ACFL Div 2 Result

Tír na nÓg 3.10 (19)

Moneyglass 1.10 (13)

Tír na nÓg grabbed 3 goals to make it two wins from two starts when they defeated South West rivals Moneyglass at home on Wednesday evening. The game began very lively with both teams aiming to secure their second win of the campaign. After 20 minutes Tír na nÓg built up a comfortable lead of 10 points but this was reduced to 7 by half time and cut to 4 at a stage in the second half. With Moneyglass being wasteful up front with numerous wide balls, the home side’s 3 majors made sure they continued their unbeaten run.

Conaill Prenter got the first score of the evening which was quickly cancelled out by points from Christy Sheerin and Aaron McNeilly. Moneyglass keeper Mark Carey cleared his lines by punching the ball clear with the sun shining directly in his eyes after 10 minutes as the home side threatened. Five minutes later Tír na nÓg broke the deadlock when Christy Sheerin played a diagonal ball into the forwards with a number of men passing the ball fast through the hands and Ciaran Dobbin ended up on the end of a spilled ball and poked it into net. Ciaran Dobbin was involved once again from the kick-out and turned the Moneyglass defence over and returned the ball to Kevin Sheerin who stepped left of his defender and buried it in the back of the visitors net to increase their lead to seven. Sean-Paul McAtamney continued to demand a high intensity from his defence who stood tall and kept Moneyglass scoreless for 22 minutes of play.

The home side continued to press high and got their reward when they turned yet another kick-out over, this time Leigh Martin got on the end for a point. Moneyglass started to settle into their formation of dropping Gavin Murray as an extra man into their defence and when they broke forward Conaill Prenter’s effort was denied when it crashed off the cross bar from a tight angle. Tír na nÓg went on the attack again only to play the ball too long into the keeper’s hands but Kevin Sheerin put pressure on Carey forcing him to over carry and Leigh Martin hit the resultant free over the bar. Leigh Martin tagged on another point before Conor Boyd came forward from centre half back to get Moneyglass’ second point of the game.

The visitors then began to find their rhythm and threatened for a long period but reaped no reward despite their percentage of possession, credit to the Whitehill defence led by Caoimhin Duffin. With half time nearing, Dermot McErlain stroked over a free off the ground after a foul on Padraig Mackle, Paddy McCormick got his first point of the game and Tiernan Duffin burst forward from full back to fist the ball over the bar before the short whistle.

With the second half getting under way Prenter and Colum Duffin reduced the deficit with two points before Barry McCormick drove forward and hit a 40 meter effort over the bar with the outside of his right boot. Darren McCormick got the home side’s second point of the half and a minute later Christy Sheerin delivered a high ball to the edge of the square where brother Kevin got a fist to it to knock it into the net and increase the home side’s lead back to 10 points.

With Tír na nÓg looking home and dry, Moneyglass reshuffled, dropping a further man behind the ball and preventing Tír na nÓg from breaking the line. Inevitably after a couple of minutes Moneyglass’ Padraig Mackle and Miran Neeson turned the ball over and fed Liam Brady who pointed. Moneyglass refused to remove their wall of defence with Murray and Kelly playing as spare men between the full back and half back line. For the next number of minutes a lot of football was played in the middle of the field with neither team making much progress forward. Once again after grinding down Randalstown’s possession, Moneyglass forced a mistake and went on the attack.

Referee Vincent Boyle awarded Moneyglass a penalty after a player was adjudged to have handled on the ground inside the 6 yard box and Liam Brady sent the keeper the wrong way to hit the net. Moneyglass continued their come-back with points from Paddy McCormick and Conor Boyd. With the game hanging in the balance and additional time approaching Tír na nÓg put the game to bed with a Ciaran Logan point and a fisted point by Kevin Sheerin who got his hand to a high dropping ball and this was the last action of the game.

A quick turnaround will see both teams take the field again on Sunday. Tír na nÓg travel to Ballymena to face All Saints who have also won 2 from 2 games against Glenavy and Glenravel. Moneyglass host Dunloy who also have had two victories over Rasharkin and Davitts.

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Tír na nÓg: 1. SP. McAtamney 2. S. Redmond 3. N. Cassidy 4. D. Martin 5. B. Mccormick 6. C. Duffin 7. A. McNeilly 8. C. Sheerin 9. D. Mccormick 10. C. Logan 11. C. McKeown 12. M. Duffin13. C. Dobbin 14. K. Sheerin 15. L. Martin 16. E. Og McAllister 16. M. Dempsey 17. C. O’Neill 18. O. McAtamney 19. D. O’kane 20. K. Kerr 21. R. O’Neill 22. D. Fagan

Subs used: D. Fagan for C. Mckeown (36mins), C. O’Neill for C. Dobbin (43mins), K. Kerr for L. Martin (49mins), D. O’kane for M. Duffin (56mins),  L. Martin for N. Cassidy (58mins), O. McAtamney for D. McCormick (60mins)

Scorers: A. McNeilly (0.1), C. Sheerin (0.1), C. Dobbin (1.0), K. Sheerin (2.1), L. Martin (0.4- 2 frees), B. McCormick (0.1), D. Mccormick (0.1), C. Logan (0.1)

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Moneyglass: 1. M. Carey 2. M. Neeson 3.T. Duffin 4. P. Mccormick 5. S. Kelly 6. C. Boyd 7. P. Mackle 8. N Boyd 9. D. McErlain 10. J. McCoy 11. P. Tohill 12. P. Mccormick 13. G. Murray 14. C. Duffin 15. C. Prenter 17. L. Brady 18. J. McMeel 19. L. O’Donnell 20. M. McLoughlin 21. G. Murray 22. E. Kelly

Scorers: C. Prenter (0.2), C. Boyd (0.2), D. McErlain (0.1- 1 free), P. Mccormick (0.2), T. Duffin (0.1), C. Duffin (0.1), L. Brady (1.1- penalty)

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