HOMEFIT ANTRIM FOOTBALL LEAGUE – DIV 3
O’Donnell’s 1-13 St Patrick’s Lisburn 1-14
Three late points, two from Eoin Dixon and one from Conor Dixon, gave St Patrick’s Lisburn a win over O’Donnell’s by the narrowest of margins in Sunday’s Division 3 game at MacRory Park. When O’Dee’s centre forward Ciaran Seacroft sent over a point from a free to put his side two clear on 54 minutes, it appeared the Whiterock Road side had done enough to earn the points. However St Patrick’s battled back in the final minutes and two points from Eoin Dixon and one from Conor saw the Lisburn men snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a thrilling finish.
This was a great game from start to finish with never much between two evenly matched sides. O’Dee’s took an early lead from a free but Colm Burns brought St Patrick’s level. Two in a row from O’Donnell’s were answered by two from Ben McMullan and Che Smith to tie things up again before Fergal McNerney edged O’Dee’s back in from on 18 minutes.
Smith and Ewing pointed for the Lisbun side on 25 minutes but Stephen Seawright and Patrick Meenan hit back with scores for O’Donnell’s to edge them a point in front entering first half injury time, but Lisburn’s Ben McMullan squared things up again by half time at 0-7 to 0-7
The second half started in similar fashion with Stephen Seawright and Eoin Dixon, but after Dixon added another to put St Patrick’s back in front the home team had their best spell of the game hitting a goal and three points, and with centre forward Padraig McKissock in great form they stretched that lead to five with just five minutes left to play.
At this stage it appeared the points were staying on the Whiterock Road, but a brilliant goal from Josh McMullan sparked a St Patrick’s recover. McKissock appeared to have steadied the ship again for O’Dee’s when he converted a 55th minute free to put his side two ahead but two from Eoin Dixon and one from Conor Dixon got the visitors’ noses in front ahead of the final whistle.
With league leaders St Comgall’s slipping up just down the road at St Gall’s, the win brings St Patricks level with the Antrim town side at the top of the table, while despite their defeat O’s Donnell’s are just two points back, with a game in hand so it is shaping up into a great title races.
Wednesday evening’s games see O’Dee’s host St Comgall’s at MacRory Park while St Paticks travel to the Aggies, so it is all to play for at the top of the table.