O’Neill’s Antrim Football League Division 1B
O’Donovan Rossa 1-15
St Mary’s, Ahoghill 1-15
St. Mary’s Ahoghill look to have secured their place in division 1 for another season following this draw against a battling Rossa on the Shaw’s Road on Wednesday night. Having come out on top in the corresponding fixture in Clooney a few weeks back the St. Mary’s men travelled to the city on a run of good form.
In the fading light the home side battled hard in an effort to dig out a winning a score that would have enhanced their chances of survival but they remain second from bottom with only two games remaining.
It looked so different during the opening quarter when Rossa raced into a seven point lead as they produced some excellent football during the opening exchanges but they lost their way as Ahoghill came strong in the second quarter to lead by one at the break.
It was nip-and-tuck during the second half but Rossa appeared to have taken a grip when half-time sub, Darren Grego fired to the net in the 15th minute but instead of pushing on they sat back and it took a late score from man-of-the-match, Thomas Morgan to secure a draw,
Rossa opened the game at a hectic pace as they dominated the early exchanges and everything they touched appeared to turn into scores. Stephen Beatty kicked the first on three minutes with James Cooley adding a second after a one-two with Dominic McEnhill before Ahoghill opened their account through Owen Neeson.
Rossa responded however with Thomas Morgan kicking three points and Colm Fleming and Sean Pat Donnelly added further score to move them six clear after 10 minutes.
Donal Graham replied from a free, but Morgan cancelled this out before Stephen Beatty kicked a beauty with the outside of his left boot to make it 0-9 to 0-2 on 15 minutes.
The home side lost their way however as a battling Ahoghill came strong and the South West side were to hit 1-2 in the space of two minutes.
James O’Connell and Neil O’Connell kicked the points, while Daniel O’Neill took advantage of a stray pass to place Owen Neeson who fired to the Rossa net.
With their tails up, Ahoghill pushed on and hit a further four in-a-row through Eoin Graham, Martin Graham, Thomas Hamill and Donal Graham to go two ahead approaching the break, but Donnelly ended a barren 15 minute spell for Rossa to leave just one in it at the break – 1-8 to 0-10.
There was little between the teams in the third quarter as both sides hit three points, the pick of them coming from the hosts as Stephen Beatty shot under pressure from out on the left to close the gap to one.
The city side looked to be taking control however as Darren Grego exchanges passes with Donnelly before firing home a fine goal to give his side a 1-13 to 1-11 lead.
However the never-say-die attitude of the Clooney men saw them come back again, pegging their opponents in their own half and substitute, PJ O’Connell pointed a free and James O’Connell followed with an excellent point from play with four minutes remaining
Colm Fleming edged Rossa back in front from a free, but from a quick break, James O’Connell levelled before Diarmuid Graham kicked what looked like the winner as the clock ticked down.
Darren Grego became the Rossa hero and saviour as he burst through to land his seventh of the evening, but try as they might, the hosts couldn’t conjure up a winner. Rossa find themselves in a precarious position and need to win both their remaining games and hope that Ahoghill lose both of theirs.
ROSSA: C Walsh; C McGowan, C Orchin, M McGreevy; N Crossan, R Gowdy, S Finch; S Beatty (0-3), O McVicker; D McEnhill, SP Donnelly (0-2), J Cooley (0-1); C McDonald, C Fleming (0-2 frees), T Morgan (0-7, 1 free). Subs used: D Grego (1-0), A Devlin, C McGettigan.
AHOGHILL: F Neeson; S McKeever, S O’Connell, B Graham; E Brady, T Hamill (0-1), E Graham (0-1); N O’Connell (0-1), M Graham (0-1); S McMahon, O Neeson (1-1), D O’Neill; R Graham, Donal Graham (0-4, 1 free), J O’Connell (0-3). Subs used: PJ O’Connell (0-2, 1 free), N Crossey, Diarmuid Graham (0-1), D Neeson, C Neeson.
REFEREE: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)