Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship
Group One
Rossa 0-12 St Johns 0–9
Wednesday September 1
Group One has been thrown wide open tonight with Rossa avenging their earlier defeat to St John’s by the exact same score as their previous meeting. It means the group is likely to come down to score difference for that second spot as these two rivals look for a place in the quarter-finals of this years championship.
The home side won by 0-12 to 0-9, the exact same score as three weeks ago with Colm Fleming’s late free the telling score of the evening and ruling out any head to head advantage between the two teams. Both sides had their chances throughout the hour but neither really took control long enough to stamp their authority on the game. It was a tense tussle between the GAA’s answer to the Old Firm and a tie both were desperate to win to continue their 2021 ccampaign. Dominic McEnhill top scored in a man of the match performance with three of his eight points coming from open play. Padraig Nugent finished top of the scoring list for the Johnnies with three points but they found scoring chances harder to come by in Rossa Park.
The Johnnies made a bright start with Padraig Nugent firing over the first of his white flags but Rossa were unlucky not to score a major in those opening exchanges with Richard Gowdy rattling the post.
The visitors were giving Rossa problems from their kick outs early in the game and built a four point lead with Conor McEvoy and Matthew Fitzpatrick leading the early Johnnies charge. But, the home side worked their way into the game with McEnhill finding his range and by the first half water break the pace of the Rossa attack was beginning to cause St Johns plenty of problems. A McEnhill free in the second quarter gave Rossa the lead but St Johns responded with Conal Bohill and Padraig Nugent giving them a slender one point advantage at the interval. Half time score St Johns 0-6 Rossa 0-5.
Neither side really opened up after the restart with scores and space at a premium. Rossa edged ahead once more with McEnhill firing over a brace but a sumptuous point from Padraig Nugent brought the Corrigan Park side level once again. McEnhill found the accuracy required to put Rossa ahead once more but both sides were guilty of missed opportunities. Rossa were put on the back foot when they lost Niall Crossan to a black card for bringing down Fitzpatrick but the home side made light of their numerical disadvantage.
McEnhill and Paddy McBride swapped scores before Rossa had another massive goal chance. This time a high ball from Eoghan McMenamin wasn’t dealt with in the St Johns defence and with Sean Pat Donnelly poised to take advantage, somehow the ball refused to go over the line as St Johns scrambled it away.
Donnelly fired over soon after with a McEnhill free to open a three point gap for the home side as they looked to wrestle an element of control on the game. A McBride point at the other end cut the gap to two going into injury time but Rossa managed one last raid on the St Johns defence and Fleming’s curled free the telling score that could have a huge bearing on the outcome of this group.
ROSSA: M Byrne; C Orchin, S Shannon, J Cooley (0-1); M McGreevy, R Gowdy, N Crossan; C McGettigan, S Beatty; D McEnhill (0-8, 0-5f), E McMenamin, C McDonald (0-1f); M Mallon, C Fleming (0-1f), SP Donnelly (0-1).
Subs: D Grego for C McDonald (45), G McGrath for M McGreevy (53)
ST JOHN’S: P Donnelly; M Dudley, C Garland, C McEvoy (0-1); S Tierney, M Bradley, P McBride (0-2, 1f); C Bohill (0-1), S McDonagh; M Fitzpatrick (0-1), D Nugent, A McGowan; C Quinn, C McGlade (0-1f), P Nugent (0-3, 1f).
Subs: L Heenan for A McGowan (HT), J Bohill for S Tierney (HT), R McCafferty for S McDonagh (45), D Bellew for C Quinn (53)
REFEREE: Darren McKeown (St Gall’s)