Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship, Group One
O'Donovan Rossa 0-11 Erin's Own, Cargin 3-11

DEFENDING champions, Cargin got their Antrim Senior Football Championship campaign off to a perfect start as they proved much too strong for Rossa on Saturday at Rossa Park.

The Toome outfit had lost at the same venue in the group phase last year and were in no mood for a repeat as they struck two goals in the opening half to establish an eight-point advantage at the half and finished the job in the second period with Pat Shivers netting his second goal of the day.

Their win did come at a cost with goalkeeper John McNabb - who had kicked a trademark score in the opening period - hobbled out with what looked an ankle injury following a kick-out with 15 to play, a worry for manager Ronan Devlin going forward.

However, the Cargin boss will have been delighted with how his team went about their business as they controlled the tempo and when they got on the front foot, were ruthless with their chances as all six starting forwards got on the board.

For Rossa, it was a disappointing day as they just couldn't find a way through a tight Cargin defence as they were hassled and harried any time they were in the scoring zone, the game virtually beyond them by the short whistle.

Aided by a substantial wind, Rossa actually opened brightly with their first attack from the throw-in resulting in a Thomas Morgan point, but the defending champions would soon settle, owning the ball and they were winning primary possession much easier.

They were patient early as they played across and back before the gap appeared and who else but Tomás McCann to curl over after six minutes.

Pat Shivers and McCann would add points from frees before Rossa replied through Gerard Walsh, but the hosts were forced to chase for the most part as Cargin kept hold of the ball.

The opening goal would arrive on 19 minutes and there was an element of good fortune as after Eunan Quinn was picked out brilliantly by Shivers, his shot got a touch from Patrick Moyes and the ball arced into the net.

Cargin goalkeeper John McNabb then drilled over after a one-two from a free and while Dominic McEnhill narrowed the gap with pointed free, Cargin were much more fluid in attack as McCann added another two.

Tomás McCann fends off Darren Grego
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Tomás McCann fends off Darren Grego

Rory Grant fisted over for Rossa as the half ticked into stoppage time, but from the resulting kick-out, Gerard McCann gathered around the middle, opted to go direct into Quinn who played a one-two with McCann before squaring to Shivers who had an open net to tap into and put the Erin's Own men into a 2-6 to 0-4 lead at the interval.

It was a mountain to climb for Rossa but to their credit, they did continue to try to find a way back, but playing into the wind, the scoring zone was much smaller with a couple of efforts dropping short and Cargin seemed happy to just keep them outside of range.

Goalkeeper Mick Byrne kicked a couple of frees that were cancelled out by Jamie Gribbin and Shivers as Cargin broke with purpose.

Rossa's Patrick Moyes did well to get back and clear off the line from Quinn who got a touch to a long ball, but the coup de grâce would come on 48 minutes as Shivers got down to gather a low ball and turned with acres of space in front as he raced in and thumped low to the net.

Cormac McGettigan is challenged by Sean O'Neill
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Cormac McGettigan is challenged by Sean O'Neill

That put to bed any lingering hopes Rossa had as while they would out-score Cargin by five to three down the stretch with McEnhill on the frees and Thomas Morgan making it four for himself on the day, Cargin had a nice spread with David Johnston, substitute Conan Johnston and Conhuir Johnston all finding their range to complete a good day for the champions who are off and running with a win.

Next up they will face Tír na nÓg, while Rossa find themselves needing a result against St John's in a fortnight.

O'DONOVAN ROSSA: M Byrne (0-2, both frees); P Moyes, C McGuinness, M Mallon; J Morris (0-1), G Walsh (0-1), R Gowdy; C McGettigan, E McMenamin; N Crossan, D McEnhill (0-3, all frees), R Grant; D Grego, S Beatty, T Morgan (0-4).
Subs: C Orchin for R Grant (HT), A Devlin for P Moyes (49), C Fleming for D Grego (52), D Rogan for J Morris (52), J McGurk for M mallon (55).

CARGIN: J McNabb (0-1); J Laverty, K McShane, K O'Boyle; J Crozier, P McCann, S O'Neill; G McCann, J Carron; D Johnston (0-1), T McCann (0-4, 2 frees), J Gribbin (0-1); P Shivers (2-2, 0-1 free), E Quinn (1-0), Conhuir Johnston (0-1). 
Subs: S Laverty for J McNabb (45), R Gribbin for J Carron (49), Conan Johnston (0-1) for P McCann (50), C Bradley for D Johnston (52), T Shivers for P Shivers (56).

REFEREE: Cathal McDermott (Tír na nÓg)