Cargin dig deep for sweetest of comeback triumphs

At the start of the second half Aghagallon went eight points up when Ruairí McCann found the net

Cargin’s captain James Laverty and the team celebrate with the cup

Antrim SFC Final: Cargin 1-18 Aghagallon 3-9 

ERIN’S OWN, Cargin, swept to one of the sweetest of their 11 Antrim Championships at a soaking Corrigan Park as they made a huge push in the second period of extra time.

Challengers, St Mary’s Aghagallon, are now experiencing their second heartbreak in a year, after losing their first ever final in 2021.

At the start of the second half here, they went eight points up when Ruairí McCann found the net for his second goal, turning a pass from Ciaran Magennis into the net after he squared the ball.

But with the strong wind favouring Cargin, they applied immense pressure to Aghagallon goalkeeper Damian O’Hagan’s restarts, forcing two consecutive kickouts to skite over the sideline as they hit five unanswered points.

With ten minutes to go, Tomás McCann got the ball in a deep position, skipped through the challenges to get enough room to get a high ball launched.

It fell to the willing hands of his brother Mick, and he threw two dummies to eke out enough space to get a shot off that rolled into the net to leave one point in it.

Matters were levelled with a 45 from goalkeeper John McNabb, and while Pat Shivers looked to have it won for Cargin with a skyscraper point, Oisin Lenehan took a brave, difficult shot in the 63rd minute to take it to extra time.

From then on, Cargin knew they would have the significant wind advantage in the second period.

They went in for the last ten minutes a point adrift, but then rattled off four unanswered points, Tomas McCann, Pat Shivers, Benen Kelly and Sean O’Neill to take the cup back to the shores of Lough Neagh.

Cargin now go on to play the winners of the postponed Donegal county final in the first round of the Ulster Club Championship.

Scorers for Cargin: T McCann (0-5, 5 frees), P Shivers (0-5, 1 free), M McCan (1-0), B Kelly (0-2), J McNabb (0-2, 2 ‘45s’), S O’Neill, J Laverty, J Gribbin, P McCann (0-1 each) 

Scorers for Aghagallon: R McCann (2-1, 0-1 mark), G Magee (0-6, 0-4 frees) A Loughran (1-0), P Magennis, O Lenehan (0-1 each) 

CARGIN: J McNabb; K O’Boyle, J Crozier, C Donnelly; J Carron, J Laverty, S O’Neill; R Gribbin, G McCann; C Bradley, J Gribbin, P McCann; P Shivers, M McCann, T McCann 

Subs: B Kelly for O’Neill (16m), S O’Neill for R Gribbin (37m), M Kelly for M McCann (61m), B Laverty for C Donnelly (8m ET), K McShane for Kelly (13m ET), D Johnston for B Kelly (16m ET) 

AGHAGALLON: D O’Hagan; D Donnelly, J Lamont, P Mulholland; C Magennis, P Branagan, Daryl McAlernon; O Lenehan; J Lenehan; E Walsh, A Loughran, M McAfee; G Magee, R McCann, J Hannon 

Subs: Davy McAlernon for Daryl McAlernon (HT), P Gowdy for Hannon (HT) E McCartan for P Gowdy (41m), P Magennis for McAfee (51m), S Devlin for Mulholland (17m ET), N McShane for P Branagan (20m ET) 

Referee: Conall Roberts (St John’s)