ACFL Division Three
St Agnes 2-13 St Malachy’s 2-15
A late goal in the closing stages of a thrill a minute Division three encounter at Woodlands on Sunday by replacement Gavin McManus secured another win for St Malachy’s.
The replacement was first to a breaking ball in the closing stages of what was a close, hard fought encounter to blast to the back of the net to ensure the Markets men had drawn alongside their hosts with late additions from Mark Connelly and Ryan Maneely splitting the posts in turn to ensure the win.
The Aggies were first away with an opening point but such was soon to find reply in kind from Patrick Smyth who was on the cusp of another fine performance for the Mals.
The end to end football, and score at one end prompting quick response in kind at the other was set to continue throughout a thrill a minute encounter.
Little separated the protagonists as the short whistle drew close and a chance for the sides to gain respite with the assembly entertained in the extreme but when St Malachy’s Mc Kavanagh pounced on a defensive error to drill the leather into an unguarded net the Mals looked set to hold advantage at the interval.
The Woodlands side were not finished however and a late delivery right on the short whistle to the back of the net ensured only the minimum separated them at the break with St Malachy’s 1-09 to 1-08 ahead.
The second half continued in the same vein as the first and despite the huge efforts of Smith and Vernon in the ranks of the visitors the Aggies were looking good when a second goal in the closing stages of the game looked to have secured a welcome couple of points for the home side.
In the event however the men from the Markets were not to lose focus and when replacement Gavin Mc Manus collected a broken ball on the 13 metre line to drill the leather to the back of the net the visitors had drawn level with their hosts at 2-13 apiece and a draw looked on the cards.
The visitors continued in search of the win however and a 58th minute point from Mark Connolly was followed by another from Ryan Maneely who collected the resultant kick out to return post haste between the posts St Malachy’s had claimed the points on a scoreline of 2-15 to 2-13.
St Malachy’s: F Mc Bride, C Connolly, S O’ Neill, P Carlisle, D Quinn, A Dobbin (0-01), D Casey, S Carson (0-01) C Vernon (0-04), R Maneely (0-01), A Connor, G Mc Gleenan (0-01), P Smyth (0-04), S Lynch
Subs
M Connolly (0-01) for A Connor
G Mc Manus (1-00) for K Mc Cavana