U21A Football Championship
Moneyglass 1-21 Gort na Mona 4-13 AET
It took extra time to separate Gort na Mona and Moneyglass in this first round of the U21A football championship in the closest and most keenly contested game in the competition to date. The visitors travelled to the changed venue of Ahoghill on the back of a good opening round win over Casement’s Portglenone while St. Ergnats had impressed in their opening round win over All Saints.
It was Gort na Mona who got off to the better start and a goal from the penalty spot after five minutes settled them and they went on to lead by six points at the short whistle with Ciaran Kelly and Conor McCabe prominent.
Moneyglass staged a fighting comeback during the second half with Seanahan Duffin, Paddy Mackle and Dermot McErlain leading the way and some excellent free taking by minor star, McErlain left it all square at the final whistle, sending the game into extra time.
With Conor McCabe kicking some fine points the Gorts took an early lead in time added on but St. Ergnat’s came fighting back and went ahead with four minutes remaining. The visitors kept plugging away however and two late points saw them advance by the minimum and earn them a place in the quarter-final against Lamh Dhearg.
Best for Gort na Mona were Conor McCabe who scored nine points with their goals coming from Aodhan McDonagh, Brendan Corr, Jude Reilly and Niall ‘Babby’ Meehan. Moneyglass will feel that they should have got something from this game and looked home when they edged ahead late in the contest.
They had excellent performers in Seanahan Duffin, Paudie Mackle, Sean Kelly and Dermot McErlain in a game that could have gone either way but it’s the men from the Mona bye-pass who will now go forward with some confidence to meet the men from Hannastown.
Gort na Mona:
Matthew Park
Colm Scullion
Michael Savage
Shay McStravick
Padraig Mulvenna
Aodhan McDonagh
Sean Campbell
Jude Reilly
Cricky Carson
Conor Healy
Conor McCabe
Brendan Corr
Niall Melaney
Ciaran Kelly
Thomas McGoran
Subs used:
Sean Doyle
Tommy McGreevy
John McCarthy
PHOTOGRAPHS NEIL O’BOYLE