AIB Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter-Final

Creggan Kickhams 3-17-2-21 Bredagh 

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Esler

With extra time appearing to be on the cards Creggan’s Liam McCann proved his team’s hero when he broke clear of his marker around the middle of the field deep in second half injury time and sent over the winning point to seal the Antrim champions place in the semi-final of the Ulster Junior Club Hurling championship in two weeks’ time. There were chances for the Down men to draw level in the added time but the Creggan defence held firm and deny a luckless Bredagh side who contributed greatly to a top class game.

Both these team play their hurling in the Antrim leagues and both were relegated into the 3^rd division at the end of this season, but anyone watching Sunday’s game would have been baffled by those lowly league positions as both performed at a good level. Creggan had the upper hand for much of the first half and were good value for their six point lead at the break. However after the change of ends Bredagh came out of the traps more impressively than the Loughshore men and they held the upper hand for a good part of that second period. Creggan were managing to hold a three point lead for most of that time and when Kevin Rice got their second goal to increase the lead to six it seemed like plain sailing.

However Bredagh fought their way back, and boosted by a goal from a close range free by Tiernan Sheehan they closed the gap, and when they drew level going into injury time the smart money would have been on them advancing. It was not to be however and Liam McCann’s great point from distance handed the imitative back to the Antrim champions and they held on to seal a narrow win and a place in the semi-final against Tyrone champions Carrickmore.

The Down champions settled quickest in Pairc Esler with Niall Smyth and Ciaran McMullan sending over early scores, but Morgan Nelson responded for Creggan and back-to-back placed balls from Conor McCann (free and 65’) nudged the Antrim men ahead for the first time.

Bredagh levelled through a close-range point from Conor Costello but Creggan were begging to get on top and they soon went three clear.

A fantastic Thomas McCann point from range restored their lead, his brother Conor then dropped over his second 65’ and namesake Oran McCann sent one over.

Tiarnan Sheehan landed a free at the other end, but Creggan pushed further ahead with the game’s opening goal on the 19th minute.

A scramble ensued and the Bredagh defensive third and Conor McCann was in like a shot to fire home and give his side a 1-06-0-04 lead.

The gap was out to eight as points from Kevin Rice, Morgan Nelson and Sean Duffin pushed home Creggan’s advantage but Bredagh were thrown a lifeline before the interval when Ciaran McMullan’s high shot dropped over the head of Cormac Rice and into the net to make it 1-10-1-05.

Despite Sean Hughes finding a further point before the half was out, back-to-back McCann frees gave the south Belfast gave Creggan a 1-12-1-06 advantage at the interval.

Bredagh were revitalised when they emerged after the break and a point from a Sean Hughes free was followed by a well taken goal by  Mark Patterson which cut the game to just two points. (1-12-2-07)

It was score for score for a period time as Creggan got the gap out to three, only to see Bredagh cut it back to two

When Kevin Rice pulled a ground shot to the Bredagh net on 50 minutes Creggan had appeared to have done enough, but as things turned out there was to be no victory lap for Antrim men. As things turned out they were made to work very hard to win the race down the home straight as Bredagh battled back brilliantly.

Two points from Mark Patterson and Tiernan Sheehan’s goal from a free cut the gap back to the minimum, and when Sean McGouty found space on the left to fire over the equaliser the tension was palpable.

In a hectic final three minutes, it looked as if it could go either way, but Creggan got the break when Liam McCann broke clear of his marker on the 65 metre line and sent the winner high between the Bredagh posts.

Creggan Kickhams: C Rice, A Maguire, A McKeown, J McAteer, S Maguire, K McCann, L McCann (0-02), S Duffin (0-03), R McCann (0-03), M Nelson (0-02), K Rice (1-01), O McCann (0-02), T McCann (0-01), C McCann (1-06, 0-04f, 0-02 65’), D Mulholland. 

Subs: E Carey-Small (0-01) for D Mulholland (38), L Johnston for C McCann (56), T McLarnon for M Nelson (59). 

Bredagh: I Galway, O McFlynn, L Smyth, L Hogan (0-01), M Woods, N McFarland (0-01), T Sheehan (1-02f), M Patterson (1-03), J Hanrahan, C McMullan (1-01), S McGourty (0-02), S Hughes (0-05, 0-02f), N Smyth (0-01), A Carey, C Costello (0-01). 

Subs: J McCollum for N Smyth (HT), M Lavery for L Hogan (55), E Maguire for O McFlynn (57), R McCamphill for C Costello (57), R Curran for C McMullan (58). 

Referee: Tarlach Conway (Derry)

Ulster Intermediate Hurling championship quarter-final

Kickham’s Creggan v Bredagh

Pairc Esler Sunday 2-00pm

When Kickham’s Creggan finished their division 2 league campaign with only one win from 13 starts it would have been the most optimistic of punters whowould have given them a chance when the championship came around.

