Casement SC Antrim Junior Hurling Championship, Group Two
Gort na Móna 1-18 Lámh Dhearg 2-15
A HAUL of 1-14 from Desi McClean including two late frees helped Gort na Móna grab a draw at home to Lámh Dhearg on Saturday that sees them take second spot in Group Two on scoring difference.
McClean finished with 1-14 to his name and 13 of those points came from the placed ball as his side now have a home quarter-final against Ardoyne to look forward to as Lámh Dhearg will head to Davitt's.
The Red Hands will be disappointed they didn't see it out as they turned around a half-time deficit to lead by four with 20 to go and by two in added time, but coughed up frees that McClean put away to grab the point his team needed to ensure they weren't overhauled into that second position.
Patrick McCaffrey was first on the board for the hosts two minutes in before Adam Murray levelled with his first free of the day.
Points from Thomas McCaffrey and Nathan Gibson edged the Goats back ahead, but after Odhran Waldron responded with one, the game went into something of a lull with both sides passing up a hosts of scoring chances that either went wide or dropped short.
A barren spell of nine minutes end with Adam Murray levelling from out on the right and this sparked the game to life once again.
Desi McClean finally got off the mark with 16 gone having been off target with earlier opportunities and this would spark him into an ultimately excellent day. He added a pair of free and then another two either side of scores by Waldron and Mark Finnegan.
The Gorts then had a good goal opportunity that was squandered but after a Finnegan score for the Red Hands, they made their next opportunity count as after Ryan McCamlinn saved from Tiernan O Cadhlaigh, McClean gathered the rebound, spun and rattled the net.
Lámh Dhearg responded well with a hat-trick of points from substitute Evan Stanley - who had replaced the injured Ryan Diamond - and a pair of Murray frees, but another from McClean left the hosts 1-9 to 0-9 ahead at the interval.
The visitors would make much the better start to the second period as after Murray tapped over an early free, they were awarded a penalty as it was adjudged Padraig McHugh had impeded Gerard Smyth from gaining a high ball and Finnegan stuck the award to the corner of the net.
McClean levelled it and then again after Waldron edged Lámh Dhearg ahead, but then came the second goal for the Hannahstown outfit on 38 minutes as a long ball broke to Waldron and he sent it home despite the best efforts of Gort goalkeeper Caolan McCrory.
Waldron extended the gap out to four, but Gort na Móna would draw level through three McClean frees and a fine effort from Thomas McCaffrey as the minutes ticked by.
Two from Finnegan hinted it may be Lámh Dhearg's day and after a late exchange between McClean and Murray, that remained the case with the game in added time.
But the Gorts would win a free that was pointed and then another that was moved forward for dissent would be converted by McClean as the draw was as good as a win for the Turf Lodge side who now have a home quarter-final to look forward to with Lámh Dhearg making the short trip down the Falls.
GORT NA MÓNA: C McCrory; J Connolly, P McHugh, L Dixon; G McKenna, Neil Henry, N Gibson (0-1); J Hicks, T O Cadhlaigh; D McClean (1-14, 0-13f), T Morton, T McCaffrey (0-2); Niall Henry, P McCaffrey (0-1), M McMullan.
Subs: J Monaghan for Niall Henry (36), D Hughes for L Dixon (45), M Carlin for M McMullan (55).
LÁMH DHEARG: R McCamlinn; N McGarry, A McGuigan, C Camlinn; T McKenna, R Diamond, D Murray; C Boyd, F Mervyn; A Murray (0-6, 5f), M Finnegan (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-2f), O Waldron (1-4); M McGarry, G Smyth, C Lappin.
Subs: E Stanley (0-1) for R Diamond (22), O Lee for M McGarry (51)
REFEREE: Piarais McCaffrey (St Gall's)
