Con Magees withstand Tir na nÓg’s second-half onslaught

thesaffrongael

9 years ago

Docherty Accounting South West Antrim Under 16 Football Final

Con Magees celebrate after beating Tir na nÓg in the final of the South West Antrim Under 16 Football League in Ballymena. Pic by John McIlwaine

Con Magees 1-9 Tir na nÓg 0-11

By John McIlwaine

Con Magees Glenravel withstood an almighty second-half challenge from Tir na nÓg to win the Under 16 Football League final at Quinn Park, Ballymena on Monday evening. When the teams went off at the break with Con Magees leading by 1-7 to 0-4 it appeared to be plain sailing for the Glenravel boys. However Tir na nÓg took control of the game after the change of ends and clawed their way back while restricting their opponents to just two points during the thirty minutes of normal time, plus an extra four which was added on by referee Karol Doherty. The game ended in a welter of excitement with a Tir na nOg free being dropped in around the Glenravel goalmouth but somehow the Con Magees defence managed to get the ball clear as the final whistle sounded.

It all looked so different in the opening half as Christopher Laverty pointed Con Magees ahead inside two minutes, and when Eoin Hynds grabbed a goal a minute later the Glenravel boys were in control. Ciaran O’Neill opened the Tir na nÓg account on five minutes with a well taken point and a minute later the Randalstown boys looked like they would draw level when corner forward Conor McCamphill broke through on goal, only to be denied a brilliant save by Con Magees goalkeeper Rory McCloskey. Two more points from Eoin Hynds and a magnificent point from out on the right from Rian Lennon stretched the winners advantage to 1-4 to 0-1 by the seventeenth minute, and though Ciaran O’Neill pulled one back for Tir na nÓg as similar scoring burst from Hynds and Lennon stretched the Con Magees lead to eight points by the 24^th minute. Tir na nÓg appeared to be in deep trouble but during the final five minutes of normal time, and three of injury they began to get on top and points from Emmet Murray and the excellent Ryan Devlin cut the gap back to six at the short whistle. (1-7 to 0-4)

Tir na nÓg were a side transformed as the second half got underway as they took control throughout the field and two quick points from Murray and Devlin changed the whole perspective of the game. Suddenly it was Glenravel who were holding on for grim life and when Nathan McKee and Randal McDonnell added points the gap was down to just two. Glenravel’s man of the match Eoin Hyndes settled his team’s nerves when he grabbed another excellent point from play on 42 minutes, and for a spell the appeared to be wrenching back some control. However they squandered a couple of good scoring opportunities and were made to pay when Tir na nÓg came back with points from Ciaran O’Neill and Nathan McKee to leave just a single point between the sides.

The Glenravel players were treading water at this stage as the stuggled for possession but once again Eoin Hynds came to his team’s rescue when he broke through to slot over another fine point to put two between the sides once again. Still Tir na nÓg kept pressing and there was a heart stopping moment for the Glenravel fans on one minute before the end of normal time when Tir na nÓg Nathan Kee found space in front of the Con Magees goal but his shot just went inches over the bar. As referee Doherty called four minutes of extra time there was still time for Tir na nÓg to bring the game to extra time, but somehow Glenravel held out to clinch the league title that just six weeks ago appeared to be beyond their grasp.

As the final whistle sounded there was some unsightly scenes as both teams go involved what could best be described as a jostling session, but thankfully mentors on both sides soon intervened to restore order.