O’Neill’s ACFL Division 2

St. Brigid’s 2-11  All Saints 1-12

St. Brigid’s overcame the challenge of visitors All Saints in a tight battle at Musgrave Park on Friday evening to keep in touch with the league leaders and in doing so sent the Ballymena side back into the bottom two.

All Saints had moved above Sarsfield’s with a win away to O’Donnell’s the previous Thursday night, their only win to date, and hoped to build on that win when they visited St. Brigid’s but despite a battling performance came up just short.

Once again All Saints fielded a very young and relatively inexperienced side and it was the greater experience and guile of the Belfast men that got them over the line in the end. As ever All Saints were up for it and certainly had a bit of bite about them from the off.

A brilliant goal from RJ McGrady and a brave punched finish from Cathal Conway (following an exquisite interception and ball-in from Paddy Finnegan) were the scores that swung it St. Brigid’s way.

All Saints responded with a goal from Shea O’Brien and four points from Michael McCarry and they pushed their opponents right to the wire but just couldn’t get the second goal that would have swung it their way.

All over the field St. Brigid’s had men who stood up and were counted, from Jamie Allen’s incredible shot-stopping to Conor King and Finn McKernan’s tenacity in the full-back line. Jack Dowling hit a couple of corking scores and Peter Henvey and Ben Leonard caused havoc alongside the ever-superb McGrady. And it was great to see Conor Taylor back in action after a long injury lay-off, coming on as a sub and helping to get his side over the line.

All Saints will be wondering just what they have to do to get a win. They led on the opening day of the season away to Dunloy until conceding two late goals which saw them lose by a point and defeats by two points to Tir na nOg and  Moneyglass and by four away to high riding Aldergrove and Gort na Mona and will be hoping for a turn in their fortunes when St. Paul’s visit on Wednesday night.

 

All Saints:

Niall Shannon

James Gillan

Pete McNicholl

Rhys O’Mullan.

James McDonnell

Emmet Killough

Joe Rafferty

Sean McVeigh

Paddy McAleer

Brendan McDonnell

Eoin Campbell

Kavan Keenan

Mick Mcgarry

Shea O’Brien

Cormac Lemon

Subs

Caolan loughran

Joe Rocks

D Kelly