CARGIN V CREGGAN KICKS OFF A GREAT WEEKEND OF FOOTBALL

The football championships in Antrim get down to the business end this weekend with both Junior and Senior reaching the knockout stages and only one round remaining in the Intermediate Group games.

NORTHERN SWITCHGEAR SFC Quarter-Final

Quinn Park-Ballymena – Friday-18^th September 7-30pm

Kickham’s Creggan v Erin’s own Cargin

The action gets underway on Friday night when parish rivals, Kickham’s Creggan and Erin’s Own, Cargin meet in the first Senior Championship quarter-final in Ballymena.

This one is sure to attract a bumper crowd to the All Saints ground and is likely to be fiercely contested but despite Creggan winning the division 1 league, it is Cargin who are likely to start as favourites.

In the group stages the Kickham’s suffered an opening day loss to St. John’s, a result that surprised more than a few but they recovered to record wins over St. Paul’s and All Saints to qualify from group 2 in second place.

Meanwhile Cargin have been setting the standards in Group 3 with wins over St. Brigid’s in Toome, Moneyglass away and St. Gall’s to top the group and have once again been installed amongst the favourites to go all the way.

This one could go either way but Cargin seem to have hit form just at the right time and will look to the experience of John McNabb, James Laverty, Pat Shivers and Michael McCann to see them through.

P GRAHAM TARMAC JFC Quarter-Final

Colaiste Feirste – Friday 18^th September 7-00

Laochra Loch Lao v Eire Og

Group 1 runners up, Laochra Loch Lao take on Eire Og who finished second in Group 2 in the first quarter-final of the Graham Tarmac JFC at Colaiste Feirste on the 4G pitch and this one could be close but the Irish Language side play their games at home on this pitch and it might just give them a slight edge.

The Derriaghy side are an experienced outfit however and hit four goals at the same venue last year and will fancy their chances after finishing second in Group 2 to Ardoyne on score difference.

There might not be much between them on Friday night but Eire Og could just shade it to book a place in the semi-finals.

Saturday -2-00pm SFC Relegation Play-off – Loughbeg Road

St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass v Sarsfield’s

Having already negotiated a division 1 league play-off against Tir na nOg, St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass now face Sarsfield’s as they battle to maintain the Senior Football Championship status.

Moneyglass had a tough Group 2 championship campaign and were drawn in the ‘group of death’ with Cargin, St. Brigid’s and St. Gall’s. Ther Moneyglass side lost all three games in the group while Sarsfields were suffering similar results in Group 4.

The ‘Paddies’ were winless in the group with heavy defeats to Aghagallon, Portglenone and Lamh Dhearg.

Defeat for either side would not see them automatically relegated as both sides have St. Paul’s still to play with the bottom side relegated to Intermediate championship for next season.

Relegation would not be the end of the world and either of the three would be serious contenders in next year’s IFC but none of them will want to give up their Senior status and home advantage could be enough to see a youthful St Ergnat’s edge this one.

Saturday 2-00pm P GRAHAM TARMAC JFC Quarter-final

O’Donnell’s v Pearses

O’Donnell’s have home advantage for this one and are a difficult side to beat at Pairc MacRuairi.

The O’D’s showed better form in the group stages with two wins from three outings while Pearses won only one from three but did run league winners, Rasharkin to a point.

Much will be down to who can produce their best form on the day but I expect home advantage to swing it O’Donnell’s way.

Saturday 2-30pm OB CONSTRUCTION IFC Group 1

St. Teresa’s v Naomh Una

There is still one round to be played in the group stages of the IFC and a number of them have significance. St. Teres’a could still qualify for the knockout stages with a home win over Naomh Una if results in other games go their way.

The Glen Road side should win this one and will be hoping that Davitt’s can beat Gort na Mona at Davitt’s Park on Sunday and if that were to happen then score difference could come into play.

Saturday 4-30 OB CONSTRUCTION IFC Group 2

Naomh Padraig Lisburn v Naomh Comhghall

While neither side can qualify from Group 2, relegation from the IFC is the issue raising its head here and the losers will find themselves in a play-off to maintain their Intermediate status.

Both sides are pointless in their group at present though both have turned in some descent performances with Naomh Comhghall pushing Group contenders St. Enda’s hard in their meeting at Dunsilly and the Lisburn side getting close to Glenavy at Kirkwood Park.

