Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship quarter-final
Portglenone 2-10 St John's 1-12

A LATE St John's rally fell just short at Dunsilly on Saturday as Portglenone held on to reach to reach the last four of the Antrim Senior Football Championship.

With 53 minutes gone, Casement's were seven ahead and seemingly home and hosed, but the West Belfast men managed to whittle it down to one in added time as they came agonisingly short of forcing extra-time.

Those in blue and white also left the ground feeling aggrieved they didn't get a first-half penalty when there was a clear jersey pull on Conal Quinn who gathered inside the area, but not enough to earn the award as he screwed his shot off target.

There was still a long way to go in the game at that stage and St John's were enjoying plenty of possession early, but were unable to do a lot with it in their attack.

For the visors, it was two goals with each coming early in each half that wold ultimately see them through as they appeared to have the city side at arm's length, but perhaps mentally relaxed a little too much down the stretch and were almost made to pay.

They got off to an excellent start as Dermott McAleese - who would be forced off with an injury after just 10 minutes - floated in a ball and Aidan McAleese got goal side of Luke Peden to field and crash home with just two minutes on the clock.

Conor Adams got the Johnnies on the board from a fifth-minute free, but when Ruairi Hagan and Oisin Doherty pointed it seemed the Bannsiders were well on their way despite McAleese's withdrawal.

Then came that penalty should that left the Johnnies fuming, but a pair of Patrick McBride frees seemed to steady them, yet scores from play were not forthcoming with some poor shots and decision making seeing attacks come to nothing.

Portglenone would gradually get on top with a pair of Ronan Kelly frees followed by Michael Hagan thumping over from play and Niall McKever converting a mark to push them into a six-point lead.

They could have almost wrapped it up in the first half as they forced a turnover and Enda Lynn was through, but his shot was superbly saved by Eoghan Rua Lambert and the city men finally got one from play in stoppage time as Ronan Quinn floated over in traffic, yet it was a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage for Portglenone.

Casement's set about extending that lead early in the second period as after Lynn kicked a point, their second goal arrived and it stemmed from a good bit of improvisation by Oisin Doherty who seemed to have lost control of the ball, but swung a boot as it with the shot flying through the legs of Lambert and into the net.

That put eight between them, but the Johnnies hung in Conall Bohill converting a mark and substitute Conal McGlade drilling over.

Yet the gap wasn't narrowing greatly as Kelly kicked a free at the other end and although Danan McKeogh and Ryan McNulty trimmed the gap to five, Portglenone responded through Caolan Tierney and Oisin Doherty as they went back to seven in front and seemingly out of sight.

Patrick McBride tests the strength of Dermott McAleese's jersey
2Gallery

Patrick McBride tests the strength of Dermott McAleese's jersey

But St John's were not done and Conor Hand got a fist to a dropping ball that just went over and after Adams kicked a free, the goal their challenge needed came and with a little bit of good fortune as Conal Quinn took a shot that didn't have a great deal of pace on it, but a Portglenone hand seemed to get a touch to take it into the net in the 60th minute.

Suddenly, it was game on and when McBride kicked a free straight after to leave the minimum in it, extra-time seemed a real prospect, but a couple of punts forward didn't break the Johnnies' way as Portglenone defended excellently and managed to get hands on the ball to drain the clock and see themselves home.

PORTGLENONE: K Mullan; R Delargy, R Hagan (0-1), C McGhee; D McNicholl, D McAleese, C Tierney (0-1); N McKeever (0-1m), S Kelly; A McAleese (1-0), M Hagan (0-1), N Delargy; O Doherty (1-2), E Lynn (0-1), R Kelly (0-3f).
Subs: R Convery for D McAleese (10), J Convery for R Convery (54), C Delargy for M Hagan (59).

ST JOHN'S: ER Lambert; C McEvoy, E McGurk (0-1), R Quinn; L peden, A McGowan, R Donnelly; A Oliver, S Tierney; R McNulty (0-1), P McBride (0-4f), C Hand (0-1); C Adams (0-2f), C Bohill (0-1m), C Quinn (1-0).
Subs: C McGlade (0-1) for L Peden (35), D McKeogh (0-1) for R Donnelly (42), S McDonagh for A Oliver (42).

REFEREE: Darren McKeown (St Gall's)