That dreadful league campaign didn’t tell the full story of Creggan hurling however. The club had been decimated by a long injury list that affected both their hurlers and footballers but come championship time those injuries were starting to abate.

The Kickham’s were drawn in Group 2 with Padraig Sarsfields, Glenariffe, St Paul’s and Glenravel in a difficult qualifying group but made people sit up and take notice when they travelled to Waterfoot and beat the Oisin’s 3-16 to 1-13 in their opening game.

Perhaps they had caught a fancied Glenariffe off guard. That could have been the conclusion when Sarsfields visited the Staffordstown Road in round 2 and came away with a 1-10 to 0-10 win while Glenariffe recovered from the Creggan defeat to record a big win at St. Paul’s.

Creggan travelled to St. Paul’s in round three for what had become a ‘must win’ encounter and came away with a hard earned 0-17 to 0-15 victory over the Shaw’s Road side.

The improvement continued in round four when Con Magee’s travelled to Creggan with the home side emerging 1-23 to 1-17 winners in a solid if not spectacular win but it was obvious by this stage that the Kickham’s were gathering momentum.

On the same day Glenariffe travelled to the Bear Pit for a winner takes all encounter with Sarsfield’s and it was the home side who emerged with a late goal to join Creggan in the semi-finals.

And so it was that these two would meet again in the final after Sarsfield’s defeated a fancied Tir na nOg in Extra time and Creggan proved too good for pre-match favourites Cushendun in Glenravel.

Once again Creggan were handed the underdog tag when they faced up to a Niall McKenna led Sarsfield’s in the final in Dunsilly on Saturday the 14^th October but they continued to defy all predictions as Tommy McCann’s unlikely lads finishing strongly to run out deserving winners in the end.

Oran McCann’s 54^th minute goal was pivotal in Creggan seeing off a determined Sarsfields side 1-16-0-14 in the decider. Creggan trailed at the break in an evenly contested final and regained the initiative through a Thomas McCann score 12 minutes from time.

There was never more than two-points between the sides until the 54^th minute when McCann stretched the lead and then assisted in namesake Oran firing home the game’s only goal seconds later to seal their first Intermediate crown since 2015. 

County player Conor McCann has made his return to the side after almost a year out with injury and has helped to steady the Creggan ship. McCann managed only one point from play against a determined Sarsfield’s but his accuracy from frees helped his side over the line.

Their defence was sound with Sam Maguire and Sean Duffin contributing points while Odhran McCann top scored with 1-2 and Morgan Nelson, Kevin Rice and Thomas McCann all contributed with scores.

What of Bredagh?

Sunday’s opponents Bredagh play their hurling in the Antrim ACHL Division 2 and like their opponents on Sunday, won only one of their 13 games but recorded two draws to finish two points ahead of the Kickham’s in the league.

That win was over Creggan on the Staffordstown Road away back in early April with a goal separating the sides in a thrilling game that ended 3-14 to 2-14 in favour of the Down Intermediate champions.

Bredagh began this year’s championship campaign in the Down Senior Championship where they lost heavily to Portaferry defeating Newry Shamrocks 1-18 to 0-16 in their second game.

They ran Ballygalget close in their final game and were thus relegated to the Intermediate Championship where the winners qualifies for the subsequent Ulster Intermediate Club Championship.

Bredagh emerged winners of that championship after defeating Carryduff by 2-19 to 0-09 in the 2023 final.

That league meeting between Sunday’s opponents back in April would suggest that Bredagh will go into Sunday’s game with confidence but fortunes have improved for both sides since then. Bredagh trailed the home side for 55 of the 60 minutes in that league encounter, only getting over the line with a goal at the game entered extra time. 

Three minutes into the 2^nd half Bredagh had turned the home side’s 9-point advantage with 2 goals in quick succession.  The first of the 2 goals, scored by Liam Hogan, dropped over Tiernan McLarnon’s head to the back of the net.  The 2^nd goal, from Cormac Blaney, was unstoppable at close range. 

Bredagh’s final game in the Down Senior Championship, where they lost by only three to Ballygalget and their subsequent Intermediate success over Carryduff would suggest they are running into form just at the right time.

Creggan have impressed throughout the Antrim championship however and I would expect the McCann and Rice clans, Sean Duffin, Morgan Nelson and Co. to have enough to see them avenge that early season league defeat and advance to the Ulster semi-final in Newry

Creggan v Sarsfield’s Antrim final: C Rice, A Maguire, A McKeown, J McAteer, S Maguire (0-01), K McCann, L McCann, S Duffin (0-01), R McCann, M Nelson (0-02), K Rice (0-02), O McCann (1-02), T McCann (0-02), C McCann (0-06, 0-05f), D Mulholland. Subs: T McLarnon for D Mulholland (46), L Johnston for O McCann (59), P McGuckian for S Maguire (60+2).