ACFL Div. 2
Davitt’s 0-11 All Saints 1-8
A Gerard Slane converted free in the 60th minute earned a battling Davitt’s a share of the points as they came from five down after 45 minutes to draw level and might have stolen it at the death. Aaron Slane had an opportunity to give his side an unlikely win but shot wide with the last kick of the game to spare the visitors blushes.
Connell Lemon shot the visitors ahead with a point in the 1st minute before Padraig McParland missed a good opportunity at the other end with two minutes gone.
Slowly All Saints settled and their strategy of sitting deep and countering on the break began to pay dividends as Peter McReynolds, Conor Stewart and Kavan Keenan moved them three in front by the 19th minute.
Davitt’s were finding difficulty in breaking down the visitors mass defence and Jay Maguire hit a bad wide before keeper, Aaron Slane came forward to convert a 40 meter free for their second score in the 23d minute.
All Saints continued to sit deep and counter at speed but were guilty of a couple of bad wides before James McDonnell got forward to split the posts in the 30th minute with Gerard Slane replying from a free in injury time to leave it 0-5 to 0-3 in favour of the visitors at the break.
A great point from Kavan Keenan extended that lead to three on the restart but Davitt’s replied through a good point from Conor John Sullivan and two more pointed frees from Aaron Slane, the second from a ‘45’ to draw level by the 7th minute.
The visitors looked in trouble for the first time in the game but came back strongly and Kavan Keenan climbed above the pack to fist home a long delivery from Conor Stewart in the 11th minute and when Sean McVeigh followed with a great long range point they were four ahead.
Benny McDonnell extended that lead to five as he converted a 20 meter free in the 15th minute and at this stage there looked like there could only be one winner but the Ballymena side totally lost their way in the final quarter.
Conor John Sullivan punished a defensive mix up to fire over and Gerard Slane followed from a free to close the gap to three by the 18th minute but things looked to have swung back in favour of the visitors when Davitt’s had Daniel Wallace ‘Black’ carded, a minute later.
The Davitt’s number 15’s time in the sin bin failed to produce a score for either side as All Saints failed to take advantage of the extra man with some poor choices when in possession and sloppy passing and Wallace marked his return with a point in the 27th minute.
The Davitt’s Park side now had the bit firmly between their teeth and they finished strongly with points from Padraig McParland and Gerard Slane to draw level with the visitors happy to hear the full-time whistle.
Davitt’s: 1 Aaron Slane, 2 Caoimhin Rainey, 3 Jason Park, 4 Conor Toner, 5 Jack Scally, 6 Niall McParland, 7 Nathan Maginn, 8 Anthony Rowntree, 9 Caomhan Slane, 10 Conor John Sullivan, 25 Gerard Slane, 12 Christopher Rafferty, 13 Jay Maguire, 14 Padraig McParland, 15 Daniel Wallace. Subs: 17 Brady Maguire for Christopher Rafferty
All Saints: 1 Ryan Stewart, 2 Eoin Walsh, 3 James McDonnell, 4 Michael Reade, 5 Patrick Ferris, 6 Sean McVeigh, 7 Matty Downeyh, 8 Emmet Killough, 9 Conor Stewart, 10 Connell Lemon, 11 Kavan Keenan, 12 Brendan McDonnell, 13 Ronan McKillop, 14 Peter McReynolds, 25 Luke O’Rawe
Referee: Mark O’Neill