Home advantage could favour the Lisburn side but Naomh Comhghall have shown that they can perform away from home and were unlucky to lose by a point at Chapel Hill recently and this one could go the way of the team who want it most.

Saturday 5-00pm NORTHERN SWITCHGEAR SFC Quarter-Final

St. John’s v St. Brigid’s – Lamh Dhearg

St. Brigid’s have been knocking at the championship door for a while in an effort to claim their first title and have been regular competitors at the later stages of the competition but as yet the breakthrough hasn’t come.

After losing by three in the opening game in Group 3 to Cargin in Toome, the Musgrave Park side have regrouped to record good wins over St. Gall’s and Moneyglass and have been impressive.

St. John’s caused a few eyebrows to be raised when they travelled to Creggan in Group 2 and defeated the Kickham’s and followed that up with victories over All Saints and St. Paul’s to top the group.

The Whiterock men will travel up to Hannastown with confidence and are sure to put it up to their opponents but St. Brigid’s should edge the contest but there might not be much between them at the end.

Sunday 1-15pm NORTHERN SWITCHGEAR SFC Quarter-Final

Portglenone v Rossa – Corrigan Park

The Casement’s have been going well this year under the guidance of Matty McGleenan and have come close to SFC success in the past with final defeats to St. Gall’s and Cargin but as yet have not crossed the winning line.

Their form this year has been good with wins over Lamh Dhearg, Aghagallon and Sarsfield’s to top Group 4 and they will travel to Belfast confident that they can advance to this year’s semi-final.

Standing in their way will be a Rossa side who recovered from a heavy opening day Group 1 defeat to Dunloy to record wins over Glenravel and Tir na nOg and earn their place in the semi-final.

Rossa will be no push overs and in Dominic McEnhill they have a man capable of producing big scores on the day but Portglenone should have something to spare and can win this one.

Sunday 2-00 OB CONSTRUCTION IFC Group 1 – Davitt’s Park

Davitt’s v Gort na Mona

A draw here would be enough to see Gort na Mona join St. James Aldergrove in the knockout stages while Davitt’s would need a big win to gain second place if St. Teresa’s defeat St. Agnes the day before.

I would expect the Glen Road men to get that win but Gort na Mona should do enough to make the St. Teresa’s win irrelevant and the Turf Lodge side should join St. James’ Aldergrove in the knockout stages.

Sunday 4-30 NORTHERN SWITCHGEAR SFC Toome

Cuchullian’s Dunloy v Lamh Dhearg

Reigning champions, Cuchullian’s Dunloy lost their final Group 1 game to Glenravel but with qualification already obtained, they fielded virtually a reserve team and despite hurling action at the weekend, they should go into this one fairly fresh.

Their opponents, Lamh Dhearg had to dig deep to defeat Aghagallon at Hannastown after losing to Portglenone in round 1 and were pushed by Sarsfields at Davitt’s Park but emerged winners by five points.

Paddy Cunningham has returned to the side and is still going strong in a side laced with experience but it might not be enough to dethrone a Dunloy side who will be keen to retain their senior title and should have enough to advance to the semi-final.

Sunday 4-30 OB CONSTRUCTION IFC-Pairc Eanna

St. Enda’s v St. Mary’s Ahoghill.

This top of the table clash sees St. Mary’s Ahoghill travel to Hightown where they will face Division 2 league winners, Naomh Eanna and this one has the makings of a real cracker.

Both sides have won three from three in Group 2 and both have already qualified for the knockout stages but both of them will be keen to top the group.

St. Enda’s recorded a league win over the Cloney men earlier in the season on their way to winning the title and have Odhran Eastwood and Christan Healy back in their ranks and will start Sunday’s encounter as firm favourites.

They will however face a St. Mary’s side who have been impressive this season and if the Ahoghill men can produce the form that they have been showing this season, then this one could be mighty close.

St Paul’s 3-11 St Enda’s 1-09 – at Dunsilly

St Paul’s secured the Reserve Football Shield at Dunsilly following a commanding final victory over St Enda’s. Two early goals gave the Shaw’s Road men a fantastic start, but a resilient St Enda’s side battled back, highlighted by a Sean Neilan goal, to close the gap to just two points by halftime.

However, after the change of ends, St Paul’s decisively regained the upper hand. Driven forward by a brilliant Man of the Match performance from Sean Og McLaren, they restricted their Glengormley opponents to just two points in the second half, pulling away to win by a comfortable eight-point margin.

