Homefit Antrim Football League Division One
St Gall’s 4-8 Gort na Móna 0-2
A dominant opening half when wind assisted set up St Gall’s for a convincing win over Gort na Móna in Wednesday evening Division 1 game at the Bog Meadows, a result which sees the Turf Lodge men still looking for their first point of the season. Three goals in the last seven minutes of the half did the damage, the first from a Niall Burns penalty on 23 minutes, the second from Niall Fallon a minute later and the third just before the break as the excellent Burns grabbed a second to put his team 3-4 to 0-0 clear on Mark O’Neill’s half time whistle.
Conditions were far from ideal for good football as the strong wind and slippery sod mad it all very difficult and it was no surprise that it took a while to see the first flag raised, Niall Fallon finishing for the home side. Niall Burns grabbed one from a free soon afterwards but hard though both team’s tried the scoring dried up again until St Gall’s late scoring burst all but sealed the win for the boys in blue.
The Gorts were creating chances but a combination of poor finishing, and a couple of smart saves by St Gall’s netminder Niall McCurdy frustrated the hard working Turf Lodge men.
Things didn’t get any better for the Gorts after the change of ends and after being denied what appeared a stone wall penalty (referee Mark O’Neill throwing in the ball after a dispute) they fell further behind as Burns added another point from a free.
There was 48 minutes on the clock before the Gorts broke their duck, Desy McLean hitting a great score from a narrow angle in the descending gloom, and the left half forward added another soon afterwards with another smart finish. However that was to be that for the Gorts. They battled bravely until the end but it was one of those nights when nothing would go for them and St Gall’s wrapped it all up with a fourth goal from midfielder Thomas Bunting.
ST GALL’S: N McCurdy; C Flannery, J Hopkins, E McCurdy; C Chada, J McCaffrey, C Bradley; T Bunting (1-0), R Irvine; C Murray, N Burns (2-6, 1-0 penalty, 0-4 frees), R Wilson; C Walsh, N Fallon (1-1), C McGirr (0-1).
Subs: C Stinton for C Murray (36), C Doherty for C Walsh (41), F Donnelly for R Wilson (48), A Mullan for E McCurdy (54), C Adams for C Flannery (56)
GORT NA MÓNA: N Melaney; C Donnely, T Keenan, M Savage; A McDonagh, S Doyle, P Cournane; P McCaffrey, C Magee; S Campbell, C Carson, D McLean (0-2); D Boyd, P McHugh, B Corr.
Subs: M McMullan for B Carr (41), G McKenna for S Doyle (42), P Mulvenna for P McCaffrey (42).
REFEREE: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)