ACFL Division 1
Ahoghill 2-10 Gort na Mona 1-8
St. Mary’s Ahoghill claimed their first win of the season when they produced a solid performance to overcome the challenge of fellow strugglers, Gort na Mona in Cloney tonight. Goals from PJ O’Connell after 12 minutes and another from Ronan Graham with17 minutes on the clock proved the important scores and turned the game in favour of the home side.
It was visitors, Gort na Mona who made the better start and raced into a 0-03 to 0-0 lead by the 9th minute and looked the better side at this stage of the game.
Dessie McClean got the visitors off the mark with a fine point and points from Aidan McDonagh and another from the ‘45’ by keeper, Thomas McCaffrey had the visitors three ahead and they were making all the running at this stage of the game.
Indeed they might have been further ahead and looked to be in for a goal in the 12th minute but the ball came back of an upright and was cleared to safety. Play quickly transferred to the other end of the field with James O’Connell placing his brother PJ who raced through for an excellent finish.
Five minutes later the Gort na Mona defence failed to deal with a high speculative delivery and in the scramble that followed Ronan Graham got the important touch to palm to the net and when Conor Crossey finished with a point the home side were six clear.
Points from Owen Neeson, Neil ‘Boris’ O’Connell and Neeson again moved St. Mary’s eight ahead after 25 minutes as their strong running game from deep in their own half began to open up the Gort na Mona defence with Darron Boyd firing over a late free to leave it 2-5 to 0-4 in favour of Ahoghill at half time.
Ahoghill gained a lot of turnovers in the second half after great work by the defence, but hit a lot of wides from easy chances. Dessie McClean closed the gap to six when he split the posts for Gort na Mona in the opening minute with Ronan Graham replying for St. Mary’s with five minutes gone.
Gort na Mona kept pushing forward at every opportunity but stern defence from James Magee and Bernard Graham kept pushing them out to shoot from difficult positions. It was Christopher Carson who shot from distance to again close the gap but once again Ahoghill responded with Fionnbar O’Neill replying to keep his side seven in front with 11 minutes of the new half gone.
This end to end trend continued throughout the second half with Gort na Mona firing over points from Padraig Cournane and Dessie McClean but they never really looked like getting the scores that would turn the game with PJ O’Connell hitting two at the other end and Donal Graham also on target
The visitors never gave up however and their efforts paid dividends when they were awarded a penalty, two minutes into injury time and Darren ‘Diesel’ Boyd stepped up to beat Noel Crossey from the spot.
It came too late to effect the result however with referee Kevin Parke sounding his whistle from the resulting kick-out and it is St. Mary’s Ahoghill who have their first points of the season and on the night they were fully deserved.
Gort na Mona battled hard throughout and in the early stages looked the better side for a time but were unable to sustain their early attacking pressure and now look forward to the visit of St. Enda’s on Sunday where they will be hoping to open their 2022 account.
Ahoghill: Noel Crossey, Bernard Graham, Bobby Magee, Patrick Dougan, Eoin Graham, Fionnbar O’Neill, Eamon Brady, Patrick Graham, Neil O’Connell, Owen Neeson, James O’Connell, Dan O’Neill, Ronan Graham, PJ O’Connell, Conor Crossey. Subs: Donal Graham
Gort na Mona: Thomas McCaffrey, Padraig Cournane, Tiarnan Keenan, Michael Savage, Ciaran Donnelly, Sean Doyle, Sean Campbell, Patrick McCaffrey, Christopher Carson, Darren Boyd, Aodhan McDonagh, Padraig McHugh, Niall Melaney, Brendan Corr, Desy McClean