St Paul’s applied the early pressure, creating several opportunities before Shea Burns opened the scoring with a point in the seventh minute. The lead was short-lived, as a minute later, St Enda’s Odhran McKenna cut along the sideline and fired over a superb left-footed effort to level the sides.

The game’s first major turning point arrived in the ninth minute with a stroke of fortune for St Paul’s. Patrick Crawford’s point attempt dropped short, but took a wicked bounce on the Dunsilly turf, looping over the keeper’s head and into the net.

St Enda’s immediately looked to respond. Ronan Kalla sent in a long-range effort that dropped dangerously into the square, sparking a tense goalmouth scramble, but the St Paul’s defense managed to hack it clear. St Paul’s capitalised on the clearance immediately, marching down the field to grab their second goal on 11 minutes. After excellent approach play from Sean Og McLaren, Crawford was on hand again to find the net.

St Enda’s showed real grit and pulled a goal back on 13 minutes. Sean Neilan kept his run going brilliantly; the St Paul’s keeper made a great save from the initial shot, and a defender broke the rebound, but Neilan reacted fastest to pull the ball on the ground into the net.

The momentum began to swing back and forth. St Enda’s Niall McKeown registered a point, quickly followed by another from Odhran McKenna. St Paul’s answered straight down the field through Conor Burns, but Ronan Kalla immediately replied with a super point for St Enda’s.

As the half entered its final ten minutes, St Paul’s began to find a rhythm. Niall Carmichael hit a good point on 21 minutes, followed shortly by a well-worked team score that ended with Garrett Cowan firing over off his left foot from 20 meters.

On 24 minutes, McLaren found himself through on goal from close range. The St Enda’s keeper produced a sharp save, but the rebound broke kindly to Conor Burns, who fired it over the bar. McLaren then added a well-deserved point of his own a minute later.

St Enda’s had a golden opportunity on 27 minutes when they broke through on goal, but Declan “DJ” Murray’s attempt to punch the ball over the bar was deflected wide for a ’45’, which ultimately came to nothing.

The closing moments of the half saw a flurry of scores. Conor Burns landed a superb left-footed strike from 30 meters, only for DJ Murray to respond for St Enda’s seconds later. With the final kick of the half, Shea Burns sent over a great score from out on the wing, leaving the halftime score at St Paul’s 2-06 to St Enda’s 1-07.

St Paul’s Take Control

St Enda’s introduced Eoin Nagle at the break to try and close the gap, but it was St Paul’s who struck first upon the restart. Conor Burns continued his fine scoring form with a super point just two minutes in to extend their lead to three.

St Paul’s introduced a substitute of their own five minutes into the half, and by the 10-minute mark, they had essentially killed the game off with a brilliant team goal. The move was orchestrated down the right wing, initiated by a pinpoint ball from Sean Og McLaren. It eventually found Niall Carmichael, who clinically fired it across the keeper and into the net.

A minute later, St Paul’s worked the ball beautifully down the right touchline through Finnegan, who popped it out to Conor Burns to knock over another point, widening the gap to seven.

St Enda’s had to wait until the 17th minute for their first score of the second half, with Cathair McKenna flashing a fierce effort just inches over the crossbar. Ronan Kalla followed this up with a pointed free on 21 minutes, but that would prove to be St Enda’s final score of the contest as the St Paul’s defense shut up shop.

Conor Burns answered with a great point from a tight angle on 22 minutes, and followed it up with a fantastic left-footed effort a minute later. Unfortunately, Burns injured himself in the process of taking the score and had to be substituted after a stellar individual display.

St Enda’s brought Cormac Morgan into the fray to try and spark a late revival, but St Paul’s remained firmly in control. Patrick Crawford tapped over a free on 25 minutes to cap off the scoring, sealing a fantastic second-half team performance and ensuring the Reserve Shield headed back to Shaw’s Road.

TO SEE MORE OF DYLAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/uaPoTQUdoXXv8o/?invite=7cb073f2-9244-497a-a031-09cf97ad5758

South West U14 Cup Final

All Saints 4-3 Naomh Eanna 0-3

The final game of the South West U14 trilogy at Dunsilly on Sunday was the U14A final with All Saints, Ballymena and St. Enda’s, Glengormley competing for the U14 Cup.

The Ballymena side had raised a few eyebrows when they defeated league winners, Casement’s Portglenone in the semi-final at Kelly Park but were never the less expected to face a tough challenge from a St. Enda’s side who had recorded a league victory over them earlier in the year.

