffy, N McStravick, C O’Dufaigh (0-9f, 3×0-2ptf, 3×0-1f). SUBS: S Burns (1-0) for C Hughes (HT), S Og McLaren (0-1) for Conal Duffy (37), P Magee for M Duffy (45), R Hamill for N McKenna (51), C Duffin for C Finnegan (54). 

CREGGAN:O Kerr, L McLernon, R Johnston, A Maguire, E McAteer (0-1), E Carey Small, D McAteer, K McCann, J McCann (1-3, 0-1f), S Duffin (0-2), K Small (1-4), S McCann, J McAteer, C Small (0-3, 0-2f), C Johnston (1-1). SUBS: C McCann for L McLernon (34), S Maguire for C McCann (42), M Johnston for D McAteer (51), K Rice (0-1) for K Small (56), A Martin for C Johnston (60+1). 

REFEREE: Paul Burns (ST COMGALLS)

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/wNpbmJKm5rNC2C/?invite=c45f2575-d16b-433f-beee-2aec97ec1f75