Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC Group 4 

Lámh Dhearg 1-15 Aghagallon 2-10

Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown 

LÁMH DHEARG were  seconds from being the first club to exit this seasons Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC until Conor Murray dramatically thumped home a goal with virtually the last kick of the game in their 1-15-2-10 win over Aghagallon at Hannahstown on Friday evening. 

Having lost their opening encounter to Portglenone and with Aghagallon dismantling Sarsfields in their opener, anything other than a victory would realistically see the Lámhs exit the Championship at the Group stage for the second year in succession. 

For St. Mary’s, they made the trip to the Black Mountain knowing that victory would assure a spot in the last eight with a game to spare. 

It was the host that registered the early scores, Ryan Murray took a pass from Owen McKeown made room for a shot and swung in a shot that crashed off the large post and dropped over. 

They then doubled their lead following Paddy Mervyn’s floated pass into Pearse Fitzsimons, he laid off to Adam Murray and he in turn found Marc Jordan who flashed in a shot that rose over the bar. 

A two-pointer arrived courtesy of Murray, taking a popped pass from nephew Ross he showed nimble footwork and dug out a shot from outside the arc that sailed between the posts. 

It took Aghagallon until the 11th minute to register for the first time, Enda McCartan sent a diagonal pass into the path of Adam Loughran to shoot over on the turn. 

They had managed to reduce arrears to the minimum after Jonny Hannon converted a close range free and goalkeeper Luke Mulholland converted another placed ball from the other half of the field. 

The next four scores were equally traded, Lámh Dhearg twice extended their lead through Ben Rice and Ryan Murray points, only for Adam Loughran and Enda McCartan to reply on each occasion. 

In first half injury time the game’s opening goal arrived and it nudged Aghagallon into the lead for the first time. 

Enda McCartan flighted a high ball into the square and Ruairi McCann gathered, laid the ball off to Adam Loughran to sweep a low shot into the net and give his side a 1-5-0-6 advantage at the interval. 

It was Aghgallon who increased their lead after the break, Ruairi McCann intercepted Jack Lenehan’s side line ball and combined with Eoin Brankin who did just enough to fist the ball over at the near post. 

Lámh Dhearg had several chances to respond but their shooting was wayward in a frustrating opening to the half. 

Brankin would double his account for the half with a high shot that dipped over the bar and two minutes later his sides led stretched to six with Jack Lenehan landing a two-pointer. 

It looked to be curtains for the Lámhs when Aghagallon found the net for the second time in the 47th minute. 

Adam Loughran received a pass through the hands from Ciaran Maginnis and drove forward, Ben Rice and Declan Smyth collided in their attempt to cut out the danger and Loughran was able to drive towards goal, his original stop was kept out by John Finucane, but with the the covering defenders slow to react Loughran shot home at the second time of asking to make it 2-9-0-6. 

The Hannahstown men hit their opening score of the half in the 49th minute and it was a much needed Ryan Murray two-pointed free that began their attempt at a comeback. 

With no time to waste Paddy Cunningham shot over a close range free after Pearse Fitzsimons was felled and a further two-pointed Ryan Murray free left the deficit at four with over five minutes remaining (0-11-2-9). 

Momentum was very much with the Lámhs and they halved the visitors’ advantage again with a patient move that saw Marc Jordan, Donal Martin and Callum Fegan-Lappin combine to switch the ball to Mark Finnegan who kicked a two-pointer from the edge of the arc. 

It wasn’t until midway into four added minutes that the hosts pulled level. Mark Finnegan’s attempt at another two-pointer was blocked down, but Declan Lynch got to the loose ball and laid it off to Marc Jordan who calmly swept his shot from the edge of the arc over to make it 0-15-2-9. 

There was plenty of late twists still to come as Lámh Dhearg lost possession they were countered and Eunan Walsh had the opportunity to secure the win, though he fisted wide with just little under a minute to play, 

Walsh atoned and looked like he had secured the win when John Finucane’s quick kick-out was cut out by Adam Loughran and he found the deflated Walsh in space to fist over a simple score and edge his side back in front. 

This time their lead was brief as Declan Lynch was fouled after winning the resulting kick-out, 

Declan Smyth went for the tap and go and switched to Paddy Mervyn who slung the ball forward, Marc Jordan couldn’t drop the ball in and instead off-loaded to Paddy Cunningham whose high pass found Pearse Fitzsimons in the square and he made a simple switch to Conor Murray to thunder a close range shot low under Luke Mulholland and into the net. 

There was barely time for Mulholland to return the ball back into play before Mark O’Neill sounded his final whistle and the Hannahstown natives were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief that their hopes of making it out of the Group remained intact. 

Lámh Dhearg will be hoping to back their dramatic win up when they make the trip to Beechmount to take on West Belfast rivals Sarsfields in a fortnight, while Aghagallon and Portglenone met in Toome with plenty on the line. 

LÁMH DHEARG: J Finucane, M McGarry, D Lynch, Ross Murray, B Rice (0-1), P Mervyn, D Smyth, P Fitzsimons, M Jordan (0-3, 1×0-2pt), O McKeown, R Murray (0-8, 1×0-2pt, 2×0-2 ptf), D Martin, N McGarry, A Murray, J Davitt. SUBS: C Fegan-Lappin for N McGarry (39), M Finnegan (1×0-2pt) for J Davitt (39), C Murray (1-0) for A Murray (47), P Cunningham (0-1f) for M McGarry (50). 

AGHAGALLON: L Mulholland (0-1f), K Hamill, A Mulholland, C Mulholland, E Walsh (0-1), J Lamount, C Maginnis, P Maginnis, J Lenehan (1×0-2pt), P Gowdy, E McCartan (0-1), E Brankin (0-2), J Hannon (0-1f), R McCann, A Loughran (2-2). SUBS: A Shanks for A Mulholland (HT), S Devlin for P Maginnis (40). 

REFEREE: Mark O’Neill (ARMOY)

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