Quarter-finals
Lámh Dhearg 0-15 Creggan 0-13 (after-extra-time)
LÁMH DHEARG found the reserves to edge Creggan in an absorbing clash in Glenavy yesterday.
Trailing by four heading into the final quarter of normal time, they held Kickham’s scoreless from there to gain parity and force extra-time.
Although the sides were locked at the turnaround in the additional period, the Hannahstown men just had that bit more to squeeze home.
Creggan owned the ball for the opening 10 minutes and had three points on the board through Jamie McCann (free), Martin Johnston and Joe McAteer.
It took the evergreen Paddy Cunningham to get the Red Hands on the board from a free midway through the opening period before Ryan Murray announced his championship arrival with a sweet score.
However, Creggan pushed on again and held a three-point advantage heading towards the break that could have been doubled only for a fine stop by Gerard Smyth from Ethan Carey-Small.
Instead, Kickhams only led 0-6 to 0-5 at the half as Cunningham and Conor Murray scored late, but they again made the brighter start to the second period with Ruairi McCann (free) and Carey-Small pointing early.
They failed to press home that advantage with four wides in succession, yet were still four up heading into the final quarter.
Lámh Dhearg managed to work their way back with Declan Smith and two Cunningham frees trimming the gap to one before Declan Lynch tied it late on.
The sides hit two apiece in the first period and continued to slug it out early in the second with Owen McKeown – a driving force for Lámh Dhearg all day – and Jamie McCann trading, but a Cunningham free edged the Hannahstown men back in front.
Creggan just couldn’t engineer another leveller, however, as stout defending saw Lámh Dhearg win back possession. They managed to drain the clock but could have sealed it late with Callum Fegan-Lappin thumping a shot off the crossbar that went wide.
It wasn’t costly as again they turned Creggan over and won a free with Ricky Johnston red-carded for a high challenge that Cunningham punished further with the insurance point.
Portglenone 2-10 St John’s 1-12
Portglenone withstood a late St John’s rally on Saturday at Dunsilly.
Leading by seven with as many minutes left, it seemed Casements were home and hosed. But, they allowed the Belfast side to get to within one before just holding on.
Portglenone made a dream start with Aidan McAleese fielding a high ball and thumping home just two minutes in.
The city side were quite wasteful going forward and reliant on frees and Portglenone threatened to pull away, leading 1-6 to 0-4 at the break.
The gap actually moved out to eight early in the second period as Oisin Doherty seemed to have lost control of the ball, but swung a boot at it and saw his shot fly through the legs of Lambert and into the net.
St John’s managed to hang in with Conall Bohill and Conal McGlade finding their range but Portglenone seemed to remain a step ahead as Caolan Tierney and Oisin Doherty helped them into that seven-point late late on.
But the Johnnies chipped at the gap and got a bit of a break in the 60th minute as Conal Quinn took a shot that didn’t have a great deal of pace on it, but came off a Portglenone hand and into the net.
A Paddy McBride free left one between them, but Portglenone held on.
