ACFL Division 2 Reserve
Aldergrove 1-15 Glenavy 2-8
St. James’ Aldergrove and St. Joseph’s Glenavy served up an entertaining opening game to the ACFL Division 2 Reserve league in Crumlin on Friday evening. The home side looked to have it sewn up when they led 1-7 to 1-2 at the break but a Charlie Gallagher goal for the visitors with 7 minutes remaining brought the Chapel Hill side right back into it.
The home side finished strongly however and late points from Ryan McCarthy and an Odhran Rooney free saw them cross the finish line four points ahead.
Meetings between these neighbours are always keenly contested and this one was no different as Fionn McDonagh pointed Aldergrove ahead and Peter Treanor and Sean McGirr replied for Glenavy to edge them in front.
St. James replied and Michael Smart brought the sides level before Lorcan Murphy in the Glenavy goals brought off one of three excellent saves he was to execute over the hour.
Fionn McDonagh edged the Crumlin men ahead for the second time and a Ronan Aiken goal and a point from Odhran Rooney moved them 1-5 to 0-3 ahead with the Glenavy score coming from Michael Smart.
Aldergrove were enjoying the better of the possession and moving the ball around with confidence and Malachy Burns fired over an excellent long range effort to increase their lead. Dylan Brazier added another to move the home side 1-7 to 1-2 approaching half time but an Eoin Henry goal for the visitors gave them a lift going into the half time break.
Lorcan Murphy in the Glenavy goals brought off another good save on the restart with Odhran Rooney sending the rebound over the bar but Glenavy came back strongly with points from Ben McCambridge, a Micky McCourt free and a fine long range effort from the same player to bring them right back into contention.
It brought another response by the Crumlin side however as Fionn McDonagh, Connlaith Hannon and Ryan McCarthy replied with unanswered points to move the six in front and Micky McCourt from a free and Connlaith Hannon exchanged further points as the game moved into the final quarter.
The visitors were still battling hard and Micky McCourt lifted their hopes once more when pointed a couple of frees and Peter Treanor added a fine score from play to close the gap to four with Charlie Gallagher’s goal leaving it finely balanced.
Late points from the excellent Ryan McCarthy and Odhran Rooney put a halt to the Glenavy revival and ensured that St. James earned the points to get them up and running and in Ryan McCarthy, Michael Smart, Odhran Rooney and Fionn McDonagh they had fine performers on the night while Michael McCourt and Emmet McCloy were best for the Chaple Hill side.
Aldergrove: 1 Paul Cushley, 2 Emmet Magee, 3 Michael McCarthy, 4 Padraig Kerlin, 6 Conor Totten, 7 Dylan Brazier, 8 Malachy Burns, 9 Ryan McCarthy, 10 Fionn McDonagh, 11 Aaron O’Connor, 13 Michael Smart, 14 Odhran Rooney, 15 Ronan Aiken, 18 Sean Patrick Fay, 19 Cory Fogarty, 21 Connlaith Hannon
Glenavy: 1 Lorcan Murphy, 2 Emmet McCloy, 3 Daniel McAllister, 4 Daniel Hamill, 5 Chris Grant, 6 Piaras O’Neill, 7 Shay O’Neill, 8 Peadar Treanor, 9 Ben McCambridge, 10 Eoin Mitchell, 11 Sean McGirr, 12 Anthony O’Hare, 13 Darragh Armstrong, 14 Michael McCourt, 15 Eoin Henry, Subs Timmy Honeyford and Charles Gallagher for Eoin Mitchel and Anthony O’Hare, Eugene |Clenahan and Conor Loney for Dara Armstrong and Daniel Hamill
