ACHL Division 3
St Mary’s Rasharkin 3-15(24) Davitts 2-8(14)
Photographs: Mark Hasson
St. Mary’s Rasharkin recorded their first win of the season when they overcame the challenge of visitors, Michael Davitt’s at Dreen on Sunday. The visitors matched their hosts in the early stages of the contest and the sides were level at 0-4 apiece at the end of the opening quarter but a Conor McKeever goal, which sailed to the top corner of the net from 30 yards put the home side in pole position.
St. Mary’s led by 1-8 to 0-5 at the break and went on to add two more goals in the second half to run home fairly comfortable winners.
McKeever got the home side on their way with a point in the opening minute but the visitors replied through Cormac Maguire and Stephen McGivern to go one ahead with only three minutes on the clock.
The home side replied with three points on the trot from Conor McKeever (0-2) and Kealan Darragh but a couple of pointed frees from Donn Whelan brought the sides level after 16 minutes.
Once again Conor McKeever was proving Rasharkin’s greatest scoring threat and he followed a 17th minute point with his side’s first goal to put the home side in a strong position.
Davitt’s did reply with a point from Michael Og Rowntree but the final minutes of the half belonged to Rasharkin and that man McKeever who fired over three unanswered points to leave his side six in front at the short whistle.
It was visitors Davitt’s who drew first blood on the restart as Donn Whelan sent over a good point and the Falls Road side matched their hosts score for score during the opening second half exchanges.
Conor McKeever and Feargal Kennedy replied for the Dreen side but Davitt’s responded again with another point from Marcas Toner with McKeever for Rasharkin and Whelan for the visitors exchanging further points by the 7th minute.
Davitt’s were giving as good as they got at this stage but were rocked back on their heels when a long delivery from Conor McKeever ended in the net with Kealan Darragh claiming the final touch.
There was only ten minutes of the second half gone at this stage but four minutes later Anthony Rowntree gave the visitors hope when he fired to the Rasharkin net but it only served to spur St. Mary’s into a strong response.
Conor McKeever led the charge as he pointed a couple of frees and then sent another placed ball to the Davitt’s net in the 20th minute to more or less put the contest out of reach of the Falls Road side.
McKeever was in unerring form as he sent over two more frees in the closing stages with Donn Whelan replying with a goal for Davitt’s as he drilled a free to the net to put a better look on the final score-line.
Rasharkin: Aidan Darragh, Liam Tunney, Aidan McKeever, Conor Doherty, Paul Reilly, Shane Hasson, Conor Donaghy, Declan McKay, Thomas McMullan, Conor McKeever, Fearghal Kennedy, Emmet McFerran, Colm Kennedy, Daniel Doherty, Ruairi OBoyle
SUBS:
11mins 2nd half substitution St Mary’s Rasharkin–> off: Daniel Hasson on: Paul Reilly
15mins 2nd half substitution St Mary’s Rasharkin–> off: Kealan Darragh on: Daniel Doherty
Davitt’s: Joseph McCaffery, Alan Rainey, Thomas Toland, Ruairi McIlroy, Caoimhin Heaney, Thomas Maguire, Christopher Gallagher, Michael Og Rowntree, Peter Og Carleton, Donn Whelan, Stephen McGivern, Marcas Toner, Canice Mooney, Anthony Rowntree, Cormac Maguire.
Referee: Ryan O’Reilly (Glenravel)
