• Home
• Latest News
• Foireann
• Ulster U21
• Lotto
• Fixtures
• Guestbook
• Health & Wellbeing
• Our Facilities
• Facilities Schedule
• Gallery
• Club Information
• Cultúr
• Committee
• League Tables
• Sponsors
• Administration
• Juvenile Competitions
• Links
• Creggan Youtube
• Local Heritage Group
• Contact Us

Ulster Minor Championship QF - Kickhams Vs Belcoo

Ulster Minor Championship Quarter Final
7 December 2008

Kickhams Creggan 1-14
Belcoo 2-06

Creggan minors took to the field in an Ulster club competition for the first time in the club’s history on Sunday when they took on the Fermanagh champions Belcoo in the quarter final.

It was near perfect conditions for football at St. Pauls in Belfast, who have hosted this competition since its inception, and the big crowd was treated to a good game of football.

Some of the Creggan lads were visibly nervous in the opening period, as the occasion seemed to have got to them, but for all their nerves, big Paddy McAuley was showing none of them, as he opened the scoring with a fine point to get the Antrim champions off and running. Moments later David McGuckian was to fire over another score and Creggan were dominating the early minutes of this match.

Belcoo managed to get a hold of the ball and they slowly got themselves going to show why they are Fermanagh champions. They managed to kick over three points without reply to take the lead in the game. Belcoo were using their corner forward on out the field which allowed Paul Nelson the opportunity to track him and to demonstrate what a fine footballer he is as he done a fine job of curtailing the threat.

Again it was McAuley, from mid-field, who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and wrestled it back in Creggan’s favour when he made a surging run which ended with him clipping it over the bar to tie the game. Creggan used this impetus to further add to the score line when Hugh McNulty in full forward opened his account by splitting the posts and David McGukian also popped over a pair of points to put a bit of daylight between the sides.

A setback was soon to follow though for the Green and Gold as a loose ball was allowed to be gathered up by the Belcoo forward line and it was duly dispatched to the net with four minutes remaining in the opening half. No further scoring was applied by either side as they left the field at half time all square and certainly all to play for.

Half Time - Kickhams Creggan 0-06, Belcoo 1-03

There was some real hard talking done by the Creggan management at half time, which was needed to draw the lads out of their lethargy. Whatever Sean McAuley screamed at them worked wonders as they came charging out of the blocks at the restart and matched their renewed vigor on the thing that matters most, the score board. It was Cathal Small who done all the damage as he hit three superb long range points on the bounce. Conor Mcann followed up with another point as Belcoo were wondering what had hit them.

They managed to get some respite when a quick break up the field led to them recording their first score of the second period, but they were rocked back on their heels when a high ball in to big Hugh McNulty on the top of the square was punched to the net to further confirm Creggan's dominance.

There was now seven points between the sides but credit to the Fermanagh men they didn’t lie down and the two teams traded a further two points between them to keep the crowd entertained. Damian McLarnon and David McGukian doing the honours for the lough shore men.

With 4½ minutes left on the clock, Belcoo made things interesting when they smashed a 14 yard free to the net giving goalkeeper Aidan McKeown no chance, to leave only a goal between the sides. Creggan had to stand up and be counted to see out this game and they certainly done so, with Cathal Small putting the icing on the cake as he stroked over a further two points in a man of the match performance to end the scoring and the game.

Creggan can take great credit from their momentous victory but they will know that they still have another 20 or 30 percent yet to give, which they will surely need when they meet Monaghan kingpins Scotstown on December 21st in the Semi Finals.

Kickhams Team: Aidan McKeown, Paul Nelson, Ricky Johnston, BJ McKeown, Aidan Maguire, Martin Johnston, Fergal McGrenaghan, Seamus Allen, Paddy McAuley (0-02), Cathal Small (0-05), Conor McCann (0-01), David McGukian (0-03), Damian McLarnon (0-02), Hugh McNulty (1-01), Odhran McLarnon.

More pictures are available in the Gallery Section

View Gallery