ACFL Division 2
Rasharkin 0-10 Ardoyne 0-11
A strong finish to the opening half suggested that St. Mary’s Rasharkin were on their way to their second win of the season when they led visitors Ardoyne 0-7 to 0-4 but the visitors regrouped to record their own second victory and a late Kevin Lynch point proved the difference in a game that could have gone either way.
Ardoyne were first to register as Cormac Mullan pointed the Kickham’s ahead from a free in the 3d minute but Rasharkin replied to take the lead with points from Shane Hasson and Thomas McMullan and looked to be gaining the initiative.
He visitors to Dreen had other ideas however as they replied through Conor Magee and Gary McKenna to edge their nose in front again by the 9th minute as play swung from end to end in the early stages.
Tiernan O’Boyle for Rasharkin and Cormac Mullan with an Ardoyne free exchanged points as the visitors edged ahead once more but the home side upped their game considerably in the second quarter and looked in a good position as the teams changed ends.
Ryan Lynch, Shane Hasson, Eamon McNeill fired over unanswered points from play and Lynch pointed a 29th minute free to leave his side three to the good at the change of ends.
It all seemed to be going to plan when Ruairi O’Boyle extended Rasharkin’s lead with a point in the 2nd minute of the new half but Ardoyne repolied with Aidan McNeill pointing from play and then converting a ‘45’ to close the gap to two by the 9th minute.
Shane Hasson edged the Dreen men three in front once more as Fergus Quigg replaced Colm Kennedy in the Rasharkin team but it was the visitors who were now calling the shots as Cormac Mullan (f) and two from Gary McKernan edged the visitors one ahead with six minutes remaining.
Shane Hasson looked to have earned St. Mary’s a share of the points when pointed a free with three minutes remaining but a struck free from out on the left touchline by Kevin Lynch with virtually the last kick of the game gave the visitors their second consecutive victory
Rasharkin: 1 – Tiernan O’Boyle, 2 – Ruairi OBoyle, 3 – Daniel Doherty, 4 – Pearse Kelly, 5 – Colm Kennedy, 6 – Seamus Ellis, 7 – Conor Higgins, 8 – Thomas McMullan, 9 – Jack Quinn, 10 – Thomas Doherty, 11 – Shane Hasson, 12 – Conor Hasson, 13 – Conor McKeever, 14 – Eammon McNeill, 15 – Ryan Lynch,
Ardoyne: 1 Conor Meehan, 2 Conor McDowell, 3 Oisin McVicker, 4 Aran Stewart, 5 Conor Carter, 6 Joseph McNeill, 7 Fiontan Marley, 8 Kevin Lynch, 9 Declan McCormick, 10 Joseph Gibson, 11 Gary McKernan, 12 Aidan McNeill, 13 Pearse Marley, 14 Odhran Mullan, 15 Cormac Mullan, 16 Tiarnan Hughes, 17 Padraig Montgomery, 18 Nial Bradley, 25 Conor Magee
Referee: Kevin Parke (St. Enda’s)
PICS BY BRIAN McKEE
