Antrim Senior Football Championship semi-final
AFTER knocking St Gall's out of this year's Antrim Senior Football Championship, Erin's Own, Cargin will fancy their chances of going all the way - but Creggan provide a tricky roadblock in Friday's semi-final at Ahoghill (7.30pm).
While St Gall's have been totally dominant in recent times, Cargin, perhaps, were the side to suffer most, losing four finals in the noughties, but always managing to come back and fight another day. With their great rivals out of the way, John Brennan's outfit now look clear favourites for this year's crown.
Neighbours Creggan will have different ideas, but it is hard to see how a side which has already suffered a couple of bruising league defeats to their opponents - 4-15 to 1-5 away and 2-11 to 1-5 at home - can make up enough ground to do the business.
This fact will not feature in their thinking and, with a comfortable victory against Ahoghill chalked up at the quarter-final stage, they will be mighty keen to dent their parish rivals' ambitions. In that game, they shot 21 points, with eight of the side getting on the scoreboard, and it was abundantly clear their top scorer Mark Dougan, Ruairí McCann, David McGuckin, Oran McLarnon and Odhrán McCann are players who will have to be closely watched.
Likewise, their midfield pairing of Marty Johnson and Aiden McKeown are players who can dominate a game while, at the back, Aiden Maguire, Conor McCann, Thomas McCann and Sam Maguire are players capable of stifling any attack.
That said, Cargin look to hold all the aces. They were superb in dethroning the champions, 1-14 to 0-9, with a magnificent second half performance and a similar showing should see off their neighbours.
Corner-forward Ryan McKernan and Tomás McCann proved unstoppable, while Michael McCann, Paul McCann and Enda McGrogan were a mighty strong half-forward line. Gerard McCann and John McCarron provide one of the best midfield partnerships in the county while, at the back, Kevin O‘Boyle, Tony Scullion, James Laverty and Justin Crozier will be hard to break down.
