Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship round three: St John’s 0-9 Creggan 0-9
They salvaged a draw in stoppage time, but a share of the spoils wasn’t enough for St John’s as they exited the Antrim Senior Football Championship as Creggan progressed from Group One along with Lámh Dhearg.
The Hannahstown men top the group on scoring difference after they also drew their final group game at St Gall’s on Saturday night.
That result meant that the Johnnies needed a win against the defending county champions, but they never managed to get their noses in front despite a stirring fightback after falling 0-6 to 0-1 behind after 23 minutes.
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The hosts also finished the game with 13 players after late red cards to substitute Conor Hand and Brian Neeson, who was switched from goals into full-forward for the closing stages.
However, Joseph Garland’s last-ditch attempt at dropping the ball in around the danger zone was overhit and ended up over the bar to tie the game deep into added time.
In truth, Creggan didn’t deserve to lose the game and St John’s didn’t do enough to win it so a draw was probably a fair enough result.
The Kickhams will be hoping for a much better showing when they face Rossa in the quarter-finals while Lámh Dhearg renew rivalries with Cargin in the last eight.
For the opening quarter of Sunday’s tie, Gerard McNulty’s men dominated the game and played it on their terms.
They held possession well and picked off their scores with ease while shutting down the threat of the St John’s inside forward line.
Eunan McAteer’s fisted point got Creggan off the mark before Paddy McBride’s shot bounced in front of Oisin Kerr and over the bar on eight minutes. It would be another 18 minutes before the Johnnies landed their second as Creggan surged clear.
Three frees from Ruairi McCann and two excellent points from play from Dominic McAteer had the Kickhams in command before McBride converted a free for his side.
The game threatened to spill over just before the game with several scuffles breaking out and another McBride free cut the gap to three before half-time.
A booming effort from the Antrim star on the restart was just the start St John’s needed and they twice reduced the gap to a single point in the third quarter.
A stunning score from Ricky Johnston restored a two-point cushion for Creggan, but they were pegged back when McBride landed another free and Conal McGlade drew his side level at 0-8 each, but they lost Hand to a red card soon after.
By this stage St John’s had introduced Matthew Fitzpatrick, who was held in reserve after breaking his thumb while Neeson moved into the attack with Matthew Leydon going into nets.
The replacement goalkeeper was soon called into action to deny Ruairi McCann what would have been a match-winning goal moments after Kevin Small’s great point nudged Creggan back into the lead.
Neeson was then dismissed for a clash off the ball and St John’s failed to engineer a clear goal-scoring chance in the final moments.
Garland’s injury-time point levelled the game at the death, but there wasn’t time for St John’s to search for a winner as they exited the Championship.
Lámh Dhearg top Group One due to their better scoring difference and they’ll take on Cargin in the last eight after Rossa defeated the Toome men 1-12 to 0-14 earlier on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Portglenone topped Group Two thanks to a facile 2-24 to 1-7 win at Moneyglass with St Brigid’s taking second place after a 1-14 to 1-10 win at Ahoghill.
In Group Three, Aghagallon’s 4-13 to 0-15 win over Randalstown saw St Mary’s top the group and also moved Gort na Móna into second place due to their superior scoring difference over Tír na nÓg.
Casement’s will take on the Gorts in the last eight while St Brigid’s facing Aghagallon.
St John’s scorers: Paddy McBride 0-7 (0-5fs), Conal McGlade 0-1, Joseph Garland 0-1.
Cregan scorers: Ruairi McCann 0-4 (0-4f), Dominic McAteer 0-2, Eunan McAteer 0-1, Marty Johnston 0-1, Kevin Small 0-1.
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