Homefit Football League – Division 2
Glenravel 2-13 St Pauls 0-03
By Aodh O’Loan
Sandwiched between heavy showers, Glenravel and St Pauls served up sixty minutes of fast flowing football in glorious sunshine throughout, despite difficult underfoot conditions. Both teams adapted well to the greasy surface and treated all present to some fine football along the way. The home team’s domination in the first half was not fully reflected on the scoreboard and they would have gone in reflecting on missed chances, however their superior performance in the third quarter all but killed off the visitors.
The Shaw’s Road men started brightly when big midfielder Colm McLarnon pointed from a very tight angle in the opening minute. That was followed up eight minutes later when Stephen O’Brian pointed from a very similar position. Between these the local lads had squandered several attacks raising concerns amongst their supporters. However another forty minutes of game time passed before St Pauls would trouble the umpires again, by which time the home team were well in control, both on the pitch and on the scoreboard. Eamon Fyfe, back after a long term injury, opened with a goal for Con Magees in the ninth minute and they would go on to score five more points this half from five different players, the pick of the bunch coming on the stroke of half time when Rian Lennon scored from the outside of his trusty right boot from all of forty five yards to leave a half time scoreline off Glenravel 1-05 St Pauls 0-02
St Pauls would have needed a good start to the second half but it was the home side who would go on and score five further points, again from five different players. The visitors’ were reduced to fourteen in that opening quarter which effectively killed off any recovery plans they may have been hatching. With thirteen minutes left, St Pauls’ lively corner forward Conall Duffy managed their third and final score of the game from a free but in the final ten minutes Con Magees again upped the ante with 1-04 without reply. The goal coming from the penalty spot which Eamon Fyfe tucked away very neatly.
Both teams are out again at the weekend when St Pauls take on Dunloy in Belfast and Glenravel will have a tough battle on their hands at home to league leaders Davitts.
CON MAGEES
Johnny Fyfe, Charlie Henry, Eoin McCusker, Daniel McQuillan, Niall Swann, Cathal Hynds, Ryan Lennon, Martin McCarry, David Higgins, Aidan O’Donnell, Conor McNeill, Eoin Hynds, Sean Paul McKenna, Calum Higgins, Eamon Fyfe.
Subs – Conleth O’Loan and Kieran McKeown
ST PAUL’S
Jack McAufield, Niall Ward, Damien Magee, Michael Duffy, Cormac O’Hanlon, Don Burns, Aodhan Kavanagh, Liam McLarnon, Colm McLarnon, Paul O’Hanlon, James Farrell, Conor Hughes, Conal Duffy, Patrick Doyle, Stephen O’Brien.
Subs – Conal Finnegan
Referee – Cathal McDermot – Tir na nÓg
