Homefit Antrim Football League Division One
St Brigid's 2-11 Kickham's, Creggan 3-9

CREGGAN held on for a one-point victory over St Brigid's that saw them leapfrog the South Belfast outfit into second place in Division One after an action-packed game at Musgrave Park on Wednesday evening.

This was a rather strange game in that the men from the Loughshore created more than enough opportunities to have been well out of sight at the end, but St Brigid's felt hugely aggrieved that play was brought back for a free and black card to Kickhams' Odhran McLarnon a minute into stoppage time when it seemed they were through for the equaliser.

The visitors will have been happy with much of what they did on the night, but not their finishing as they shot wide after wide, while St Brigid's will also take encouragement from their players sticking to the task and getting to within one when it appeared David McGuckin's 51st minute goal had settled the affair.

Creggan began well and were dominating around the middle, enjoying plenty of possession but failed to convert from their first five opportunities before Sean Duffin finally kicked them into a seventh minute lead.

The hosts were living off scraps early on, but were that bit more clinical with their chances and after an early wide, their star on the night, Ryan Tweedy, finished after taking a pass from Patrick Finnegan.

The Creggan woes in front of goal continued and after another five chances came and went, it was left to Duffin again to find his range after a good move.

St Brigid's went straight up the field and Peter Henvey played a beautifully weighted pass in from the left corner to the advancing Tweedy to finish low to the net on 14 minutes before adding a point straight after to give the hosts a three-point lead.

This was wiped out a minute later as Creggan were awarded a penalty after a foot block on Duffin and up-stepped Paddy Coey thumped his shot to the roof of the net to leave the sides locked at 1-2 on the water break.

On the resumption, St Brigid's were back on the front foot as Callum Webb burst through and played a ball into Jack Dowling who didn't quite gather, but his momentum took him past Paddy Graham in the Creggan goal and the big midfielder has the easiest of tasked to boot to the net.

Kevin Rice almost cancelled this out immediately, but his shot whistled past the post in what was his last involvement as he hobbled out injured, but Creggan did net their second goal on 22 minutes as Duffin did well to keep a high pass in play and chipped a pass into Tiernan Burke who found the net despite Conor King getting a hand to the shot.

The hosts briefly retook the lead when Henvey rose to palm a dropping shot from Patrick Finnegan over, but this would be the last time they were ahead as Burke tied the game from a free and then added another to put his side ahead before Coey doubled their advantage with a point off his left good.

St Brigid's had the final say of the half as a stunning effort with the outside of the boot from a free by Conor McAleer brought the score back to 2-5 to 2-4 at the half and it was all to play for in the second period.

Conor McAleer in action
2Gallery

Conor McAleer in action

The hosts were quick out of the traps in the second period but were denied two goals by fine blocks within the opening minute, while at the other end, Thomas McCann screwed a shot wide when through.

A lovely score from Henvey did leave the sides level, but Creggan began to dominate once again as they mopped up most of the breaks and controlled possession.

Jamie McCann did kick them into the lead with an excellent point from range after selling a dummy and Matthew Rodgers added another when in acres of space before St Brigid's lost Patrick Finnegan to a black card for a drag down under the nose of referee Brendan Toland.

Creggan did not make this numerical advantage count initially as they failed to take their chances, the best of the lot coming for Aidan Maguire who seemed certain to find the net from close range, but somehow missed then target.

The St Brigid's attacks were infrequent, but when they finally got forward it was Tweedy there to kick another fine score to leave his side just one behind again at the water break.

It was the South West side who continued to dominate the play as the game resumed, but continued to miss more than they scored although they did get the vital scores as Fintan Burke fired over and then came their third goal on 51 minutes when a sharp exchange of passes resulted in Jake McAteer in on the right to handless across goal where McGuckin was positioned to palm to the net and make it 3-8 to 2-6.

That appeared to be that, but St Brigid's were not done and Tweedy converted a free before Dowling fired over from play to leave just three in it.

Aidan Maguire made up for his earlier miss when charging through to fist over what proved to be a crucial point as the hosts poured forward with Tweedy kicking frees either side of a Joe Finnegan point off a turnover to leave the minimum between the teams as the game ticked into stoppage time.

Creggan were happy to play keep-ball, but yet another stray shot gave St Brigid's hope and it seemed they would make it count as Patrick Finnegan did brilliantly to rise and divert the kick-outl in behind the Creggan midfield with Michael Cummings bursting clear with support only to be trailed back by McLarnon. The home support were baying for advantage to be played, but the play was pulled back and St Brigid's couldn't engineer the final chance as Creggan held firm, turned the ball over and played out the final moments to claim a huge win. 
 
ST BRIGID'S: D Heery; S Campbell; C King, C Webb; R Boyle, J Toner, P Finnegan; M Cummings, J Dowling (1-1); P King, R Tweedy (1-6, 0-3 frees), J Morgan; P Henvey (0-2), J Finnegan (0-1), C McAleer (0-1 free). Subs: J Smith for C McAleer (34), N Lundy for S Campbell (55).

CREGGAN: P Graham; E Carey-Small, S Maguire, J McAteer; T McCann, J McCann (0-1), A Maguire (0-1); K Rice, A McKeown; M Rodgers (0-1), P Coey (1-1, 1-0 pen), K Burke; S Duffin (0-2), T Burke (1-2), O McLarnon. Subs: F Burke (0-1) for K Rice (20), D McGuckin (1-0) for T Burke (45).

REFEREE: Brendan Tolan (Lámh Dhearg)