Casement’s SC JHC Group 1
St. Brigid’s 1-15 Davitt’s 3-10
Only a point separated these well matched sides in this Casement’s Social Club JHC round 1 opener last night with 2 second half goals from Anthony Rowntree for the visitors proving the difference in the end but the Musgrave Park side were perhaps unfortunate not to get something from the game.
It was a somewhat fortuitous opening goal from Caoimhin O’hEanna that sailed from distance all the way to the St. Brigid’s net late in the opening half and points from a Donn Whelan ‘65’ and another from play by the same player that saw the visitors claw back a five point deficit to draw level at 1-8 each at the short whistle.
The lower Falls side enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and raced into a 3-1 lead with Conor John Sullivan and Marcas Toner 0-2 the men on target and the St. Brigid’s point coming from Oisin McDonnell.
The home side began to settle and hit four unanswered points through Niall Duffy, Gerard Henvey, Joseph McCarney and an Oisin McDonnell free and began to take control and when John McGuckian doubled on a loose ball to send a screamer to the net and put the division 4 side in a strong position.
That long range goal from Davitt’s late in the half brought the visitors right back into it and set the scene for a great second half with the result in the melting pot right up to the final whistle.
It was Davitt’s who built on their late first half flurry to move ahead through Donn Whelan before Anthony Rowntree struck with his first goal to move his side four ahead and when the same player got in for his second and his side’s third after 12 minutes it looked a long way back for the home side.
St. Brigid’s looked in serious trouble but they came back strongly with points from Brian McGurk, Phelim Lennon 0-2, Oisin McDonnell and Niall Duffy to close the gap to the minimum as they produced a storming finish but the equaliser just would not come as Davitt’s held on for an opening day victory
Davitt’s are at home to All Saints on the 19th August while St. Brigid’s travel to Rasharkin on the same night and the Junior B champions need something from that game if they are to stand any chance of qualifying from the group while the Ballymena side are in a similar position having lost to Rasharkin in Ballymena last night.
St. Brigid’s: 1 Chris Lundy, 2 Conor Leonard, 5 Brian mcGurk, 6 Cathal Conway, 7 Gerard Henvey, 8 Joseph McCarney, 9 Niall Murtagh, 10 Fergal Layden, 11 Rory Flanagan, 12 Keevan Grieve, 13 Oisin McDonnell, 14 John McGuckian, 15 Niall Duffy, 16 Mark Sidebottom, 17 Garet7 Gileece, 18 Declan Lawn, 19 Oliver Leggett, 20 Phelim Lennon, 22 Eoghan O’Mainnin, 23 Tod Engman, 24 Chris Quinn
Davitt’s: 1 Thomas Maguire, 2 Odhran Gorman, 3 Michael Rowntree, 4 Ruairi McIlroy, 5 Colm McKee, 6 Caoimhin O’hEanna, 7 Antoin McLaughlin, 8 Peter Og Carlton, 9 Deaglan Mooney, 11 Stephen McGivern, 12 Marcas Toner, 13 Cormac Maguire, 14 Anthony Rowntree, 15 Conor John Sullivan, 20 Donn Whelan
Referee: Aidan Kelly (St. John’s)