ACFL Division 3
O Donnell’s 2-6 Naomh Comhghall 1-9
Second place Naomh Comhghall and Cardinal O’Donnell’s who sit two points behind them couldn’t be separated in a bad tempered affair at MacRory Park on Sunday. The visitors appeared to be heading for victory when they led by 1-5 to 0-3 at half time but O’Donnell’s came back strongly in the second half and will feel they should have had both points.
John Rafferty pointed O’Donnell’s ahead but Naomh Comhghall came back strongly and Tom Pattchett fired to the O’Donnell’s net as he followed up on a great save by Conor Murphy before hitting the target.
The Antrim side were going well at this stage and Dylan Murdock followed with a pointed free before Padraig McKissock replied from a free for O’D’s to leave three in it after 11 minutes.
Caolan McKeown for Naomh Comhghall and Patrick Meenan from a mark for O’Donnell’s exchanged further points but a superb long range effort from Tom Patchett and another from James McCabe had ‘the Town’ 1-5 to 0-3 ahead at half time and looking fairly comfortable.
HT 1-5 TO 0-3
It was a different story after the break and after James McCabe extended the Naomh Comhghall lead with an early point, the MacRory Park side began to take a hold on proceedings as they set about reeling in the visitors lead.
As they began to press Ben Johnston in the Naomh Comhghall goals brought off a second great save of the match before Kevin Kennedy and Patrick Meenan with a great score from out on the left split the uprights to close the gap to four points.
The home side looked in trouble when they lost a man to a Red card but they responded in the best possible way and Richard McAvoy fired to the net to leave just one in it, much to the delight of a noisy home support.
The impressive Padraig McKissock for the Whiterock Road side and Rory McLarnon for the men from Antrim town exchanged points to keep the visitors one ahead but they were rocked back on their heels when Scott Thompson fired home O’Donnell’s second goal to put them two in front with 10 minutes remaining.
Following last week’s defeat to St. Gall’s, serious questions were being asked of the Dunsilly men but they answered them in the most positive way with Dylan Murdock pointing a free to close the gap to one before Peter McAuley came forward from defence to send over the equaliser with time almost up.
This result leaves Naomh Comhghall second in the table on 9 point, one behind St. Patrick’s Lisburn with O’Donnell’s handily placed in joint third on 7 with Eire Og and St. Gall’s and in a good position to take advantage should the teams above them slip up in the coming weeks
O’Donnell’s: 1 Conor Murphy, 2 Caoimhin Doherty, 3 Jonathon O’Donnell, 4 Jonathan McKenna, 5 Gearoid McKernan, 6 Scott Thompson, 7 Kevin Kennedy, 8 John Rafferty, 9 Stephen Seawright, 10 Richard McAvoy, 11 Cailean Walsh, 12 Patrick Meenan, 13 Padraig McKissock, 14 Eugene Gallagher, 15 Ciaran Ferran
Naomh Comhghall: 1 Ben Johnston, 2 Eoin Lynett, 3 Ryan McAuley, 4 Peter McAuley, 5 Dylan Murdock, 6 Michael McCabe, 8 Aaron McGaw , 9 Oisin Crilly, 11 James McCabe, 12 Caolan McKeown, 14 Louis Higgins, 19 Aaron Murray, 20 Kan Walker, 24 Tom Patchett, 25 Rory McLarnon
Referee: Martin Quinn (Aghagallon)
