O’Neill’s ACFL Division 2A
Wednesday August 29
Dunloy 0-6 Tír na nÓg 1-14
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Tír na nÓg maintained their push for promotion with a comfortable win over Dunloy at Pearse Park on Wednesday evening. The Randalstown men built on their two point half time lead to dominate the second half and win by 11 points over a depleted Dunloy side.
After ten minutes of the second half, the home side had halved the Tír na nÓg lead and were playing with the aid of whatever wind there was. The Randalstown men went through the gears however and kept the Cuchullains scoreless in the final 20 minutes of the match while scoring 1-7 at the other end – Darragh Fagan with the major for the promotion chasers with the Randalstown man ending the game with 1-3 from play. Fagan and Peter Cullen were the main tormentors for the home side, the Tír na nÓg duo finishing the hour with a combined tally of 1-6 but they finished the match with an impressive total of nine different scorers, showing they have attacking options all over the pitch while remaining tight in defence.
Remarkably, all but one of their tally of 1-14 came from play, Darren McCormick’s late ’45 their only score from placed ball and while it was an efficient second 30 minutes from the Whitehill men, it wasn’t until they put daylight between themselves and the home side that they looked like pulling away. Dunloy recovered from a slow start when they trailed by four points mid way through the half to trail by two at half time and wile they started the second half positively, Tír na nÓg ran out clear and deserving winners.
Randalstown came into Wednesday nights match after a resounding win over Moneyglass in their last outing but they lacked cohesion and fluidity in the opening exchanges. Their accuracy in front of target let them down with Dunloy struggling for any possession and momentum. Tír na nÓg got the first score of the game when Caoimhin Duffin stepped up from centre half and showed composure before splitting the posts in the eighth minute. Further points from Fagan and Cullen followed before Caolan Gillan fired over from distance to give the Cuchullains their first score of the match in the 11th minute.
Dunloy were beginning to get their hands on the ball, throwing passes and easing their way into the game and playing more of the game in the Randalstown defence but the Tír na nÓg men were looking dangerous on the counter attack with Christy Sheerin assisting the next two scores for his side, brother Kevin and Fagan the beneficiaries of Christy’s work to give the visitors to Pearse Park a four point lead after 19 minutes.
Dunloy found some momentum with a brace of points from Caolan Gillan and Declan McGarry and while Cullen added his second point of the match soon after, the visitors were denied a goal with by Dunloy ‘keeper Conor McGilligan. Twice the Cuchullain net minder denied Aaron McNeilly when it looked a certainty the Tír na nÓg man would find the back of the net.
A free from Karl Fitzpatrick rounded the scoring for the opening 30 minutes to leave Tír na nÓg ahead 0-6 to 0-4 at the short whistle.
Dunloy started the second half well with midfielder Eoin Gillan dissecting the uprights either side of a point from marauding half back Barry McCormick. Gillan’s second point though in the 39th minute would prove to be the home sides last score of the game as Tír na nÓg went through the gears. A point from Christy Sheerin restored his sides two point advantage before Fagan scored the only goal of the game. A long ball was played perfectly to Kevin Sheerin who laid the ball off to Fagan. The Tír na nÓg man was one on one with McGilligan and he made no mistake, riffling the ball high into the net. Sean Duffin added his name to the list of scorers soon after to underline the Randalstown supremacy and they began to take any fizz there was in the contest by keeping ball.
Further scores were added by Cullen, Barry McCormick, Fagan, Ciaran McKeown and Darren McCormick in the time that remained as Tír na nÓg kept their hopes of promotion alive with a dominant victory.
With two points separating the top four teams in the Division at the end of this round of fixtures it’s all to play for. For now, however, the teams will cast their eyes towards the championship with the next scheduled league fixture not until the 14th October when the Whitehill side will welcome fellow promotion chasers Aldergrove to their home patch. It certainly promises to be a mouth watering encounter with the race for promotion beginning to hot up.
Referee: Jarlath O’Donnell (Con Magees)