Antrim LGFA Under-16 B Championship
Kickhams Creggan 9-08 Con Magees Glenravel 2-07
Creggan
Kickhams Creggan’s ability to find the net proved the decisive factor as they overcame a spirited Con Magees Glenravel challenge in an entertaining Antrim LGFA Under-16 B Championship game at Creggan.
The visitors contributed plenty to the contest and were particularly competitive during the opening half, but Creggan’s greater cutting edge in front of goal eventually told. The home side struck five goals before the interval and added another four after the change of ends to secure a 9-08 to 2-07 victory.
Creggan made a flying start with two early goals, the second of them coming from number 10, Muireann McCartney, to immediately put Glenravel on the back foot.
Con Magees responded well, however, and Clodagh McKay opened their account with a point before Sadhbh McMullan found the Creggan net to bring the visitors right back into contention.
Creggan steadied themselves with points from Caitlin MacGrath and McCartney before Cara Fullan converted a free.
Glenravel continued to battle and Laoise McMullan added a point, but the home side’s ability to strike for goals was beginning to make the difference.
Fullan added another point before Chloe Maguire drove home Creggan’s third goal. Maguire followed that with a point as the home side began to establish a significant advantage.
Two more goals before the break, one from Maguire and another from Iona Maguire, strengthened Creggan’s position considerably and sent them into the interval leading 5-06 to 1-02.
Despite facing a sizeable deficit, Glenravel made an excellent start to the second half.
Amber Anderson landed the opening point after the restart before Laoise McMullan struck the visitors’ second goal of the game. Suddenly Con Magees had some reward for their persistence and were attempting to eat into the Creggan lead.
Creggan, though, soon rediscovered the goal touch that had served them so well in the opening half.
Iona Maguire struck her second goal of the contest to halt Glenravel’s momentum, although Georgie Twigg responded with a point for the visitors.
Cara Fullan then added another point for Creggan before Iona Maguire completed an impressive personal contribution with another goal.
McCartney followed with Creggan’s eighth goal, with MacGrath adding a point as the home side moved firmly out of reach.
To their credit, Con Magees never stopped competing. Twigg added another point and Cliona Keating also got her name on the scoresheet before Twigg struck again during a productive closing spell for the visitors.
Creggan still had one more major score in them, with Emily Cleary finding the net to complete their nine-goal haul.
The final score of 9-08 to 2-07 underlined Creggan’s clinical finishing, but Glenravel’s seven points and two goals reflected a performance in which they continued to attack and compete right through to the finish.
For Creggan, the key difference was their capacity to turn promising attacks into goals. Iona Maguire was particularly effective with a hat-trick, while Chloe Maguire also made a major contribution and McCartney was prominent throughout.
Glenravel, meanwhile, were rewarded for their persistence through goals from Sadhbh McMullan and Laoise McMullan, while Georgie Twigg was among their most consistent scoring threats in the second half.
Final score: Kickhams Creggan 9-08 Con Magees Glenravel 2-07.
TO SEE MORE OF CLAIRE’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/TDwLZDoeZcU9GT/?invite=616c70fd-149f-4180-b818-710251565b8a