ACFL Division 1

St. Mary’s Ahoghill 2-9 St. Brigid’s 0-8

St. Mary’s Ahoghill took another step away from the relegation zone with a comprehensive win over a St. Brigid’s team who were impressive early in the season but now find themselves perilously close to the bottom of the division.

The Ahoghill men have shown marked improvement since their loss to Gort na Mona at Enright Park back on the 12^th of June with a good win over fellow strugglers, St. Mary’s Aghagallon and last night’s win over the Musgrave Park side should ensure them safety.

Patrick Finnegan opened the scoring for the visitors with a point in the first minute but points from PJ O’Connell, Ronan Graham and a James O’Connell had Ahoghill two in front by the 9^th minute.

Ahoghill were slowly taking control however and a PJ O’Connell goal brought them to life with a goal in the 10^th minute and the same player adding a point before his brother James moved his side seven ahead as he split the posts in the 20^th minute.

The home side were rampant at this stage of the game as they moved the ball around with confidence as Michael O’Connell got in for their second goal after 24 minutes with Patrick Dougan adding a late point and Marcus Lynch and Conor McAleer replying from late frees to leave the home side in a commanding 2-6 to 0-3 half time lead and it already looked over at this stage.

Things got a little better for the visitors during the second half and while they never looked like overturning the Ahoghill lead they did out score the home side during the closing 30 minutes.

In fact the game became bogged down with St. Mary’s unable to produce the fluent football that had marked their opening half performance and St. Brigid’s depending on the free taking of Conor McAleer to keep the score board moving.

McAleer pointed four second half frees with their only other score coming from Patrick Finnegan from play while the Cloney side were content to consolidate their first half lead with Michael O’Connell registering their only point from play and PJ O’Connell and Donal Graham pointing frees in a drab second half.

This win moves Ahoghill onto 12 points with St. Brigid’s dropping a place below them on 11 while St. Mary’s Aghagallon have 9 points and Tir na nOg 8 and Gort na Mona 6 but these three have a game in hand over the Musgrave Park side.

The run in at the bottom of the league looks like being as exciting as the race for the title at the other end and the race for survival could go on until the final day of the season.

Ahoghill: 1 Noel Crossey, 2 Francis Neeson, 3 James Magee, 4 Bernard Graham, 5 Paddy Dougan, 6 Thomas McGlone, 7 Eamonn Brady, 8 Neil O’Connell, 9 Patrick Graham, 17 James O’Connell, 11 Ronan Graham, 12 Daniel O’Neill, 21 Fionnbar O’Neill, 14 PJ O’Connell, 15 Michael O’Connell.

Subs: Owen Neeson for Neil O’Connell 42mins Donal Graham for PJO’Connell 50 mins Martin Graham for Francis Neeson 55mins

St. Brigid’s: 1 Seamus MacGoncoilt, 2 John Morgan, 3 Joseph McCarney, 4 Diarmuid McLaughlin, 5 Ronan Boyle, 6 Michael Cummings, 7 Fergal Meenagh, 8 John Toner, 9 Jack Dowling, 10 Peter Lundy, 11 Marcus Lynch, 12 Sean O’Tomhrar, 13 Joseph Finnegan, 14 Conor McAleer, 15 Patrick Finnegan  

Referee: Eamon McAuley (Cargin)

ACFL Division 1

Tir na nOg 2-11 St. Enda’s 2-11

Tir na nOg kept their division 1 survival very much alive when they earned a valuable point against visitors St. Enda’s at Whitehill last night but the Randalstown men will feel that in the end this was a point lost rather than a point gained.

In a game of changing fortunes where both sides enjoyed periods of ascendancy a Ciaran O’Neill point in the 30^th minute of the second half looked to have won it for the home side but a battling St. Enda’s replied with the equaliser with practically the last kick of the game.

It was Tir na nOg who made the early running as they hit four unanswered point to lead 0-4 to 0-0 after five minutes with Aaron McNeilly, Peter Cullen, Darra Fagan and Barry McCormick the men on target.

It took the visitors a time to settle but by the 19^th minute they had drawn level with four points of their own and appeared to be taking control but the impressive Dara Fagan responded with Tir na nOg’s first score for over 15 minutes to edge the home side ahead once more.

The final point of the half fell to the Glengormley side to leave it all square at 0-5 to 0-5 as Mark |O’Neill blew the half time whistle and it looked a hard one to call as they turned around for the second half.

The Hightown Road side edged in front for the first time with a point in the opening minute of the second half but as they had done in the first half, Tir na nOg put a sustained period of pressure together as they came storming back.

Barry Fagan and Barry McCormick pointed them ahead once more but the visitors were coming more and more into the game and struck back with a goal in the 8^th minute to go ahead for the second time.

Tir na nOg needed another response and it came with points from Dara Fagan and Ciaran Dobbin to edge their side ahead once more as this excellent end to end encounter moved up a gear and there was little between the sides at this stage of the contest.

It was St. Enda’s who started to gain the iniative however and when they scored a second goal after 17 minutes all the Tir na nOg good worked looked to have been in vain but this time showed their fighting spirit to stage a remarkable comeback.

It all looked in vain though as St. Enda’s led 2-10 to 0-10 with only three minutes of normal time remaining but Christy Sheerin pointed and Eamkon Og McAllister and Ciaran O’Neill struck with late goals to move them one in front to complete a remarkable comeback.

The visitors, to their credit held their nerve and in one last attack they conjured a point and a share of the spoils.

