ACHL Division 1 

Rossa 2-13-0-22 St Johns 

Kevin Herron reports from Paric Rossa 

St Johns claimed the derby spoils on Wednesday evening with a 0-22-2-13 win over Rossa at Pairc Rossa. 

The hosts were in the ascendancy for the majority of the half but trailed to a series of frees from new recruit Oisin McManus and a positive showing from Aaron Bradley. 

The Johnnies ended stronger in the final quarter and outscored Rossa 0-07-1-01 to leave the Shaws Road with the two-points on offer.

It was the second time that the rivals had met in seven days at the Shaws Road venue, on the last outing in the football league- the hosts staged a second-half turnaround to emerge victorious through a late Colm Fleming free- with St Johns eager to avenge that particular reversal. 

Rossa immediately hit the front within 10-seconds through a fantastic point from midway by Aodhan O’Brien, but Oisin McManus then levelled things up with his first converted free of the evening. 

The opening goal arrived within five minutes when Conall Shannon flighted a long ball into the full-forward line and onto Eoghan McMenamin to control and fizz a low drive past Declan Cregan and into the net to move his side ahead again. 

Aaron Bradley got his angles right at the other end in response and Oisin McManus would level proceedings with back-to-back points, the first from a free and the second a well taken from play after some good work from Peter McCallin to make it 1-01-0-04. 

Rossa reclaimed the lead through a straight-forward James Connolly conversion from a free and a 65’ from Seaghan Shannon doubled his sides advantage. 

The hosts increased their lead when Michael Armstrong ran into danger- but was able to steer the ball off the shoulder to Ruairi Murray to guide a shot over the bar, then Aodhan O’Brien hooked over his second of the half from Ciaran Orchin’s intelligent switch to the wing. 

Oisin McManus hit back for St Johns- landing a 65’ and after Ruairi Murray saw his effort drop short; Declan Cregan got his side moving after picking out Michael Dudley to pick off a point from close to the side-line and half the original deficit. 

The game was towing and froing as Ciaran Orchin put a stop to the Jonnies momentum with a score, followed quickly by another from Dara Rocks after collecting a Phil Crean puck-out and driving forward to point. 

Rossa’s four-point advantage would disappear in the blink of an eye as Oisin McManus conjured up three-points in succession, two from frees and the other from a 65’. Aaron Bradley then floated over his second score to restore parity at 1-07-0-10. 

Bradley moved his side ahead for the first time in proceedings after collecting the ball from Dudley and despite James Connolly landing a free at the other end to tie things up, it was St Johns who held the lead at the break; with Bradley making it three-points on the spin to give the Johnnies a 0-12-1-08 advantage. 

The hosts levelled things up for the fifth time upon the restart thanks to James Connolly’s third free of the contest, although CJ McKenna swung over in response to edge his side back infront. 

Rossa free-taker Connolly would depart within six-minutes of the restart and responsibility then fell upon the shoulders of Seaghan Shannon for the next attempt- he made it two from two over the course of the evening.  

The duo continued to trade scores as Oisin Donnelly’s effort was cancelled out by Aodhan O’Brien (free). 

A second O’Brien free had Rossa back in the driving seat at 1-12-0-14, though an impressive long-range point from Michael Kelly had the duo level for the eighth occasion with a quarter of an hour remaining. 

The Johnnies hit the front again with Oisin McManus converting his first free of the half and Michael Dudley then hooked over his second point of the evening. 

McManus dropped a further free over and an angled shot from Aaron Bradley was followed by a terrific Ciaran Johnston effort as St Johns had pulled 0-20-1-12 clear.

Aodhan O’Brien cut the deficit with a point in response, although McManus (free) and an impressive Aidan McMahon score had the visitors where they wanted to be time fading fast. 

A grandstand finish was on the cards at the Shaws Road when Aodhan O’Brien fed the ball into the path of substitute Diarmaid Rogan, his initial effort was blocked – but at the second time of asking; Rogan rifled to the net.

Time was against the hosts however and in the end, they weren’t able to apply any further pressure as St Johns held out for a 0-22-2-13 win to open up their league campaign with maximum points. 

Rossa: P Crean, C Boyle, C McGuiness, C Shannon, S Shannon, M Armstrong, E Trainor, S Shannon (0-02, 0-01f, 0-01 65’), C Orchin (0-01), R Murray (0-01), A O’Brien (0-05, 0-02f), T Morgan, J Connolly (0-03f), E McMenamin (1-00), D Rocks (0-01). Subs: C McGettigan for M Armstrong (28), D Rogan (1-00) for J Connolly (36), A Orchin for R Murray (48). 

St Johns: D Cregan, A McMahon (0-01), S Tierney, J Bohill, M Kelly (0-01), P Nugent, CJ McKenna (0-01), S Shannon, O Donnelly (0-01), M Dudley (0-02), C Johnston (0-01), A Bradley (0-05), R Galbraith, P McCallin, O McManus (0-10, 0-07f, 0-02 65’). Subs: C Hand for C Johnston (Blood sub 24 mins), C Hand for R Galbraith (28). 

Referee: Lorenzo McMullan (Bredagh)