Donal Graham, who’s goal from the penalty spot earned St. Mary’s Ahoghill a much need win over St. Enda’s
Report: St. Enda’s PRO, Seamus McDonald
O’Neill’s ACFL Division 1
St. Enda’s 0-9 Ahoghill 1-10
A Donal Graham goal from the penalty spot in the 12th minute of the second half turned this game in favour of St. Mary’s Ahoghill and saw them push on for a much needed win. For most of the game St. Enda’s had kept their noses in front on a slippery surface and held a narrow 0-6 to 0-5 lead as the team’s switched ends.
Sunday saw the first game of the second phase of the league. The game had been moved forward to half past one and took the place of the reserve match, which will be re-fixed to 2nd September. Both sides went into this game in search of much needed points, St. Enda’s keen to maintain their division 1 status after promotion from division 2 last year while Ahoghill find themselve’s in another relegation battle.
with points up for grabs, this was the first of five games that would determine the outcome of who goes and who stays in division one.
As it happens the outcome was a reversal of the first result of the league for both teams, back in April a young newly promoted Naomh Éanna headed to Clooney and claimed the scalp of the home team with plenty to spare, this time around Ahoghill would snatch the result, securing precious points and continuing their recent good form.
Ruairí Scott opened the scoring with an early point but Patrick Graham responded for the South West side to tie the scores with only three minutes on the clock. Mickey Morgan, edged the Hightown side ahead once more and it certainly looked to be going their way when Ruairi Scott extended that lead to two with six minutes gone.
As the home side enjoyed the better of the early exchanges Morgan added his second to open up a three point gap and at this stage Naomh Éanna looked the team that could push on and win the match, however the rising tally of wides and balls into the keepers hands would come back to haunt the home.
The visitors dug deep however to draw level as half time approached as they began to press and close down the opposition but with the half time whistle approaching Odhran Eastwood edged St. Enda’s 0-6 to 0-5 ahead and that’s how it stood at the break.
Whatever was said in the Naomh Mhuire dressing room at half time had an immediate effect and on the slippery surface, caused by Saturday’s heavy rain the Ahoghill side emerged determined to turn matters in their favour.
Odhrán Eastwood opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half to edge his side two in front, (NÉ 0.07, AH 0.05) and it was another five minutes before Ahoghill could respond with a point from Danny O’Neill to close the gap to the minimum again.
With Naomh Éanna leading by the narrowest of margins the Ahoghill pressure began to tell and they were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute that Donal Graham confidently put away to give his side a lead they were never to lose.
Ahoghill led for the first time in the match and sticking with their tried and tested defensive system they closed shop as they denied the home side time and space and made scores extremely difficult to come by.
Odhrán Eastwood added another score from a free to close the gap to one but the Glengormley side were missing too many chances or dropping efforts into the grateful arms of keeper, Francis Neeson who was orchestrating his defence and instigating counter attacks.
As the game entered the final quarter the ability of Ahoghill to convert scoreable frees and scores from play made the difference with Donal Graham in fine form and the big full-forward was to finish with 1-4 as his side ran out winners by four points with Eastwood getting a couple of consolation points for the home side.
The Clooney side made a disastrous start to the season losing heavily to Sunday’s opponents, Creggan, Portglenone, St. John’s and Glenavy but as their long injury list started to subside they have recorded wins over St. Teresa’s and Rossa and this win moves them out of the bottom two.
St. Enda’s will look back at this one with some regret. During the first half they kicked seven wides and their wastefulness throughout cost them dearly. They began their first season back in division 1 with a win at Ahoghill but lost by the minimum to Rossa and Creggan before recording a great victory over league champions Erin’s Own.
Like Ahoghill, survival is now the name of the game for St. Enda’s and both sides are more than capable of achieving that as they go into the final four rounds of fixtures with the battle for survival likely to go down to the wire.
Photographs: Courtesy of JJ Lawell