AIB Ulster Club IHC semi-final
Creggan (Antrim) 1-15 Carrickmore (Tyrone) 4-11
SEAN Óg Grogan’s spectacular four-goal blitz in the first-half set Eire Óg on their way to a place in the Ulster Club IHC final, laying the foundation for what turned out to be a hard-fought victory at Owenbeg.
The Carrickmore men return to the decider for the first time in eight years, chasing a maiden provincial title and a major breakthrough for the club.
They have been there twice before, but finished on the losing side in 2010 and 2015, and will face Setanta of Donegal in the decider on the weekend after next.
The Grogan goal-rush helped the Tyrone champions to an eight-point interval lead, but they had to resist a strong fightback from the Antrim men to get over the line.
Conor McCann was on target early on for the Kickham’s, with Oisin Daly hitting the target at the other end, before the Grogan show opened in style.
He fired low to the net in the third minute, and a repeat effort five minutes later had the Tyrone men in a strong position.
Points from Dermot Begley and Conn Sweeney, along with a Dermot Begley free, had them ahead by 2-4 to 0-3, before Creggan found a strong response, hitting points through Conor McCann and Kevin Rice, from a brilliantly executed sideline cut.
It was Rice who finished a flowing move to the net, cutting the gap to two, but Grogan completed his hat-trick as he punished a defensive error.
McCann added a couple of points to keep the Saffron champions in touch, but they suffered a further blow when Grogan grabbed his fourth goal with an overhead strike, sending them in at the break leading by 4-7 to 1-8.
Eire Óg had to draw on their defensive qualities as they came under sustained pressure through the second half, with centre-back Begley rising to the challenge magnificently.
Kevin Rice, Conor McCann and Tiarnan McLarnon were all on target as Creggan reeled off four points on the spin, but they still trailed by seven as the game entered its closing stages.
Aiday Kelly broke the sequence with a long-range score, but a couple of Liam McCann scores kept the Antrim side’s hopes alive.
However, they were unable to close the gap, denied by a stubborn Eire Óg defence in which Oran McKee, Dean Rafferty and goalkeeper Conor McElhatton excelled.
Creggan C Rice; A Maguire, A McKeown, J McAteer; S Maguire, K McCann, L McCann (0-2); S Duffin, R McCann; M Nelson, K Rice (1-2), O McCann (0-1); T McCann, C McCann (0-9, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ’65), D Mulholland.
Subs E Carey-Small for Mulholland, T McLarnon (0-1) for McKeown
Carrickmore C McElhatton; M Kelly, O McKee, D Rafferty; A Crossan, D Begley (0-6 frees), J Munroe; B McGurk, R Slane (0-1); C Grogan, J Kelly, C Sweeney (0-2); C Munroe, S Óg Grogan (4-0), O Daly (0-1).
Subs A Kelly (0-1) for M Kelly, S Sweeney for Daly, T Hughes for Crossan, E Grimes for J Kelly
Referee J Connors (Donegal)
