Dunloy celebrations take their toll

Creggan 5-13 Dunloy 0-8

This result in the Antrim A Under 21 football championship is perhaps not surprising as the celebrations in Dunloy, after their hurling championship success have just bout subsided.

A commanding first half performance from the Kickhams men, in this preliminary round game, laid the foundations for their win over Dunloy midweek as they booked their place in the quarter final comfortably.

Three first half goals gave Creggan an imposing lead at the interval with all three goals coming in the second quarterfrom Conor Johnston, Shea McCann and Fintan.

Johnston and McCann also found the back of the Dunloy net after the restart with McCann finishing the hour with a further eight points to his credit in a man of the match performance.

The Cuchullains were overpowered and out played in that first half but did fare much better after the restart. Oisin McCamphill top scored for them with six points from open play, two efforts coming from outside the forty meter arc.

The home side had were efficient and clinical for the most part with a strong ending to the game adding gloss to the scoreline.

The home side were on top in the opening quarter but only held a two to one lead before the opening goal came in the fourteenth minute. Shea McCann made the break before passing to Conor Johnston who made no mistake.

This goal spurred the Kickhams men into life and they added a further five points to stretch their lead.

Shea McCann got his first and Creggan’s second goal after twenty four minutes, intercepting a kick out from Damian Kinsella he hit the back of the net while Fintan Close followed suit barely three minutes later.

With the home side leading by sixteen, 3-8 to 0-1, at the break Dunloy might well have felt like packing their bags and heading back to the village but, in a damage limitation second half exercise for most of the thirty minutes they performed much better.

Donncha Lavery fired the Cuchullains second point of the tie before Padraig Martin and Charlie Cunning both had a chance to get a goal. The Creggan defence scrambled superbly however and with a couple of converted frees from Shea McCann following, they were soon back in their grove.

Their fourth goal came in fortuitous circumstances with Conor Johnston’s effort for a point dropping into the back of the Dunloy net.

The visitors did have a period of concerted pressure on the Creggan defence with Jay McAlonan adding his name to the list of scorers before McCamphill scored the first two pointer of the game. He then follow up with a free soon after as the tie entered the final ten minutes.

Shea McCann scored his fifth point from open play and took his tally to a goal and seven before McCamphill struck another two pointer with the Cuchullains continuing to look for ways back into the game.

The home side finished superbly with the star of the show McCann scoring another goal and point along with a point from replacement Seán Daly as the home side ran out the easiest of winners.

Teams and scorers: Creggan: Joel McClelland; Cillian McEldowney, Peadar McGuckian, Oisin Dunlop; Anton Martin, Fintan Close (1-0), Ronan Colgan; Tristan McCann (0-1), Fintan Kelly; Domhnall McKay (0-1), Torin Hodkinson (0-1), Ronan McGuckian; Conor Johnston (2-1), Eunan Johnston, Shea McCann (2-8)

Replacements: Fintan Keane for E Johnston; Tadgh McAteer for D McKay; Ryan McGrath for R McGuckian; Seán Daly(0-1) for C Johnston

Dunloy : Damian Kinsella; Jack McKeever, Sean Og Blaney, Joel Dixon; Charlie Cunning, Padraig Martin, Ryan McClements; Reece Cunning, Joseph Magee; Oisin McCamphill (0-6), Donnach Laverty (0-1), Jay McAlonan (0-1); Caolan McFerran, Francis McMullan, Emmett McKendry

Replacements: Aaron Doherty for J McKeever ; Anthony Og Cochrane for C McFerran ; Conor Mort for J Magee ; Paudraig McColgan for J Dixon; Odhran Boyle for E McKendry

Referee: Ritchie Leahy (Moneyglass)