ACFL Division 1
St. Gall’s 0-10 Rossa 0-9
An unbelievable point with his left foot with virtually the last kick of the game earned St. Gall’s both points in a dour struggle at a wet and slippery Milltown but the visitors will be disappointed that they didn’t get something from the game.
They led 3-1 after 14 minutes and 4-2 in the period leading up to half time but the home side finished the half strongly to leave it 0-4 to 0-4 at the short whistle.
Niall Burns, who had a great game for the home side opened the scoring with an early point but Rossa came back strongly and Darren Grego, Michael McEnhill and Colm Fleming from a superbly struck ‘45’ had them two in front after 14 minutes play.
In a very cagey opening 15 minutes on a slippery surface St. Galls were finding it difficult to penetrate a well organised Rossa defence but Niall Burns closed the gap to one from a free before Adam Devlin edged the visitors two ahead again with an excellent score from play.
It was St. Gall’s who finished the half strongly however as Niall Fallon got on the end of a good move to fist over and Thomas Bunting added the final score of the half to leave it level at the break and all still to play for in the second half.
It was Sean Burn’s men who started the second half as they had finished the first with Burns ‘Junior’ pointing a close range free to give the Milltown side the lead for the first time and Niall Fallon followed with a great score from play to move St. Gall’s two in front and they seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
Rossa were having none of it however and Hugh McGettigan’s men came back strongly through Matthew Mallon and Adam Devlin to draw level as both sides battled for every ball in what was very difficult conditions.
It still looked like anybody’s game at this stage and St. Gall’s replied again with Cormac Bradley moving forward from defence to edge his side 0-7 to 0-6 ahead and another close range free from Niall Burns looked like getting the ‘Galls’ over the line as they moved two in front going into the closing stages.
The visitors kept battling away and earned the rewards of their labour when Michael McEnhill pointed a close range free and Ben McAuley levelled matters once more as the intensity and excitement increased.
A further exchange from Niall Burns with a pointed free from out on the right and Conall Shannon tied the contest at 0-9 apiece with the clock ticking down and a draw would have been a fair result but Pollock’s sublime strike late in the game gave St. Gall’s their first win, much to the delight of the Milltown faithful.
St. Gall’s: 1 Niall McCurdy, 2 Cormac Bradley, 3 Jack Hopkins, 4 Eoghan McCurdy, 5 Sean McCaffrey, 6 Marcus Donnelly, 7 Conall McGirr, 8 Thomas Bunting, 9 Cathal O’Kane, 10 Caolan Chada, 11 Niall Burns, 12 Conall Murray, 13 Niall Fallon, 14 Michael Pollock, 15 Conn Doherty, 17 Ryan Ervine, 18 Ruairi Wilson, 19 Conor Stinton, 20 Cormac Flannery, 21 Aodh Mullan, 22 Fergus Donnelly
Rossa: 1 Mick Byrne, 2 Ciaran Urchin, 3 Stephen Shannon, 4 Niall Crossan , 5 Patrick Moyes, 6 Chris McGuinness, 7 Conall McDonald, 8 Cormac McGettigan, 9 Pierce Shortt, 10 Dominic McEnhill, 12 Darren Grego, 13 Matthew Mallon, 14 Colm Fleming, 15 Eoghan McMeanman, 11 Michael McEnhill, 17 Conall Shannon, 18 Lorcan Fitzsimmons, 19 Ben McAuley, 20 Jack McGurk, 21 Jack Morris, 23 Adam Devlin, 24 Conor McGowan
