Creagh Concrete Minor Football A – Group 1
Moneyglass 2-13 Tir na nÓg 3-17
Pics by Elaine Kelly
Tir na nÓg travelled to Moneyglass on Saturday in the opening round of the Minor Football Championship round-robin section and came away with a win after a well contested and entertaining game. There was little to choose between the two side for most of the opening half and just two points separated them when they went in at the break with the Whitehill boys 1-9 to 1-7 in front. The opening ten minutes of the new half saw Moneyglass fight back to level the scores, but a six minute spell between the 46th and 52nd minutes saw the visitors hit a purple patch which yielded a goal and three points, which gave them a grip on the game which they would not relinquish.
Tir na nÓg had three points on the board in the first two minutes as Colla McDonnell, Patrick Dougan and Conor Hastings split the uprights but two from Shay Madden brought the home side back to witin a point after just four minutes. Two more inside a minute from full forward Dougan put the Randalstown boys 5-2 clear but an Adien McErlain goal on nine minutes brought Moneyglass back on terms and two points from Conleith McCann and Conor O’Kane soon had them two clear. The home side added to their lead and were three clear with just five minutes of the first half left to play but Tir na nOg hit back before the break and a goal from corner forward Colla McDonnell and points apiece from Dougan and Hasting put them two clear at the short whistle. (1-7 to 1-9)
Hasting stretched the lead to three early in the second half but points from Tyler Cassidy and Kevin McCann cut the gap back to just one by the 39th minute. Tir na nÓg came back with a goal from corner back Conor McCamphill to put four between them but their cushion didn’t last too long as Tyler Cassidy hit a goal and a point to level matters by the end of the third quarter.
At this stage it looked like anybody’s game but the visitors struck a telling blow when Sean Grant grabbed his team’s third goal and Conor Hastings fired over three quick points to open the gap to six. To their credit Moneyglass battled to the end and added four more points, but on each occasion Tir na nÓg had an answer and they held on to win by seven in the end.
Moneyglass
1 – Rory Gribben
2 – Jamie Totten
3 – Harry O’Donnell
4 – Ruairi Duffin
5 – Conladh McCann
6 – Paul Duffin
7 – James McCormick
8 – Conor O’Kane
9 – Frank Duffin
10 – Ronan Campbell
11 – Shay Madden
12 – Charlie McCloskey
13 – Tyler Cassidy
14 – Aiden McErlian
15 – Seanie McIntosh
Tir na nÓg
1 – Adam Reid
2 – Conor McCamphill
3 – Shane Hinley
4 – Dominic Martin
5 – Rory Mullan
6 – Brandon McLarnon
7 – Ryan Crilly
8 – Joshua Higgins
9 – Ethan Higgins
10 – Alex O’Donnell
11 – Conor Hastings
12 – Daniel O’Neill
13 – Colla McDonnell
14 – Patrick Dougan
15 – Sean Grant