Homefit Antrim Football League Division One
O’Donovan Rossa 0-11 St Gall’s 0-11
A late point from Niall Burns gave visitors St Gall’s a share of the spoils in Wednesday evening’s Homefit Antrim Football League Division 1 tie at Rossa Park.
The home team appeared to have done enough to gain the win in this well contested game, but few could have any complaints that things ended all square in the end as there was little or nothing to choose between two well matched teams.
An early exchange of points between Rossa’s Eoghan McMenamin and St Gall’s Brendan Bradley set the tone for the pattern of the game. With top scorers on each side, Bradley and Dominic McEnhill it was level at 0-2 and 0-3 apiece, but the visitors made a bit of a break nearing the first half water break when Bradley and Niall O’Neill fired over to give them a 0-5 to 0-3 advantage.
That scoring promise faded for the visitors and during the second quarter they failed to raise another flag, while the home side grabbed two from Donal Armstrong and Dominic McEnhill to bring their team level at the short whistle.
The visitors barren spell continued after the break as Rossa added points through Colm Fleming and Dominic McEnhill but with some of the old guard starting to pull the strings at the back the me from Milltown got themselves back on terms with points from Michael Pollock and Kevin Niblock.
It was score for score for the rest of the third quarter and when it was tied at 0-9 apiece at the second half water break it was clear there was going to be little between these two well matched sides. They were still tied going into the final minutes, but when McMenamin pointed Rossa ahead late in the game it appeared the Shaw’s Road men had done enough to add another win. It was not to be however as Burns finished off a good move for St Gall’s by sending over the equalising point to earn his team a draw.
ROSSA: M Byrne; P Moyes, J Cooley, B McCauley; C McDonald, R Gowdy, M Mallon; C McGettigan (0-1), E McMenamin (0-2); SP Donnelly, C Fleming (0-1 free), A Devlin; D Armstrong (0-1), D McEnhill (0-6, 0-2 frees, 0-1 mark), P Shortt. Subs: R Currie for P Shortt (47), C McGowan for A Devlin (49).
ST GALL’S: N McCurdy; J Hopkins, C Brady, S O’Hagan; C Chada, F Donnelly, C Stinton; C O’Kane, A Gallagher; N Burns (0-1), T O’Neill, N O’Neill (0-1); M Pollock (0-2), B Bradley (0-6, 4 frees), S Kelly. Subs: T O’Ciarain for C O’Kane (HT), K Niblock (0-1) for C Chada (41), B McCaffrey for T O’Neill (47), M Cummings for M Pollock (58)
REFEREE: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)