O’Neill’s All County Football League Division One (round eleven)
O’Donovan Rossa 0-13 St Joseph’s Glenavy 0-13
A late Thomas Morgan injury time point ensured the home side a share of the spoils against visitors Glenavy in the final round of games before the Division One split at a sun kissed Shaw’s Road on Friday evening.
This one most certainly was a game of two halves with visitors Glenavy completely men on top in the first half and indeed the four-point advantage they held at the short whistle probably wasn’t a fair reflection of their dominance as the Chapel Hill side had attacked at pace and with purpose from the outset against a Rossa side devoid of ideas for the most part.
However if the South West side had the better of things in the first thirty minutes it was a Rossa who were on top in the second as they found their form from the outset moving the leather at pace and purpose and indeed they had their visitors on the back foot throughout and were possibly unfortunate not to cross the winning line in front. The Rossa men were off the blocks with some purpose but after Thomas Morgan opened their account with an early point the Glenavy men responded quickly with a similar score provided by Paul Treanor in the opening minutes.
However, it was the Chapel Hill side who were to assert themselves on the game in this opening period. Glenavy moved onward as a point from Cunningham saw them in front and then fellow corner-forward, Niall McCann checked in for the day with his opening score to put them three points clear.
Rossa’s Oisin Mc Vicker was one clad in blue and gold to figure prominently in the first half and the big midfielder roared into the game when claiming a Glenavy kick out, dispensing with the mark and charging through to kick a fine score. Those fruitful moments were to prove few and far between for the hosts in the opening half though, as the visitors’ counter-attacking with pace-bound players in space and they proceeded to employ the scoreboard operator as Malachi Doherty (2) ), Cunningham and Fergus Cunningham added points to their total.
Rossa struggling to make much impact on their own sod rallied to the cause as Thomas Morgan nipped in to fist over the bar and then despite finding access less than easy Colin Mc Donald managed to make his way forward to add another shortly thereafter.
Thomas Morgan did have a chance at goal a few minutes later but the Glenavy net minder arrived to block the effort, and the home side were on the back foot again as Patrick Gallagher and Nial Scullion collected points apiece at the other end..
Colm Fleming kept the hosts in touch with a pointed free, but back came St Joseph’s as McCann and Cunningham replied with a point apiece to move the Lough shore men 0-10 to 0-05 ahead. Rossa having failed to find any semblance of rhythm for much of the opening period did have the last say on proceedings as Colin Fleming kicked a late free to narrow the gap to four – 0-10 to 0-6 at the break to give them hope that could somehow engineer a momentum swing in the second half.
The home side opened the second half in the positive as the ever accurate Thomas Morgan kicked a free he won himself seconds into the thirty minutes and when Stephen Beatty was hauled down inside the area by Neil Scullion, the home side were awarded a penalty. In the event Colin Fleming’s spot kick was brilliantly saved as former county net minder Donard Shannon going down to his left to deny Fleming and keep his team in front. Glenavy restored their four point advantage shortly afterwards as Niall McCann sent between the posts but Rossa were beginning to gain in confidence and in the event looking much more positive in all sectors fighting for the breaks and looking a viable threat.
Thomas Morgan kicked a free and then added another from play after a swift break and with the gap reduced to a couple the home side were visibly gaining in confidence as the last quarter commenced. Glenavy’s Malachai Doherty halted the revival when he clipped a 47th minute free between the posts but the setback was to prove temporary as a Fleming reply in kind brought the gap back to a two. The gap was back to the minimum a couple of minutes later when Dominic Mc Enhill’s effort was tipped over the bar by Donard Shannon when a goal looked likely.
Glenavy were now looking to hold on, but they hit what looked a big score on 52 minutes as on the break, they conjured up a goalscoring chance of their own only for Michael Byrne to make a fine stop, the ball falling kindly to Cunningham who popped the ball over. Rossa were soon back on the attack and McVicker played in Terry McGrath who did well to get to the ball that had a little too much on it, but his toe-poked effort was deflected out for a 45, from which the men in blue and gold produced a well-worked score through Chris McGuinness.
With the gap at the minimum Rossa looked like they were going to run out of time until Morgan burst through at pace to level and they almost engineered a winner moments later, but the attack came to nothing as the sides were forced to settle for a point apiece after a game both will feel they could, should have won.
ROSSA: M Byrne; M Smyth, C McGowan, J Cooley; N Crossan, C McGuinness (0-1), M McGreevy; S Beatty, O McVicker (0-1); C Fleming (0-3 frees), SP Donnelly, C McGettigan; C McDonald (0-1), D McEnhill (0-1), T Morgan (0-6, 2 frees). Subs: D Grego for C McGettigan (30), T McGrath for C McDonald (39).
GLENAVY: D Shannon; S McGirr, M Nelson, R Forester; E Henry, P Gallagher (0-1), M Doherty (0-3, 2 frees); J Gallagher, M Johnston; R Phillips, C Gallagher, N Scullion (0-1); N McCann (0-3), D Gallagher, F Cunningham (0-5). Black cards: N Scullion (35, replaced by P Treanor), P Treanor (57, replaced by C Crainey).
REFEREE: Paul Hughes (O’Donnell’s)