ACFL Division 1
Ahoghill 2-11 St. Gall’s 2-8
St. Mary’s Ahoghill produced a strong final quarter performance to overcome the challenge of St. Gall’s in an excellent ACFL Division 1 encounter in Clooney on Wednesday night. Both sides produced periods of fast flowing attacking football over the hour but it was the Clooney men’s resilience in defence that won the day.
The first half had the crowd on their toes for nearly all of the 30 minutes with both sides enjoying periods of ascendancy but it was St. Mary’s who headed to the dressing room holding a slender one point lead.
The third quarter saw St. Gall’s camped in the Ahoghill half but a combination of poor finishing and some excellent and disciplined defending from the home side kept the deficit at one and produced only one score from both sides.
It was Ahoghill who took control in the final quarter, outscoring the visitors 0-4 to 0-2 to win by three and give them their fourth win from seven starts to leave them sitting 5th in the league after Wednesday night’s round of games.
Patrick Graham gave Ahoghill an early lead when he pointed in the 4th minute but Manus McCrossan was well placed for a simple tap in at the other end after Noel Crossey’s save broke favourably into his path.
Niall Burns added a point from a 7th minute free as the visitors enjoyed a period of supremacy but Ahoghill broke forward and Colla McDonnell fired home at the other end to level the contest with 8 minutes on the clock.
The game was being played at a frantic pace with Conall Murray pointing and Niall Fallon firing over when he should have had a goal and Patrick Graham replying with a point for the home side. A Niall Burns pointed free moved the Milltown men two ahead again and they seemed to be taking control.
The home side were having none of it however as Colla McDonnell struck with his and his side’s second goal of the game at the other end in the 20th minute to move Ahoghill two in front but again St. Gall’s, led by the excellent Niall Burns found a response.
Burns replied with a point and then Manus McCrossan rose to palm the ball to an empty net after a slick move opened up the home defence but Ahoghill hit back strongly with points from James O’Connell, Dan O’Neill and Fionnbar O’Neill to lead 2-6 to 2-5 at half time.
When Donal Graham edged the Clooney side two in front with an excellent point on the restart we looked to be in with a repeat of the opening half’s attacking football but for the next ten minutes it turned into a cagey affair with Ahoghill sitting deep and attempting to hit on the break.
St. Gall’s dominated possession during this part of the game but could only manage a single point from Michael Hopkins and were guilty of some wayward shooting and they had keeper Niall McCurdy to thank for an excellent save from Donal Graham at the expense of a point as he home side broke at speed.
Graham added another fine effort to move his three in front by the 11th minute and they looked to have weathered the early St. Gall’s storm.
The visitors fought to get back into it and Conall McGirr pointed at the other end but Ahoghill were now controlling possession and moving the ball around with confidence and Eamon Brady placed James O’Connell for a good point.
Dan O’Neill struck a splendid effort to put his side four in front with two minutes of normal time remaining and despite five minutes of extra time the visitors could only manage a point from a Niall Burns free in reply.
An entertaining game of football with both sides enjoying periods of supremacy and St. Gall’s will feel they could have had something from the game with Niall Fallon having a goal bound shot stopped on the line with five minutes remaining but Ahoghill’s greater intensity proved the difference in the end.
Ahoghill: 1 Noel Crossey, 2 Seamus McKeever, 3 Bobby Magee, 4 Harry O’Donnell, 5 Fionnbar O’Neill, 6 Eamon Brady, 7 Diarmaid Graham, 8 Patrick Graham, 9 Thomas McGlone, 20 Dan O’Neill, 11 Donal Graham, 12 Bernard Graham, 13 James O’Connell, 14 Ronan Graham, 15 Colla McDonnell, Subs: Shea Madden, PJ O’Connell, Martin Graham
St. Gall’s: 1 Niall McCurdy, 2 Cormac Flannery, 3 Tiernan Keown, 4 Eoghan McCurdy, 5 Conall Murray, 6 Thomas Bunting, 7 Jack Hopkins, 8 Manus McCrossan, 9 Niall O’Neill, 10 Ruairi Wilson, 11 Niall Burns, 12 Conall McGirr, 13 Michael Hopkins, 14 Niall Fallon, 15 Callum Walsh. Subs: 22 Ryan Ervine, 21 Gareth McAdam.
Referee: Cathal McDermott (Tir na nOg)
