St. Comgall’s keeper, Paddy Quinn dives to his right to save Brendan McDonnell’s penalty during the Reserve Football Shield quarter-final against All Saints at Quinn Park tonight.
Reserve Football Shield quarter-final
All Saints 5-14 St. Comgall’s 0-3
All Saints eased their way into the semi-final of the Reserve Football Shield with a comfortable victory over a St. Comgall’s side who gave it everything but in the end had no answer to a skilful, fit and well drilled Ballymena side.
The visitors made a promising start and it took a couple of timely tackles from Aidan O’Connell and Ronan Ward to deprive them an early goal. The opening exchanges were fairly even as Eoghan Campbell pointed All Saints ahead and Roy McLarnon responded for the visitors to leave it all square by the 10th minute.
It took the home side a bit of time to come to terms with the strong cross-field breeze but when Damian Casey and Shane McBride put them two in front by the 14th minute they never looked back. Brendan McDonnell, Diarmuid McNally, Niall Shannon and Casey again added points and when Shannon side footed to the net in the 20th minute it was as good as over.
By half-time All Saints had moved 1-10 to 0-2 ahead with Brendan McDonnell, Diarmuid McNally 0-2 adding points and it could have been greater but St. Comgall’s keeper, Paddy Quinn dived to his right to deny Brendan McDonnell from the penalty spot. The visitor’s second point of the half came from Ciaran Quinn.
All Saints had Ryan McKenna red carded at the start of the second half but it failed to disrupt their rhythm and two further goals from the excellent Diarmuid McNally, one from Eoghan Campbell and another from new boy, Shane McBride saw them over the line as the heavens opened.
