Football

Lámh Dhearg and Rossa set up all-Belfast semi-final clash

Colm Fleming top scored for Rossa against Aldergrove, notching five points in all  
Colm Fleming top scored for Rossa against Aldergrove, notching five points in all   Colm Fleming top scored for Rossa against Aldergrove, notching five points in all  

Antrim SFC quarter-finals: O’Donovan Rossa 1-12 St James’, Aldergrove 0-7; Lámh Dhearg 0-12 Roger Casement’s, Portglenone 0-8

ROSSA hit the ground running in their Antrim SFC quarter-final against Aldergrove and were 1-7 to 0-1 ahead after 20 minutes, despite facing a stiff breeze.

This nine-point advantage effectively killed the game as a contest and they were able to coast to the finish in second gear, running out 1-12 to 0-7 winners. Jim Close’s side were on top throughout. Their defence was sound and Aldergrove had no answer to free-scoring forwards Colm Fleming, Donal Armstrong and Michael Turley.

Séamus McGarry got Aldergrove away within minutes, but Rossa were soon in their stride, with Fleming levelling and Turley giving them a lead they never again lost. The scores came thick and fast, Turley and Armstrong on target before an eighth minute goal effectively killed off any St James’ challenge. Stephen Beatty made the break, laid off to Fleming, who fed Thomas Morgan on the left and the corner-forward finished in style to the roof of the net.

Donal Armstrong was next in action, with goalkeeper Liam McAuley kicking a long free and man of the match Colm Fleming hitting another of his five-point haul for a nine-point advantage. Retaliation from the south-west side saw Fergal Burke convert two frees and Brian McQuillan score from play to claw their way back to 0-4 to 1-8 at the break.

Any outside chance they had soon evaporated, though, when a Turley point, two from Fleming and another from Armstrong with 11 second half minutes played, sealed matters at 1-12 to 0-4 and, while the Shaws Road side failed to score again, it was clear they were only going through the motions.

Brian McQuillan did his best to give respectability to the scoreboard with three excellently-executed Aldergrove frees and, while they did have a couple of half chances for goals, Rossa were never going to let them through.

LÁMH DHEARG’S accuracy from frees and the inability of Portglenone to convert the many chances which came their way was the difference in the sides in the last of the Antrim SFC quarter-finals in Creggan.

The Hannahstown side raced into a four-point lead from the accurate boot of Paddy Cunningham. Niall McKeever got Portglenone away in the 13th minute but, by the interval, Lámh Dhearg looked to have things sewn up when they led 0-7 to 0-3, six of their scores coming from the dead ball.

Things were no better for the south-west challengers on the resumption when Lamh Dhearg raced into an 11-point lead after 10 minutes, but, inspired by Niall Delargy and fromer Australian Rules player McKeever, Casement’s hit back. They added four unanswered points to get the deficit back to just four, but were dealt a cruel blow when, in the 23rd minute, referee Fiontán McCotter flashed a second yellow card and the influential McKeever was gone.

Substitute Mark Graham continued the battle when he responded to Cunningham’s eighth point but, by this stage, it was over and an interesting semi against west Belfast neighbours Rossa awaits Lámh Dhearg.

MATCH STATS


Lámh Dhearg: P Cunningham (0-8), M Herron, G Slane, K Quinn, R Murray (0-1 each).


Portglenone: M Kelly (0-2), S Delargy, N McKeever, C Delargy, M McAleese, P Kelly, M Graham (0-1 each).

Rossa: C Fleming (0-5), D Armstrong, M Turley (0-3), T Morgan (1-0), L McAuley (0-1).


Aldergrove: B McQuillan (0-4), F Burke (0-2), S McGarry (0-1).