Antrim Football League Division 1
Tir na nÓg 1-13 Gort na Móna 0-5
Tir na nÓg got the first win under their belts since returning to the top division when the beat Gort na Móna at Whitehill on Sunday. On top throughout the game the home side failed to turn their superiority on the field into point on the board and were guilty of some bad misses, especially in the first half. Gort na Móna played second fiddle for most the first half, but when they hit two quick scores in the last seven minutes of the opening half, to cut the deficit to just three points, they must have felt they might be in with a chance. However the Randalstown men opened the gap to four by the short whistle and when they hit a scoring burst at the start of the second half it was clear they had the points wrapped up. The Gorts kept battling away but five minutes from time Tir na nOg goalkeeper ‘Bomber’ McAtamney came up to fire a penalty to the bottom corner of the Gorts’ net the icing was on the cake.
The slippery underfoot conditions did not make things easy for either side and it was eight minutes before the wind assisted home side took the lead with a point from Aaron McNeilly. Two well taken points from full forward Christy Sheerin in the 9th and 14th minutes were followed by a lovely score from corner forward Conor Heatley, who cut in along the endline and shot over from a narrow angle.
A second point from an Aaron McNeilly free put Tir na nÓg five clear by the 18th minute, despite a similar amount of wides, and when Gorts hit back with excellent points from Christopher Carson and Brendan Corr the gap was down to just three, though Sean Duffin fired over just on the half time whistle to leave them leading by 0-6 to 0-2 at the break.
Centre back Barry McCormick got Tir na nÓg going with a point early in the second half and two from Sean Duffin, Conor Hastings and Aaron McNeilly all but sealed the win. Darren Boyd pulled one back for Gort na Móna but five minutes from time Randalstown goalkeeper Sean Paul McAtamney came up to fire a penalty low to the corner of the Gorts to seal the win.
TIR NA nÓG
Sean Paul McAtamney, Ethan Higgins, Brendan McLarnon, Barry Magee, Ciaran O’Neill, Barry McCormick, Oliver McAtamney, Ryan O’Neill, Christy Sheerin, Darragh Fagan, Sean Duffin, Aaron McNeilly, Conor Hastings, Kevin Sheerin, Damiel Martin,
GORT NA MÓNA
Thomas McCaffrey, Patrick Cournane, James Connolly, Michael Savage, Ciaran Donnelly, Sean Doyle, Padraig Mulvenna, Darren Cahill, Darren Boyd, Niall Mulaney, Christopher Carson, Padraig McHugh, Aiadan McDonagh, Brendan Corr, Dessie McClean.
Referee – Patrick Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)
