St Gall's beat Lamh Dhearg in Antrim Football final
Last updated on .From the section Northern Ireland
St Gall's claimed their 16th Antrim Senior football title in impressive fashion by beating Lamh Dhearg 0-14 to 0-11 at Casement Park on Saturday.
Gall's may have hit 11 wides over the course of the hour, but their experience told, with Kevin Niblock leading the charge with four points.
The game was finely balanced with St Gall's holding a 0-9 to 0-7 advantage at the interval.
The result means Lamh Dhearg's wait for a first title since 1992 continues.
Antrim Senior player Paddy Cunningham landed eight frees but ended on the losing side.
His first gave Lamh Dhearg a fifth-minute Cunningham free, but the Red Hands were on the backfoot when St Gall's raced 0-6 to 0-1 ahead by the 14th minute with Mickey Pollock, Karl Stewart, Rory Gallagher, Aodhan Gallagher Sean Kelly and Niblock on target.
Lamh Dhearg bounced back to claim six of the last eight points of the half with Saffrons star Cunningham kicking three frees while Ryan Murray, Gerard Slane and Stephen Tully also scored.
After the break, Lamh Dhearg cut the gap to the minimum through a fifth Cunningham point.
St Gall's hit back with points from Kieran McGourty and his brother Conor to see the title holders take a 0-11 to 0-8 lead in the 43rd minute.
That became a four-point advantage before Cunningham edged a point back for Lamh Dhearg with his eighth score.
St Gall's scorers: Kevin Niblock 0-4; Mickey Pollock 0-3; Conor McGourty 0-2; Sean Kelly, Aodhan Gallagher, Karl Stewart, Kieran McGourty, Rory Gallagher 0-1 each.
Lamh Dhearg scorers: Paddy Cunningham 0-8 (8f); Stephen Tully, Ryan Murray, Gerard Slane 0-1 each.
In the Tyrone SFC, Omagh sent holders Coalisland crashing out with a 2-16 to 2-10 win in a quarter-final replay at Pomeroy on Saturday evening.
Ronan O'Neill and Conor O'Donnell hit the winners' goals, with Stephen McNally and Paddy McNeice pulling back late goals for the Fianna.
Meanwhile, Clonduff pulled off a narrow 0-11 to 1-7 win over Kilcoo in the Down semi-final at Newry thanks to Jason Brown's 59th-minute point.
