Left to Right: 1) Tony Scullion, Cargin comes under pressure from paddy McBride as St. John’s draw with the Toome side at Corrigan. 2) Action from Rossa’s win over Aldergrove at Shaw’s Road. 3) Action from St. Gall’s win over Creggan. 4) Paddy Kelly takes on Ricki Johnston as Portglenone lose to Creggan at O’Cahan Park
The ACFL Leagues kicked off in early April with Erin’s own, Cargin hoping to claim back the title they had lost the previous year and on day one they again looked the side to beat with a convincing 4-13 to 0-7 win over Casement’s Portglenone.
Their neighbours, Kickham’s, Creggan also impressed with a good away win at St. Teresa’s and there were wins for St. Gall’s, Lamh Dhearg and St. John’s while newly promoted Aghagallon picked up a useful point at St. Mary’s Ahoghill.
Ten days later Creggan claimed the parish bragging rights when Cargin travelled to the Staffordstown Road with the Kickham’s recording a five points win and there were wins for St. Teresa’s, St. John’s, Lamh Dhearg, Aghagallon and Portglenone.
Cargin recovered in round four to inflict a first defeat on St. Mary’s Aghagallon at Pairc na nGael while Creggan consolidated their unbeaten run with a good win at Portglenone. Lamh Dhearg, St. Gall’s and Rossa recorded victories over Ahoghill, Aldergrove and St. Paul’s while two nights later St. John’s had a narrow win over St. Teresa’s.
On the 3d of May there were few surprises in round 5 with St. John’s continuing their improved form with an away win over Rossa, 12 points separating the sides while Creggan continued to lead the way with a home win over Aghagallon, scoring an impressive 0-20. Cargin kept in touch with a win over Lamh Dhearg, St. Gall’s defeated Ahoghill and St. Paul’s got their first win of the season when they defeated Aldergrove.
At this stage of the season a pattern was beginning to emerge and it was St. Mary’s Ahoghill, St. James Aldergrove and St. Paul’s who found themselves at the wrong end of the table with St. Teresa’s just above them.
In round six Cargin faced a tough challenge when they travelled to St. Gall’s but John Brennan’s men were now up to speed as they emerged one point victors in an enthralling contest at Milltown Row but they were still trailing neighbours Creggan who showed that their good early season form was no fluke when they travelled to Hannastown and defeated Lamh Dhearg. St. John’s kept in touch with a win over Aldergrove, Portglenone defeated St. Mary’s Aghagallon, Rossa won at St. Teresa’s and Ahoghill finally got their first victory with a good win away to St. Paul’s.
On Saturday the 27th May Cargin recorded another win over bottom club St. Paul’s, a win that would bring them level with Creggan, but the Kickham’s had a game in hand the next day against St. Gall’s. The Milltown side were now under the management of former Antrim and St. Gall’s player, Sean Kelly and they recorded a 0-12 to 0-10 win on the Staffordstown Road to put themselves into the league frame.
Lamh Dhearg recorded a good away win on the same day in Portglenone while St. Teresa’s drew with Aghagallon, St. John’s had a big win at Ahoghill and Aldergrove picked up two useful points with a home win over Rossa.
We now had two very contrasting battles going on with Cargin, Creggan, St. John’s and St. Gall’s all still in the mix for the division 1 title while at the other end of the table St. Paul’s, Aldergrove, Ahoghill, St. Teresa’s and Rossa were fighting for survival points.
As we entered June St. Paul’s got the shot in the arm their campaign needed when they scored a late penalty to beat Kickham’s Creggan at Shaw’s Road and Ahoghill kept their survival hopes alive with a good away win at Rossa. Aldergrove had a home win over St. Teresa’s completing a treble of wins for the bottom three clubs. St. John’s and Cargin couldn’t be separated at Corrigan Park, Aghagallon had a superb away win at Lamh Dhearg and Portglenone picked up an excellent point away to St. Gall’s.
The next round of fixtures took part on the 21st June and things were certainly heating up as Cargin travelled to Aldergrove and recorded a massive victory while Creggan got back on track with a good win at Rossa. St. Gall’s kept in touch with a 1-15 to 0-15 win over Lamh Dhearg and Portglenone earned another good point on the road when they drew with St. John’s at Corrigan. Aghagallon continued to impress in division 1 with a big win at St. Paul’s and St. Teresa’s gave themselves a bit of breathing space when they defeated Ahoghill.
