Tir na nÓg finish strong to take the points

All County Football League Division 2

Tir na nÓg 1-16 Davitt’s 0-12

A strong final quarter in which they outscored their opponents 1-4 to no score gave Tir na nÓg victory over Davitt’s in Friday evening’s Division 2 league game at Whitehill. After being within a point of the home side at half time (0-8 to 0-7) Davitt’s matched their opponents through the third quarter and with left half forward Padraig McParland pulling the strings they were level on 12 points apiece after 47 minutes. However the Whitehill men took control in the final quarter and boosted by a penalty goal by Leigh Johnston they pushed on to win by seven.

In the early part of the game it looked like Davitt’s goalkeeper Aaron Slane would be the hero of the hour and after saving point blank in the opening seconds he went on to grab the first two points of the game from frees. Darragh Fagan pulled one back for Tir na nÓg but points from David Nugent and Padraig McParland pulled the visitors 0-4 to 0-1 ahead by the tenth minute. Aaron McNeilly and Darragh Fagan replied for the home team to cut the gap back to just one but McParland put two between them again when he pointed a free in the fifteenth minute. It was point for point during the next ten minutes when two in a row from Ciaran O’Neill and Peter Cullen pulled Tir na nÓg 0-8 to 0-6 clear but a fisted point from David Nugent just before the break left just a point between the sides at the half time whistle.

***Tir na nÓg full back N Cassidy blocks down a shot by Padraig McParland.***

Just as he had done at the start of the game Aaron Slane denied the Randalstown men when he pulled off a point blank save in the opening seconds of the second half though Kevin Sheerin struck a fine point two minutes later to put the visitors two clear. Four points in a row from Padraig McPartland, Aaron Slane, Sean Linberg and Anthony Rowntree appeared to have given Davitt’s the upper hand but points from Leigh Martin and Kevin Sheerin tied up the scores again and it looked like anyone’s game.

However the final twelve minutes was to be all Tir na nOg and after Leigh Martin edged them ahead with a well taken point from play the substitute fired a penalty to the Davitt’s net to put four between the sides. Davitt’s battled hard to get back into the game but the scores just would not come and two late points from Aaron McNeilly and one from Ciaran Dobbin had them seven claear by the end.

**Davitts goalkeeper Aaron Slane sends over a point from a free.**

Tír na nÓg
1. SP. McAtamney 2. C. Logan 3. N. Cassidy 4. P. Cullen 5. B. McCormick 6. C. Duffin 7. C. McKeown 8. D. McCormick 9. M. Duffin 10. C. O’Neill 11. A. McNeilly 12. J. O’Mahoney 13. D. Fagan 14. K. Sheerin 15. C. Dobbin 17. D. O’Kane 19. D. Mallon 2. K. Kerr 22. L. Martin

Subs used: L. Martin for D. Fagan (38mins), S. Redmond for J. O’Mahoney (49mins), K. Kerr for M. Duffin (53mins), D. O’Kane for K. Sheerin (55mins), D. Mallon for C. Logan (57mins), D. Martin for C. Dobbin (59mins- black card)

Scorers: D. Fagan (0.3- 1 free), A. McNeilly (0.3), C. Dobbin (0.2), B. McCormick (0.1), C. O’Neill (0.2), P. Cullen (0.1), K. Sheerin (0.2), L. Martin (1.2- 1 free/1 penalty)

Davitts
1. A. Slane 2. M Óg. Rowntree 3. J. Park 4. N. Maginn 5. S. Lindberg 6. D. Smyth 7. N. McParland 8. A. Rowntree 9. R. Park 10. P. McParland 11. J. Lindsay 12. N. Hughes 13. S Óg Toner 14. D. Nugent 15. C. Rafferty
Scorers: A. Slane (0.4- 4 frees), D. Nugent (0.2), P. McParland (0.4- 2 frees), S. Lindberg (0.1), A. Rowntree (0.1)