Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship final: Aghagallon v Cargin (Sunday, 3pm, Corrigan Park)
The 2022 Antrim Senior Football Championship final is the quintessential ‘David versus Goliath’ clash as Aghagallon take on Cargin at Corrigan Park on Sunday.
St Mary’s bid to clinch their first Antrim SFC title against a side who’ve won the Padraig McNamee Cup five times in seven seasons.
Cargin were Senior champions in 2016 when the majority of the current Aghagallon side won the Antrim Intermediate crown.
Aghagallon lost out to Creggan in last year’s decider in their first appearance in the Senior Championship final.
Read more: Aghagallon never lost hope says Ruairi McCann after Antrim SFC semi-final heroics
Manager Audi Kelly says his side will need to use that experience to their advantage, but feels his side must improve once more if they are to trouble the Toome men.
Adam Loughran snatched a dramatic last-gasp goal for Aghagallon as they edged out Portglenone after extra-time in the semi-final last month.
“We are in a final, but if we are going to compete with Cargin at all, we’re going to have to show a massive improvement in our performance,” said Kelly.
“If we play like that again, Cargin will beat us out the gate.
“I think last year, it was a big deal for the players as it was the first time the club had been in a senior Championship final. They gained a lot of knowledge and experience from that game.
“The question is, can they use that to their advantage? They have to make sure they get their preparation right to give themselves the best chance of winning the game.”
Ruairi McCann’s goal in normal time helped Agagallon recover a five-point deficit to force extra-time against Casement’s while McCann also scored a goal in the first period of extra-time.
Yet, Portglenone looked set to end their semi-final hoodoo when holding a two-point lead with time almost up only for John McKeever’s side to be denied by a sucker-punch goal from Adam Loughran.
“I’ve been saying all year that Adam Loughran is a great finisher and he is a superb player.” added Kelly.
“He left it right to the end, but what a score! There are very few players who can do that whenever the game is on the line.
“He certainly has all those qualities to do it and we’re hoping he can deliver again against Cargin.
“I’ve been on the other side of games like that. I remember being with Dromore and Omagh hit us with two late goals in the Championship.
“I know exactly how Portglenone are feeling after that game.
“It is a difficult way to lose a match, but I have to give our boys serious credit.
“We didn’t play well and I’d be the first to acknowledge that and the players know that.
"We played in fits and starts, but we played right to the finish and that’s something we’d spoken about before the game.
“We never give up and these boys have tremendous character. We dug it out - it wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it.”
Kelly added that Aghagallon will study the video evidence before deciding whether or not to appeal the red card issued to Aidan Mulholland in extra-time. As it stands, he will be unavailable for Sunday’s final.
Cargin, meanwhile, are set to be boosted by the availability of Pat Shivers after his red card was rescinded following their extra-time win over last year's county champions Creggan.
Shivers was dismissed at the end of normal time, but video evidence was used to clear the Antrim ace.
The Toome men had their four-in-a-row ambitions ended by their neighbours at the semi-final stage last season, but Tomas McCann kicked the winning score to settle this year's semi-final in favour of Erin's Own.
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