Cunningham’s dualstrikeproves crucial as champions feel the heat

ANTRIM senior football title-holders Lamh Dhearg certainly had cause to be grateful for Paddy Cunningham’s vast experience when they were held to a draw by Erin’s Own Cargin (2-7 to 0-13) in yesterday’s throbbing championship tie at Creggan, which ended in stalemate.

The imperious Cunningham scored 2-6 of his team’s 2-7 total, his brace of second-half goals proving crucial in their recovery after they had trailed by 0-9 to 0-3 at half-time.

With Michael McCann in outstanding form, Cargin looked to have assumed total control before Cunningham set to work, his first-goal coming shortly after the resumption and his second in the 60th minute.

Yet just when Cargin looked set to close out the game, Tomás McCanan stepped up to drill over a ‘45’ in the closing moments to allow his side to fight another day.

Ciaran Close (3), Ciaran Bradley (3), Michael McCann (2) and Tomás McCann (2) shared the scoring honours for Cargin as Cunningahm unfurled his solo scoring blitz in response.

St Gall’s turned in an emphatic performance to overcome Portglenone by 3-11 to 1-8 with Michael Pollock landing 2-6 in a devastating display of finishing.

By half-time Pollock had stamped his imprimatur on the game to such an effect that St Gall’s led by 3-5 to 1-4 and were never in danger of being overtaken.

St John’s, too, remained on course for the title by beating St

Double bonus: Paddy Cunningham’s two goals underscored the LamhDhearg recovery against Eoghan Rua yesterday

Teresa’s by 3-14 to 0-9. The Johnnies were rarely troubled after having led by 1-7 to 0-4 at halftime.

Derry and Ulster club champions Slaughtneil survived a rare scare when they were held to a draw (0-15 to 1-12) by Eoghan Rua, Coleraine in a thrilling championship tie at Owenbeg last night.

Eoghan Rua, with Gavin McWilliams, Niall Holly and Colm McGoldrick to the fore, swept into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead before

Slaughtneil began to find some cohesion, but when they did Chrissy Bradley, Brian Cassidy, Shane McGuigan and Padraig Cassidy in particular, helped them enjoy a 0-8 to 0-7 half-time lead.

In a pulsating second-half, it was nip and tuck throughout and after Liam McGoldrick hit the net for Eoghan Rua, Chrissy Bradley looked to have sealed victory for the holders with a late point.

Richard Carey, however, swept

over the equaliser almost immediately to earn his side a replay.

Meanwhile, a point deep in added time from Michael Warnock helped to take Glen to a 1-15 to 0-17 victory over a gritty Ballinderry outfit.

Emmett Bradley, who hit halfa-dozen points for the winners, deservedly took the man of the match accolade while Conleth Gilligan and Ryan Bell impressed for Ballinderry.

And Ballinascreen also advanced but only after they survived

a scare against a tenacious Greenlough side. Ballinascreen won by 0-13 to 1-9, Niall Bradley’s goal and Enda Lynn’s intelligent probing having kept Greenlough very much in the picture, while Shane Mulgrew was a rich source of Ballinascreen points from frees.

A spirited battle between Loup and Lavey ended all-square with Loup landing 1-8 and Lavey countering with 2-5.

Semi-Final draw: Eoghan Rua or Slaughtneil v Ballinascreen, Glen v Lavey or Loup. A FOUR-MATCH winning run has turned into a three-game losing streak for the Belfast Giants.

And while their latest defeat, a 4-2 Challenge Cup loss to the Fife Flyers, may have come after they have already secured their quarter-final spot, coach Adam Keefe will surely be concerned at his team’s sudden loss of form.

Trailing 2-0 early in the first period, the Giants did pull one back through Kyle Baun and even though he scored a second time to bring it back to 3-2 midway through the second period it was Fife who struck again to seal the victory and their own passage to the last eight of the Challenge Cup.

After losing 4-2 in Fife on Saturday night the Giants knew the Flyers would be no pushovers and in the third minute, Brett Bulmer struck the opening goal after being set up by Evan Bloodoff.

Fife doubled their lead at 9:25 when Carlin Finucci collected the puck from Evan Stoflet and slotted home.

The Giants responded with a Baun goal two minutes later.

Bulmer made it back-to-back braces against the Giants when he pounced on a breakaway and beat Murphy at 27:01.

Again the Giants came back quickly. Again it was Baun who netted at 30:33.

There was still almost half the game for the Giants to find an equaliser, but they found Fife goaltender Shane Owen in top form for the second night in-arow. He was equal to everything that the Giants could throw at him.

With just a couple of minutes left they went on a powerplay and coach Keefe called Murphy to the bench to give his team six skaters against the Flyers four.

Owen was tested a couple of times as the Giants swarmed the net, but when the puck was cleared Paul Crowder chased it and after bouncing off the board behind the empty net he collected it and tapped in with seconds left.