ACFL Division 1
St. Ergnart’s 2-11 Tir na nOg 1-11
Tir na nOg travelled to Marian Hill on Wednesday night seeking their second win of the season and looked to be on course to doing that when they led the home side 1-9 to 1-5 at half time but St. Ergnat’s came back strongly in the second half to take their third brace of points.
Randalstown made the brighter start with Darragh Fagan pointing them ahead from a free in the opening minute with Conor Boyd replying from a free for Moneyglass to tie the contest with three minutes on the clock.
The visitors were dominating the early exchanges and Fagan fired home the game’s opening goal but, their early dominance was halted with a bit good fortune for the home side when a Dermot McErlain 45 sailed all the way to the Whitehill net to leave it 1-01 each with only five minutes gone.
Both sides traded points over the following five minute with Aidan McErlain and Kevin McCann on target for St. Ergnat’s and Darragh Fagan bring his personal tally to four for the Whitehill side.
Fagan continued to carry the threat for Tir Na nOg as the visitors reeled off three unanswered points before Conor Boyd replied with a point for the home side with 20 minutes gone.
It was the Randalstown side who finished the half on the front foot however with Fagan leading the way with three more points and Colum Duffin making a solitary reply for St. Ergnats to leave the half time score 1-9 to 1-5 in favour of the Whitehill men.
Moneyglass had been second best for the most of the opening half but they upped their game considerably on the restart as Conor Boyd pointed an early free before a free flowing move saw Kevin McCann finish to the net to leave it all square at 26 to 1-9 with only three minutes of the new half gone.
McCann’s goal gave the home side the lift they needed and they would reel off the next four score withthis would be the lift the homeside required and would reel off the next 4 scores from Sheanachan Duffin, 2 from Colum Duffin and a Dermot McErlain 45 leaving them 4 to the good after 20 minutess and in complete control.
Tir na nOg just could not get going and things would get worse for the Randalstown men as Colum Duffin put the homeside 5 to the good with 25 mins gone and it was as good as over at this stage.
To their credit Tir na nOg battled to the end with Eamon Og McAllister finaly opening their second half account with a point in the 59th minute and Aaron McNeilly pointing a free in injury time but it was too little, too late.
This win leave Moneyglass well placed in mid table with three wins from 7 starts in their first season back in division 1and they have shown enough to date to suggest that they are more than capable of holding their own in this division.
Tir na nOg have found points hard to come by in their second season back in the top flight with only one win to date and are currently bottom of the division but they showed during a good first half that they are capable of better.
Moneyglass: 1 Gary Murray, 2 Paul Duffin, 3 Fearghal Duffin, 4 James McCormick, 5 Tiernan McCormick, 6 Peter McCormick, 7 Patrick McCormick, 8 Colum Duffin, 9 Dermott McErlain, 10 Kevin McCann, Conor Boyd, 12 Jack McCoy, 13 Connlaodh Mccann, 14 Seanchann Duffin, 15 Aidan McErlain
Tir na nOg: 1 Sean Martin, 2 Brandon McLarnon, 3 Ciaran McGrellis, 4 Daniel Martin, 5 Oliver McAtamney, 6 Caoimhin Duffin, 7 Peter Cullen, 8 Sean Duffin, 9 Barry McCormick, 10 Aaron McNeilly, 11 Eamon Og McAllister, 12 Paul McCloskey, 13 Darragh Fagan, 14 Ciaran O’Neill, 15 Conor McCamphill
Referee: Ray Matthews (Rossa)
