Senior Football Reserve League – Division 1
Rossa 1-10 St John’s 3-9
St John’s won their opening game of the Division 1 Reserve League when they travelled to Rossa on Friday evening and beat them by five points.
A much more experienced Johnnies team dominated the first half against a young and inexperienced Rossa side and after falling behind to an early Liam Carr point they went on to dominate play. Conal McGlade levelled a minute later and they were soon ahead when Ross Hannigan sent one over from forty metres. A Ronan McCaffrey goal after seven minutes put them in control and though Gavin McGurk pulled a point home for the home side on eleven minutes a series of points from McCaffrey, McGlade and Quinn 2-7 to 0-2 ahead after twenty four minutes.
It was begging to look like the home side were in for a real tanking but to their credit they fought back with a brilliant goal from Jack Morris and a point from Michael Close to cut the gap to seven by half time.
The gap was down to six when Close grabbed the first point of the second half, but Michael Gribben restored St John’s seven point cushion with a point a minute later. Close again got Rossa back to within six with another pointed free but Conal Quinn all but sealed the deal for the Johnnies with a well taken goal on forty minutes.
That however was to be the visitors last score of the game and though Rossa never really looked like catching them they kept picking off their points and two from Adam Devlin and one apiece from Closke Conal McDonnell and Matthew Mallon to trail by just four at the final whistle.
Rossa scorers – Michael Close 0-5; Jack Morris 1-0; Adam Devlin 0-2; Matthew Mallon 0-1; Conal McDonald 0-1
St John’s scorers – Conal McGlade 1-4; Ronan McCafferty 1-1; Conal Quinn 1-1; Ross Hannigan 0-1; Michael Gribben 0-1
Referee – Brendan Toland (Lamh Dhearg)
