ACFL Div 3.
Rasharkin 5-7(22) St Comgalls 1-3(6)
St. Mary’s Rasharkin made it five from five when they overcame the challenge of South West rivals, Naomh Comhghall Antrim in the ACFL Division 3 at a wet Dreen on Wednesday night.
The visitors matched their eventual conquerors during the early exchanges and a James McCabe goal in the 5th minute gave them the lead for the first and only time in the match with Rasharkin responding almost immediately with a goal of their own from Fearghal Kennedy.
It was Kennedy who had pointed the home side into an early lead when he cut in from the right and finished with his weaker left foot and his goal in the 6th minute followed a similar trajectory.
Tiernan O’Boyle extended that lead to two before Naomh Comhghall lost James McCabe to a ‘Black’ card in the 16th minute and Rasharkin took advantage as Tiernan O’Boyle sent an absolute bullet of a finish to the Antrim town net.
Naomh Comhghall finished the half with points from Tom Patchett and Niall Taggart but St. Mary’s replied through Eamon McNeill and the impressive O’Boyle to leave it 2-4 to 1-2 in favour of the Dreen side at half time.
The visitors must have fancied their chances of a comeback in the second half but the third quarter was something of a slow burner before Rasharkin were awarded a penalty in the 13th minute which Oisin Casey fired over to Naomh Comhghall’s relief.
It simply postponed the inevitable however as Eammon McNeill got in for their third goal from play, a minute later and when Cathal Mooney placed Oran McMullan with an inch perfect kick pass for their fourth it was as good as over.
Rasharkin refused to take their foot of the pedal as they pressed home their advantage with Shane Hasson pointing and then getting in for their fifth goal after the best move of the match in the 25th minute.
Hasson concluded the Rasharkin scoring with a late point with Michael McCabe replying with a consolation point for the Antrim town side who were badly off the pace for most of the second half.
Rasharkin sit in third place in division 3 with 10 points from 5 starts with Na Piarsiagh and Laochra Loch Lao a point and 2 points respectively above them but both have played 2 games more and, significantly both have lost to the South West men at Dreen this season.
Rasharkin: 1 – Andrew Hasson, 2 – Pearce Kelly, 3 – Emmet McFerran, 4 – Conor Hasson, 5 – Fearghal Kennedy, 6 – Donagh Quigg, 7 – Fergus Quigg, 8 – Ruairi OBoyle, 9 – Cathal Mooney,
10 – Oran McMullan, 11 – Tiernan O’Boyle, 12 – Killian O’Boyle, 13 – Conor Higgins, 14 – Eammon McNeill, 15 – Shane Hasson
SUBS:
off: Fearghal Kennedy on: Colm Kennedy (Half time sub due to pulled hamstring)
off: Killian O’Boyle on: Oisin Casey
off: Conor Higgins on: James Higgins
off: Pearse Kelly on: Pearce McTague
off: Fergus Quigg on: Cormac McMullan
Naomh Comhghall: 1 Anthony Watson, 2 Caolan McKeown, 3 Ryan McAuley, 4 Ruairi Griffin, 5 Dylan Murdock, 6 Michael McCabe, 17 Danaan O’Hara, 8 Cathal Donnelly, 9 Aaron McGaw, 10 Oisin Crilly, 11 James McCabe, 12 Niall Taggart, 13 Tom Patchett, 14 Louis Higgins, 15 Eoin Lynott
Referee: Colin Mallon