On a great night for hurling up in Shaws Road, this Belfast Derby lived up to expectations with a really gritty and determined showing from both teams. St Galls went two up after scores from Gregory McGreevy and Niall O’ Neill, who finished off a great team score after the ball was played out of the St Galls defence. St Paul’s hit back with two frees from Caolan Crossen and a point from Gerard Maguire to tie things up.
St Galls came back with two points of their own through Paddy Friel and a free by Jackson McGreevy but Caolan Crossen hit another free for the home side to cut the gap back to one. The brothers McGreevy hit two at the other end for the visitors with Jackson finding the target from play, and Gregory from a a free, to put three between the sides, but St Pauls came back and raised the next two white flags through another Caolan Crossen free and one from from play by Ciaran O’ Carroll.
St Galls put a bit of breathing space on the scoreboard coming up to half time with Fergus Donnelly banging in the only goal of the game on his senior league debut. Caolan Crossen replied with a free, but Jackson McGreevy sent over two more from frees to give the men from the Bog Meadows a five point lead at half time: St Pauls 0-7 – St Galls 1-9
The 2nd half started at frentic pace and St Galls landed a great point from one of the teams veterans Stephen Morrison to go six up, and it began to look that the visitors were getting on top. However St Paul’s replied with three points, one a from a fee by Caolan Crossen, and the other two from play by Sean Lawell and Mark Munce to cut close the gap back to three. St Galls responed with three of their own, two by Jackson McGreevy and one from his younger brother Gregory to restore that six points cushion, but a dogged St Pauls got the next two scores through a point from play by Anto Gallagher and a one from a free by Caolan Crossen to reduce their deficit to four.
Once again it appeared that Chris Dornan’s men were getting the upper hand when replied with two points from play by Paddy Friel and Gregory McGreevy, but the Shaw’s Road men hit the next three points through Caolan Crossen, two from placed balls and one from play, and again the gap was back to just three. Jackson McGreevy and Caolan Crossen exchanged points. Daniel Churchill then raised a white flag for visitors to put the gap out to four beofre the final score of the night saw Caolan Crossen send over another free to leave the full time score: St Pauls 0-17 St Galls 1-17
St Pauls
1. Joe Gillen, 2. Conor Gallagher, 3. Daire Stevenson, 4. Sean Bradley, 5. Fionntan Gamble, 6. Frankie Sewell (C), 7. Seany Lawell (0-1):8. Mark Munce (0-1), 9. Ciaran O’Carroll (0-1): 10. Caolan Crossan (0-12, 11F), 11. Gerry Maguire (0-1), 12. Colly McLarnon:13. Declan Chapman, 14. James Farrell,15. Decky McGreevey Subs used: Kevin Murray Niall Martin Michael Walsh, Anto Gallagher (0-1)
St Galls
1. Kurtis McGreevy: 2. Lorcan O’ Ciarain, 3. Joe McDaniel, 4. Stephen Morrison (0-1): 5. Niall O’ Neill (C) (0-1), 6. Aodhan Gallagher, 7. Ciaran McCaffery: 8. Jack Hopkins, 9. Jackson McGreevy (0-8, 5F, 165): 10. Gregory McGreevy (0-4, 2F) 11. Sean Burke, 12. Kieran McGourty: 13. Ronan Crossen, 14. Paddy Friel (0-2), 15. Fergus Donnelly (1-0).
Subs Used: Daniel Churchill (0-1) Dara Delaney
Referee – Brendan Toland (Lamh Dhearg)