Antrim Football League Division 2
St.Joseph’s Glenavy 0.11 v 0.11 St.Ergnat’s Moneyglass
By Terry Cormican
A beautiful summer day with little or no wind set the scene for an interesting game at Chapel Hill on Sunday as Glenavy hosted last season’s Intermediate Football Champions Moneyglass. In a close fought contest both sides will feel they should have won the game and indeed the home side will feel a little unlucky not to have taken the honors. With time almost up a ball played into the square rolled onto a post and was cleared. This was a game of two halves as both sides fought for the two points on offer. The visitors ruled the first half with a handy three-point lead with the score 8pts to 5. The home side outscored their opponents 6 to 3 in the second period.
Conor Boyd opened the scoring for the visitors with an excellent point from an acute angle to put his side in front, a lead they would hold until the fifty-sixth minute. Fergal Green closed the gap to one when he split the posts. Ryan Doyle added two points before Jimmy McMeel got on the scoresheet to leave his side four in front at the water break. Ryan Phillips kept the Hill side in touch with a point. Indeed, the Marian Hill side would have had more scores on the board if it hadn’t been for the home defence. Niall Boyd stole through for a well taken point to leave the score 6 to 2 in faour of the visitors. Peter Trainor and Fergal Henry closed the gap to two with hard earned points, but Colum Duffin then showed his prowess with two excellent scores. The Orangemen had the final score of the half with young Fergal Henry showing all his class with a point while under severe pressure, to leave the halt-time score Glenavy 0.05 v 0.08 Moneyglass
The second half started at breakneck speed with both sides fighting for ascendency. After a bout of end-to-end stuff the home side were first to break the deadlock with team captain showing the way with a point. Once again Fergal Henry closed the gap when he split the posts to leave the minimum between the sides, but the Moneyglass lads showed their fighting spirit and added two well-earned points from Connor Boyd and Colum Duffin. Fergal Green, who was unlucky with a couple of frees, showed his free taking skills when he split the posts from fifty-five metres out, but Colum Duffin kept his side in the driving seat with a similar effort at the other end.
With five minutes left on the clock the visitors were three points in front and looked as if they had wrapped up the point, but to their credit the lough-view side seemed to get a second wind and added three unanswered points, the first of them from a Fergal Green free. The hill side were unlucky when a shot came back off the post, but Fergus Cunningham closed the gap to one soon afterwards. For a time it looked liked the home side weould come up just short, but Fergal Henry was rewarded for his hard work as she sent over the equalising score. Both sides deserve great credit for the entertainment they gave to their supporters. Either side could have claimed both points, but a draw seemed to be a fair result.
St.Joseph’s: Lorcan Murphy; Oliver Brankin; Liam \Henry; Johnny Phillips; Darragh Doherty; Charles Gallagher; Ruairi Forester; Oisin Hamill; Michael Johnston; Ryan Phillips; Malachi Doherty; Fergal Green; Fergal Henry; Peter Trainor; Ciaran Loney. Panel: Finn Malley; Fergus Cunningham; Declan Doone; Michael Fox; Thomas Gallagher. Mathew Lawlor; Sean O’Doherty.
St.Ergnat’s; Gary Murray; Peter McCormick; Tiernan Duffin; Jervis Weir; Kevin McPeake; Conor Boyd; Patrick McCormick; Ciaran Kelly; Colum Duffin; Sean Kelly; Seanchann Duffin; Jimmy McMeel; Niall Boyd; Ryan Doyle; Aidan McErlain; Panel: Danny McErlain; Luke O’Donnell; Tyler Cassidy; Jack McCoy; Conall Prenter; Callum McStocker; Charlie McCloskey. Connor O’Kane. Dermot Scullin
Referee: Vincent Boyle Dunloy
