LAST weekend saw the semi-finals for the Senior, Intermediate and Junior football take place with some huge clashes up and down the Saffron county as the final four in each level battled it out for a chance at final glory.
Some huge clashes in the Senior competition saw holders Cargin battle with rivals Creggan on Sunday afternoon, meanwhile Friday evening saw Dunloy face Portglenone as they fought it out for a chance to play in the 2025 Senior final.
In the Intermediate competition Sarsfield's went head-to-head with Glenavy, whilst the Super T's faced a tough task when they faced favourites Moneyglass as the pursuit of a championship final ramped up.
And finally in the Junior tier a derby clash took place at Woodlands with Éire Óg hoping to upset the odds as they faced rivals St Agnes' at Woodlands, with Pearses challenging Laochra Loch Lao for supremacy.
Moneyglass proved far too strong for St Teresa's
Northern Switchgear Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals
Portglenone 1-10 (13)
Dunloy 0-18 (18)
Dunloy will be hoping to be the first team to win the Senior Championship in both codes for over half a century after earning a spot in the final when they blitzed Portglenone at Dunsilly on Friday evening.
It was a case of the 'usual suspects' showing up for Cuchullains when Sean Elliot opened the scoring in what was a truly dominant semi-final performance from the North Antrim side.
Portglenone played a quarter of an hour before managing a point as Dunloy controlled proceedings. Keelan Molloy proved to be on top form once again as the forward struck seven points including an impressive two-point effort in the second half.
Portglenone had been thrown a life-line when Daniel McNicholl appeared from the half-back line to strike the only major of the tie. Unfortunately it was just that, a life-line, as Aiden McAleese hit a brace of two-pointers before Deaglan Smith's point kept the distance between the teams.
Dunloy have truly impressed beyond measure this season by fighting on both fronts with the footballers just one game away from championship glory, 89 years on from their last football title.
Cargin 3-14 (23)
Creggan 0-23 (23)
(Cargin win 4-3 on penalties)
Inseparable. That is the word that would come to mind when you think of a championship meeting between when these two great clubs. The county rivals have been non-stop competitors for almost two decades in Antrim's Senior big ball.
Goals from the returning Tom Shivers and Conhuir Johnston looked to have given Cargin a big advantage in the second half of play as cracks began to appear in the Creggan back-line.
Cargin looked to have put their rivals to bed when they had a four point advantage with little time remaining, but a huge effort from the South Antrim side brought them back on level terms at the death when Sean Duffin and Jamie McCann rifled two scores between the post before Conor Small's final kick of normal time flew over for a two-point score.
Penalties would be the decisive factor on a day which really did not deserve to have a loser, unfortunately there had to be one and Cargin's eternal presence in the Senior Football championship would be maintained when Creggan's Jamie McCann stepped up and blazed his spot-kick high over the bar much to the jubilation of John McNabb in the Cargin goal.
Cargin will feel that the chance of a fourth title in a row looks almost in the bag but will no doubt be expecting a tough test from Dunloy in a fortnight's time.
OB Construction Intermediate Championship Semi-Finals
Sarsfield's 1-19
Glenavy 0-21
A strong final 15 minutes from the Paddies helped them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as they swung an eight point deficit in the final minutes to break the hearts of Glenavy on Sunday afternoon.
Glenavy struck six without reply in the opening period but Gary Lennon's goal midway through the first half proved to be a key score as the battle went on.
Sarsfield's enjoyed a late turn around to win over Glenavy
The Bear Pit natives have been on hot form after a league win earlier this year but they looked far from prepared to take the chance at a double when they found themselves staring down the barrel of defeat to the Chapel Hill side.
Late scores from Jay Maguire and Conor Glenholmes put the Stewartstown Road side in the driving seat despite a late consolation point from Glenavy.
Sarsfield's will have the tough task of Moneyglass in two weeks' time but no doubt will be spurred on by the late comeback.
St Teresa's 0-16
Moneyglass 4-17
A convincing win from the favourites for this year's championship was on display on Saturday afternoon when they faced off against the Super T's in the first semi-final of this year's Intermediate competition.
An impressive performance from Aidan McErlain was on offer as the Moneyglass forward scored a rare hat-trick of goals alongside five points from play as the forward looked dominant in his pursuit of the final.
St Teresa's did show signs of life as Phil Maguire and Niall McCann struck to level the score early on but the fluidity and pace that Moneyglass had on offer just proved too strong as they put St Teresa's on the back foot and moved into the ascendancy after ten minutes of play.
The first of four goals hit the net when McErlain slotted his effort under Mark Small in the St Teresa's goal as the misery piled on soon after.
Niall McCann struck a terrific two-point score and top-scored with eight points, but the forward's efforts proved insufficient against a top Moneyglass side who will be eyeing up the chance for revenge as they battle with Sarsfield's for another Antrim title.
Graham Tarmac Junior Football Championship Semi-Finals
Pearse's 2-11
Laochra Loch Lao 0-7
Liam Deegan proved a handful yet again as Pearse's blitzed Laochra Loch Lao at the Spórtlann on Saturday evening to earn themselves a tasty match-up with St Agnes' in this year's Junior Championship final.
Deegan struck the first score of the game but Kevin Devine replied for the designated home side before Phillip Murray and Sean Moreland put Pearse's in front in the opening quarter of an hour and that is where they stayed in what was a low scoring half with Pearse's leading by three.
Pearse's proved well organised thanks in part to the influence of captain Darren O'Neill as they proved too difficult to break down for the Gaeilgoirí.
Deegan proved a thorn in the side of Laochra as the North Belfast side began to turn the screw when Sean Moreland struck a major in the 49th minute of play after Fion Grew's goal at the beginning of the second period.
Pearse's now face the strong favourites St Agnes' in a fortnight's time but will no doubt be confident that their late championship form can spur them onto another Junior title.
St Agnes' will hope to make amends for last season's loss in the final
St Agnes' 1-18
Éire Óg 1-11
The chance of a famous double is well and truly in the pipeline for the Aggies after they dispatched of rivals Éire Óg on Saturday evening.
A late Mark Graham goal proved merely a consolation for the Ógs as Conall Turley and David McGaharan enjoyed a superb outing pointing 12 scores between them as the Aggies cruised to a victory over their nearest and dearest.
James Campbell found the net in the first half after plucking the ball inside the box following Kevin Floyd's effort which struck the upright and dropped to the forward who was prowling inside goal territory.
Turley's late free sealed the victory for St Agnes' as the black and whites have earned the chance to rectify last season's final defeat and go one further this time.