This win moves Tir na nOg two points above Gort na Mona at the bottom of the division 1 table and one behind St. Mary’s Aghagallon but with games to come against both of these sides and against St. Brigid’s and St. Mary’s Ahoghill their fate remains very much in their own hands

Homefit Antrim Football League – Division 3

Pearses 0-9 St Patrick’s Lisburn 0-17

St Patrick’s Lisburn sealed the Division 3 League title at the Crickey on Wednesday evening when they beat Pearses in their final game of the season. The Lisburn men were on top for most of the game and lead by 0-7 to 0-3 at half time. Pearses came back into the game in the early part of the second half but Naomh Padraig were able to up the pace when threatened and they pulled away in the last quarter to win by 8 points.

Pearses lead early on with points from Sean Moreland and Stephen Fitzsimons, but once they settled their nerves they started to clock up the scores. Denver Taggart, Ben McMullan, Conor Dixon, Francis McMeel, Oisin Gorman, Conor Ewing and McMullan again saw them open up an 0-7 to 0-2 lead by the 23^rd minute. The scoring dried up at this stage for the visitors and Pearses kept themselves in contention with their point of the game to trail by four at half time.

Pearses stayed in touch in the early stages of the second half with points from Fionn Grew, Aidan Bannon and Oisin Grew, but on each occasion McMeel, Conor Dixon and McMullan came back with a reply to keep the gap at four. The tension was building but the new champions reacted well as Adam Patterson, Conor Dixon and McMeel found the target.

Pearses kept plugging away but the Lisburn side finished strongly Dixon, McMeel and Ben McMulan showed off their skills to see their team over the line with eight to spare to spark great scenes of celebration.

Homefit ACFL Division One 

Portglenone 1-14-0-11 Lámh Dhearg 

Kevin Herron reports from Kelly Park 

Photographs: Colleen Webb Photograph

Portglenone had six-points to spare in the end as they saw off a disjointed Lámh Dhearg side on a score line of 1-14-0-11 at Kelly Park on Wednesday evening. 

Oisin Doherty’s first half goal helped the Bannsiders to a 1-07-0-06 advantage at the break and the hosts would outscore the Hannahstown side 0-07-0-02 until a late spree in the dying embers made the margin closer than it appeared. 

The Lámhs were first off the mark in Kelly Park thanks to a converted Paddy Cunningham free, but Conall Delargy steered over the equaliser and the hosts took control of the opening quarter thereafter. 

They would survive a brief scare beforehand though when Conor Murray scuffed a shot off the post. 

Patrick Kelly nudged his side infront for the first time and would extend the lead from a converted free that was angled over close to the side-line.

It was all too easy for Portglenone as Conor McGhee clipped another shot over the top and Conall Delargy doubled his tally after bending a high shot inside the large posts to make it 0-05-0-01. 

Paddy Cunningham shot over a fantastic score with the outside of the boot to give his side a much-needed lift and Conor Murray squeezed a shot over in the aftermath. 

Things were getting better for the visitors with Ryan Murray landing a nice point to reduce arrears to the bare minimum. 

However, the opening goal of the game would undo the Lámhs hard work of the previous eight minutes. 

Oisin Doherty had possession popped into his path by Conor McGhee and his shot appeared to deceive John Finucane and looped into the net to give his side a 1-05-0-04 lead. 

Paddy Cunningham notched up his third point of the half with his second converted free, although Patrick Kelly mirrored his free taking counterpart- sending one over at the other end to join him on three points; with two from the placed ball. 

The duo traded further scores from the same source before the break as Portglenone held a 1-07-0-06 advantage at the midway point. 

Lámh Dhearg reduced the deficit early in the second period as Cunningham kicked his fourth free of the evening, though Caolan Tierney guided his effort over the bar at the other end. 

Marc Jordan had a glorious opportunity for goal early after playing a one-two with Declan Dunne and steaming down on goal, but he lifted his shot high and wide of the post. 

Portglenone increased their lead when Patrick Kelly kicked a magnificent free of the deck from 45’ yards out and Oisin Doherty added to his first-half goal as he swung over an angled point. 

The Lámhs response came in the form of another Cunningham free from in front of the posts, though Michael Hagan shot over and Conor McGhee conjured up his second of the evening to put his side 1-12-0-08 ahead. 

The hosts pressed on with further scores coming courtesy of Ruairi Hagan and Patrick Kelly (free). 

Lámh Dhearg would kick the last three scores with talisman Paddy Cunningham hitting two further frees to bring his personal tally to 0-08 and Conor Murray swinging a shot over to double his account- but it was scant consolation at that juncture as Portglenone had safely wrapped up the points. 

Portglenone: R O’Neill, K O’Kane, J Convery, R Delargy, C Tierney (0-01), C McKenna, C McGhee (0-02), N Delargy, D McAleese, R Hagan (0-01), M Hagan (0-01), S Kelly, O Doherty (1-01), P Kelly (0-06, 0-05f), C Delargy (0-02). Subs: A McAleese for M Hagan (47), R Kelly for C Delargy (51), M Donnelly for P Kelly (53), P Carey for R Hagan (56), D McNichol for J Convery (60). 

Lámh Dhearg: J Finucane, M Hynes, M McGarry, R Murray, D Smith, D Lynch, B Rice, D Dunne, M Jordan, R Murray (0-01), O McKeown, C Maxwell, P Cunningham (0-08, 0-07f), C Murray (0-02), T McCrudden. Subs: K Quinn for M Hynes (41), S Tully for D Dunne (44), K Fay-Kelly for B Rice (50),A Byrne for C Maxwell (52), E Campbell for R Murray (60). 

Referee: Mark O’Neill (Glen Rovers, Armoy)