O’Neill’s ACFL Division One
St Galls 2-10-1-09 Creggan
Kevin Herron reports from De La Salle Park
Goals from Michael Hopkins and Niall Burns ensured that St Galls chalked up their third straight victory with a 2-10-1-09 win over Creggan at Milltown on Wednesday evening.
Dominic McAteer converted an early free to give Creggan the lead, only for Niall Burns to swivel and steer a shot over to restore parity.
St Galls would hit the front through Thomas Buntings superb score- following a layoff from Niall Fallon.
However, Diarmuid Mulholland dropped a shot between the posts after a free was worked shot and Creggan edged ahead through Tiarnan McAteer’s shot that squeezed inside the large post.
Burns floated over a second leveller for his side, but Mulholland doubled his tally immediately at the other end.
Just before the half time break Burns produced two excellent scores to bring his tally to 0-04 for the half and ensure the hosts held a slender 0-05-0-04 advantage at the midway point.
St Galls began the second period on the front foot with Conall McGirr guiding a shot over and then a goal arriving shortly afterwards.
Callum Walsh spotted Creggan keeper Peter Graham off his line and tried to take advantage. Graham got back to parry the initial effort, but Michael Hopkins pounced and fisted the loose ball to the net, giving St Galls a 1-06-0-04 lead in the process.
A sensational Burns point extended the lead and made it 1-05 without reply with the talisman converting his first free of the evening shortly after.
Dominic McAteer converted a free to get the visitors up and running for the half and further scores followed from Kevin Rice and an impressive Ruairi McCann score to make it a four-point game.
St Galls were afforded a little more breathing space when Niall Fallon swung a shot inside the near post- ending the visitor’s momentum momentarily.
With six minutes to go Creggan briefly restored hope of a comeback. Tiarnan McAteer charged forward and slipped the ball off to brother Dominic who rifled to the net to make it 1-09-1-07.
That hope was extinguished within two minutes as Niall Burns added to his six points with a goal when his low shot beat Peter Graham at his near post to move his side 2-09-1-07 ahead.
Ruairi McCann and Eoghan McCabe traded points with Tiarnan McAteer finishing off the evenings scoring as St Galls ran out victorious at the end to make it three wins on the spin and leapfrog Creggan in the process.
St Galls: N McCurdy, C Flannery, T Keenan, E McCurdy, C Murray, T Bunting (0-01), J Hopkins, M McCrossan, N O’Neill, R Wilson, N Burns (1-06, 0-01f), C McGirr (0-01), C Walsh, N Fallon (0-01), M Hopkins (1-00). Subs: E McCabe for C Murray (43), G MacAdhaimh for C Walsh (52), K Bradley for J Hopkins (60).
Creggan: P Graham, Jake McAteer, R Johnston, S McAuley, S Maguire, E Carey-Small, Joe McAteer, K Rice (0-01), O McCann, T McAteer (0-02), R McCann (0-02), D Mulholland (0-02), P Coey, D McAteer (1-02, 0-02f), S Duffin. Subs: K McCann for O McCann (27), A Maguire for S McAuley (41), D McGuckin for D Mulholland (47), T McLarnon for P Coey (58).
Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Eanna)
