O'Neills Antrim Football League Division One
St Brigid's 0-20 Lámh Dhearg 3-11
REUBEN Carleton thumped over a two-point free in added time to salvage a draw for St Brigid's in a see-saw battle with Lámh Dhearg in glorious conditions at Musgrave Park on Wednesday.
The hosts had trailed by eight midway through the opening half as the Red hands struck goals from Terry McCrudden and Callum Ferguson-Lappin, but the margin was halved by the break.
It seemed St Brigid's were set to power to the line as they owned the third quarter, turning a four-point deficit into a lead by as many, but a third Lámh Dhearg goal from Adam Murray helped swing the pendulum back towards the Hannahstown outfit, only for Carleton to thump over his second two-pointer of the game to earn his team a share of the spoils.
The visitors wasted no time in getting down to business with Evan Stanley thumping over a two-pointer after just 40 seconds, but the hosts responded well initially with Cathal Conway getting his shot up and over under pressure, while a patient move resuled in Paul Bradley cutting in from the right to score and it would not be the last time he did so in the opening period.
Terry McCrudden hit back with a point and then, with six minutes played, he found the net as he initially played in Ciaran Boyd, whose shot was saved by Declan Heery, but the ball came back to Boyd, who returned the favour for McCrudden to finish.
Bradley would reply with two points of a similar nature when taking passes out on the left before cutting in to score, but Lámh Dhearg would enjoy an excellent few minutes as, after Adam Murray kicked over a second 'two' for his team, they got their second goal. Sheer desire from Callum Ferguson saw him win a 50/50 ball and after passing into Daniel Martin, he continued his run to take the reverse pass and bury.
A Declan Smith point pushed the gap out to eight before the hosts settled again as Shay Campbell fished over and Ryan Tweedy pointed either side of one from Conan McNicholl - the final two of those scores coming from St Brigid's claiming the Lámh Dhearg kick-out.
Terry McCrudden hit back from a free, back Bradley and Tweedy (free) reduced the arrears to three, only for Declan Smith to put four between them at the break with Lámh Dhearg leading 2-8 to 0-10.
Whatever adjustments were made in the home dressing room at the interval worked a treat as St Brigid's took charge with Carleton setting them on their way with a two-pointer from a free and added another one from a closer award.
Tweedy tied it up and then edged his side ahead before points from Dara Quinn, Jack Dowling and substitute Conor McAleer, with his first touch, pushed the hosts four ahead.
It seemed this game was only heading one way, but momentum would swing as Niall McGarry's first involvement since being introduced would see him pick out Devlin to crash home and Ben Rice emerged upfield to level straight after.
McCrudden edged the Red Hands back in front from a free and doubled their advantage in the 60th minutes with the Biddies now looking a two-pointer of their own to get back on terms.
They got their opportunity from a free three minutes into added time, with Carleton holding his nerve to convert via the post to ultimately snatch a draw for his team.
ST BRIGID'S: D Heery; F McKernan, J Toner, C King; S Campbell (0-1), S Downey, R Carleton (0-5, 2x2pf, 1f); C Conway (0-1), J Dowling (0-1); F Meenagh, Q Quinn (0-1), P Bradley (0-4); E Sherry, R Tweedy (0-5, 1f), C McNicholl (0-1).
Subs: S Doyle for S Downey (HT), B McGurk for C Conway (40), C McAleer (0-1) for C McNicholl (43), O Boyle for E Sherry (51), N Finnegan for D Quinn (60+3).
LÁMH DHEARG: G Smith; R Murray, P Mervyn, M McGarry; B Rice (0-1), D Lynch, D Murray; P Fitzsimons, C Boyd; E Stanley (0-2, 1x2p), C Ferguson-Lappin (1-0), D Smith (0-2); D Martin, T McCrudden (1-4, 0-2f), A Murray (1-2, 1x2p).
Subs: F Mervyn for M McGarry (28), N McGarry for P Fitzsimons (44), S McCarthy for D Murray (44), K Fay-Kelly for D Martin (56), R Diamond for A Murray (60).
REFEREE: Paul Burns (St Comgall's)
Wednesday's results
O'Neills Antrim Football League Division One
St Gall's 1-16 Tír na nÓg 2-7
Glenravel 0-13 St John's 0-13
Dunloy 1-15 Aldergrove 3-14
All Saints, Ballymena 2-14 St Paul's 2-7
St Brigid's 0-20 Lámh Dhearg 3-11
O'Donovan Rossa 0-5 Creggan 2-20
Ahoghill 0-11 Portglenone 2-15
Aghagallon 1-9 Cargin 1-13
O'Neills Antrim Football League Division Two
Moneyglass 1-23 Davitt's 2-7
Glenavy 3-13 Gort na Móna 3-17
St Comgall's 0-13 Sarsfield's 3-15
St Teresa's 2-16 Naomh Éanna 0-16
Rasharkin 0-8 St Patrick's, Lisburn 1-20
O'Neills Antrim Football League Division Three
Éire Óg 1-14 Na Piarsaigh 1-14
Wolfe Tone's 0-1 Laochra Loch Lao 4-15
Ardoyne v St Agnes'
St Malachy's v O'Donnell's