Four days later Ahoghill travelled to Toome and while they suffered another defeat, they never the less showed just what they were capable of as they lost 2-20 to 2-15. The following day Creggan defeated Aldergrove, Lamh Dhearg beat St. Paul’s, St. John’s recorded a narrow win at Aghagallon, St. Gall’s defeated St. Teresa’s and Rossa had a good away win at Portglenone.
The Casement’s, who had been performing reasonably well up to this point suffered another defeat when they travelled to St. Teresa’s on Monday night and lost out in a bad tempered affair and six days later they were beaten again when Aldergrove visited O’Cahan Park, consigning them to a place in section B as the league’s reached the cut-off point.
Wins for Creggan at Ahoghill, Cargin at home to St. Teresa’s, O’Donovan Rossa over Aghagallon, St. Gall’s at St. Paul’s and perhaps the most significant, Lamh Dhearg away to St. John’s saw Cargin, St. John’s, St. Gall’s, Creggan, Lamh Dhearg and surprise package, Aghagallon form section A at the split.
Section B saw Portglenone, Rossa, St. Teresa’s, Aldergrove, St. Paul’s and Ahoghill in the battle for survival and like the fight for the league title, the relegation battle would go down to the last day of the season.
When the action got under way again Cargin avenged that early season defeat with a win over Creggan to maintain top spot but a defeat in their next game away to St. Gall’s and two wins for St. John’s over St. Gall’s and Lamh Dhearg meant that the ‘Johnnies’ were now providing the biggest threat to the Toome side in the race for league honours.
At the other end of the table Ahoghill continued to struggle for points and it wasn’t looking good when St. Paul’s visited Clooney and came away with a 2-15 to 1-17 win while Aldergrove lost to St. Teresa’s. Ahoghill then entertained St. Teresa’s and earned a point in an 0-8 to 0-8 draw while St. Paul’s picked up a point at neighbours Rossa.
As we entered August things remained tight at both the top and the bottom and at this stage of the season every point was a prisoner as Lamh Dhearg put a dint in St. Gall’s aspirations and St. John’s kept their hopes on course while consigning early season leaders, Creggan to another defeat. Cargin were the team setting the pace however and they kept their noses in front with a home win over Aghagallon.
Division 1 winners, Erin’s own, Cargin
Ahoghill and Aldergrove gave their survival hopes a boost with wins over Rossa and St. Paul’s respectively as Portglenone avenged their early season defeat on the Glen Road with a good win over St. Teresa’s leaving the West Belfast side looking over their shoulders.
Lamh Dhearg were the side who were now running into form and while the league title looked out of reach they were peaking in just the right time for the championship. They continued to show that improvement when league leaders Cargin visited in mid-August but by this stage Erin’s Own were home and dry. St. John’s claimed second place with a win over Aghagallon at Corrigan. St. Gall’s defeated Creggan in the other section A game.
It was in section B that all the excitement was reserved for the final day of the season however with Rossa, Aldergrove and Ahoghill all battling to avoid relegation to division 2 with St. Paul’s already relegated. Rossa defeated St. Teresa’s to ensure survival leaving Ahoghill needing a win away to Aldergrove to maintain their division 1 status.
Ahoghill had certainly given themselves a fighting chance with home wins over Rossa and Portglenone late in the season and needed a win in Crumlin on the final day to complete the ‘Great Escape’. A win or even a draw would ensure St. James’ would be playing in division 1 in 2018.
The Cloney chances weren’t helped when they were assigned a Senior Hurling championship fixture against Cushendall less than 24 hours earlier but despite requests to have Sunday’s game with Aldergrove put back, their appeal fell on deaf ears.
In one of the best games I’ve seen this season St. Mary’s put all those setbacks behind them to run out winners by eight points and ensure that they will be playing their football in division 1 next season consigning St. James’ Aldergrove to division 2 in 2018.
‘The great escape’ Ahoghill’s win at Aldergrove ensured division 1 football for the Clooney side in 2018