Setanta take the spoils in derby tussle with rivals MacCumhaills 

Setanta edged this derby encounter against MacCumhaills as they crossed the line with three to spare at the Cross.

From early on this game turned into a real shoot-out between Bernard Lafferty (0-11) of Setanta and Lee Henderson (0-12) from MacCumhaills. And it was the home side that held a slender lead of 0-7 to 0-6 at the break.

Sean Ward opened the scoring for Setanta from play and the visitors responded with two Henderson pointed frees. Lafferty and Henderson then swapped frees as MacCumahills led by 0-3 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.

Lafferty (two frees) and Fionna Faren and another Lafferty free, which was replied to by another Henderson free, left it 0-6 to 0-4 for Setanta.

Henderson narrowed the gap with a pointed free, Lafferty finished the scoring for his side with a free and Henderson got the last score of the half - also from a placed ball. 

Setanta had two quick points on the resumption from Niall Cleary from play and four more Lafferty frees to make it 0-12 to 0-6. But MacCumhaills finished strongly and two pointed frees from Henderson left the score at 0-12 to 0-8 for Setanta.

Lafferty hit another free for Setanta and Henderson replied in kind with two points. Another Lafferty point and a Cleary effort from play left it 0-15 to 0-10 six minutes from time.

Fintan Griffin got a rare point from play for the visitors and Henderson converted two more frees. Farren got the final point for the home side.

Setanta scorers: Bernard Lafferty 0-11,10f; Niall Cleary 0-2; Fionn Farren 0-2; Sean Ward 0-1.

McCumhaills scorers: Lee Henderson 0-12f; Fintan Griffin 0-1. 

Setanta: Kevin Campbell; Ruairi McLaughlin, Conor McGettigan, Ryan Callaghan; Ryan Coyle, Mark Callaghan, Niall Cleary; Fionn Farren, Dean Harvey; Sean Ward, Bernard Lafferty, Conor Gallen; Colm Melaugh, Noel Ewing, Tommy Lee Scully. 

Subs used; Denim Rowan, Sean Darcy, Pauric Moss and James O’Reilly.

MacCumhaills: Dylan Lafferty; Eoghan Wright, Kyle Tourish, Davitt Bradley Flynn; Conor Murphy, John Anhony Chambers, Sean Brady Devenney; Chad McSorley, Conor Griffin; Riain McBrearty, Fintan Griffin, Dean Hannigan; Lee Henderson, Joel Bradley Walsh, Shane McMenamin. 

Subs used; Aaron Toner and Patrick Bradley.

Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s)