ACHL Division Two
Clooney Gaels 1-22 Tír na NÓg 1-11
Brendan McTaggart reports from Fr McGuigan Park, Ahoghill
Clooney Gaels overturned a one point half time deficit to run out comfortable winners in Fr McGuigan Park on Sunday afternoon. 11 points separated the sides thanks largely to the unerringly accurate free taking ability of Owen Neeson, the brilliance of PJ O’Connell and a 14 minute cameo from the returning James O’Connell. The Clooney man scoring five points as Tír na nÓg struggled to contain one of the brightest prospects in the county.
The Randalstown Blues were worthy of their one point lead at the interval and were probably disappointed not to have held a greater advantage. A flurry of wides in the opening exchanges looked to hurt their chances but with the Sheerin brothers causing the Gaels defence plenty of problems and their half back line were on top for the majority of the first half, the Whitehill side were the better team in the opening 30 minutes.
The home side took stock during the interval and with the help of a slight wind in their favour after the restart, never looked troubled with a dominant and emphatic second half performance.
The visitors to the Clooney clubrooms made the perfect start, scoring the opening goal with barely a minute on the clock. Kevin Sheerin’s long range effort dropped but the Gaels ‘keeper Aiden Graham couldn’t claim the dropping sliotar. Emmet Martin looked to capitalise only to see Graham make a brave save, putting his body on the line only for Ciaran Logan to pounce on the loose sliotar and pull first time to the back of the net for the games opening score.
The home side opened their account with Owen Neeson splitting the uprights with his first of five frees over the hour in the sixth minute but the home side were lacking any fluency in the opening exchanges. They were helped by some wayward shooting from Tír na nÓg during the same time, they recorded four further wides before Logan raised a white flag to add to his early goal in the ninth minute.
The Tír na nÓg dominance was briefly halted with a moment of individual brilliance at the other end of the pitch. Donal Graham dancing his way down the left before finding Pearse Downey in space. The Clooney full forward made no mistake with his riffled effort, giving Kevin Kerr no chance in the Tír na nÓg goals and ring the sides level in the 10th minute.
The visitors responded with Kevin Sheerin (free) and Aaron McNeilly splitting the uprights before Eamon Brady and Daniel O’Neill replied for the Gaels to leave the sides tied on 1-3 apiece midway through the half.
Kevin Sheerin (free) and Pearse Downey swapped scored in the 21st minute before a brace of points from Sheerin (one free, one ’65) put the visitors in control once again. Clooney Gaels responded by firing four unanswered scores in as many minutes to take the lead for the first time in the match. PJ O’Connell (two), James Magee and Owen Neeson (free) with the scores.
Tír na nÓg finished the half on top with Connor Fitzgerald firing over a brace of scores from distance and Kevin Sheerin giving the Whitehill side a one point lead at the short whistle.
Half time: Clooney Gaels 1-8 Tír na nÓg 1-9
Tír na nÓg hit the opening score of the second half with Malachy Duffin dissecting the uprights after just 15 seconds but that would be their last score for 29 minutes at the Gaels took control. A brace of white flags from Owen Neeson (65 and free) was added to by a classy score from Daniel O’Neill from an acute angle, giving the home side the lead once again and one they would hold onto for the remainder of the game.
A quickfire brace from Owen Neeson (free) and PJ O’Connell stretched the advantage to three points midway through the half before James O’Connell sparked into life. Five points in as many minutes and barely on the field of play for 10, O’Connell took the game away from Tír na nÓg in a devastating purple patch for the home side that could have been better. A dancing run from James Magee created a goal chance for substitute Dominic Neeson. As the sliotar dropped, Neeson pulled only for his effort to sail to the left of the posts and wide.
Owen Neeson and Ciaran Logan swapped scores but the Tír na nÓg man’s effort was their last score of the game. Martin Graham, PJ O’Connell and Owen Neeson (free) added further gloss to the score line for the home side to give them their first league win of the season.
Clooney’s next match is in two weeks time when they welcome Sarsfields to Fr McGuigan Park while Tír na nÓg will have a home match against Glenariffe on the same day.
TEAMS
Clooney Gaels: Aiden Graham; Stephen O’Connell, Bernard Graham, Diarmuid Graham; James Magee, Neill O’Connell, Eamon Brady; Francis Neeson; Martin Graham, PJ O’Connell, Donal Graham; Daniel O’Neill, Pearse Downey, Ronan Graham.
Subs: Sean McMahon for R Graham (20); Dominic Neeson for P Downey (28); James O’Connell for D O’Neill (43); Daniel O’Neill for D Graham (57); Cathan Reynolds for D Neeson (59).
Scorers: Owen Neeson 0-7 (5 f’s, 1 ’65); James O’Connell 0-5; PJ O’Connell 0-4; Pearse Downey 1-1; Daniel O’Neill 0-2; Martin Graham 0-1; Eamon Brady 0-1; James Magee 0-1.
Tír na nÓg: Kevin Kerr; Tony Martin, Daniel Martin, Brendan Kerr; Ronan O’Neill, Ryan O’Neill, Connor Fitzgerald; Ciaran McKeown, Caoimhin Duffin; Kevin Sheerin, Pearse Sheerin, Ciaran Logan; Emmet Martin, Malachy Duffin, Aaron McNeilly.
Subs: Stephen Carey for E Martin (40); Eamon McAllister for M Duffin (45).
Scorers: Kevin Sheerin 0-5 (3 f’s, 1 ’65); Ciaran Logan 1-1; Connor Fitzgerald 0-2; Emmet Martin 0-1; Malachy Duffin 0-1; Aaron McNeilly 0-1.
Referee: Tarlach Conway (Ballinascreen)