It was All Saints who set the standards right from the throw in when Conor Graham pointed in the opening minute and when Alex Leith bundled the ball to the net, a minute later, Benny McDonnell’s men were looking good.

The goal came after Odhran Cassidy had challenged for a high delivery and the ball broke invitingly across the St. Enda’s square where Leith was on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Featured image: Alex Leith and Conor Graham celebrate All Saints opening goal and (Above) Leith finishes to the net to send All Saints on their way to victory.

The Glengormley youngsters were doing all in their power to get their own game going but their best efforts were floundering on the rocks of a solid All Saints defence where Joseph Killough, Michael Killough and Shea Quinn were giving nothing away.

The Slemish Park side returned to the offensive and Joseph Collins in the Naomh Eanna goals pulled of a splendid save to deny Jack Orr as he unleashed a fierce shot on goal.

The second goal wasn’t long in coming however and this time there was more than a bit of fortune about as Alex Leith’s shot looked to have been saved by Collins in the St. Enda’s goals but the net minder was adjudged to have stepped over the line after the referee had consulted with his umpires.

A moment of misfortune by the Naomh Eanna number 1 who was otherwise excellent throughout the game and the Hightown side responded to this setback as Liam Regan finally opened their account from a pointed free in the 21^st minute.

It brought only short respite however as All Saints responded with a goal from Conor Graham after a clinically constructed build up and at half time the ‘Saints’ looked to be in a strong position when they led 3-1 to 0-1.

St. Enda’s needed a strong start to the second half if they were to get back into contention and Daire Kelly raised their hopes with their first score from play in the 1^st minute but it brought another response from the boys in white.

The towering Jack Orr replied with a point at the other end and Conor Graham followed with a shot to the net but this time his effort was ruled out for a square-ball infringement.

Orr followed with another good point for the Ballymena side and when Odhran Cassidy was on hand to redirect the big mid-fielder’s misplaced shot to the net in the 25^th minute it was all over.

Substitute, Ruairi Hennessy brought Naomh Eanna’s total to 0-3 but at this stage it became a case of ‘what we have we hold’ as All Saints retained possession before Cathal McDermott’s full time whistle brought scenes of celebration.

A polished performance from All Saints, built on the first instance on a solid defence that denied Naomh Eanna any opportunity of getting the scores they needed to launch a serious challenge.

Ruadhan Rafferty, who had a good game for Naomh Eanna, drives forward from defence

They were solid throughout the field and their ability to get those early goals settled them down as they gave a confident performance that augers well for their future.

Despite losing heavily in the end St. Enda’s battled hard and had some excellent individual performance but on the day the breaks they needed just wouldn’t come.

Finally congratulations to Stephen Graham and his South West committee and helpers for organising a great event that ran like clockwork throughout the day and provided an excellent evening’s entertainment for the good crowd who attended.

All Saints:1.Eoghan Kelly, 2.Michael Killough, 3. Joseph Killough, 4. Odhran Dorrity, 5 Charlie Hearld , 6 Shay Quinn , 7 Charlie Buick, 8 Kadian McCambridge, 9 Jack Orr, 10 Alfie Gordon(c), 11 Conor Graham, 12 Finn Hudson, 13 Oscar Bradley, 14 Odhran Cassidy, 15 Alex Leith, subs Jack Curry, Shane McGarry, Keane Crawford, Conan Goodall, Conn Og McErlane, Oisin Henry, Oisin Walker, Kieran O’Loan, Max Wheatley, Caleb Laverty

Naomh Eanna: 1 Joseph Collins, 2 Odhran McMenamin, 3 Aidan McClean, 5 Oisin Gorman, 6 Ruadhan Rafferty, Jack McCotter, 9 Finley McCloy, 11 Liam Regan, 12 Daire Kelly, 13 Oisin Ryan, 14 Conor McKinley, 15 Lorcan McGarvey,  18 Oliver Gault, 19 Lewis Dobbin, 20 Ruairi Hennessy, 24 Patrick Cannon

Referee: Cathal McDermott (Tir na nOg)

South West treasurer, Colum Walsh presents a sponsorship cheque to Paddy McIlwaine who received it on behalf of the Saffron Gael

TO VIEW MORE OF PADDY’S PICS FROM THE FINAL CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/jDvhJaoEzeqqUs

South West Chairman, Stephen Graham presents the South West U14 Cup to All Saints captain, Alfie Gordon