ACFL Division 1
St. Gall’s 0-15 Moneyglass 4-4
Goals proved vital in this division 1 game at Milltown, four of them in fact and all scored by St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass as they claimed another major scalp in their first season back in division 1 following promotion last year’s from division 2.
Dermot McErlain got Moneyglass off to a good start with a point in the opening minute and things were to get even better for the visitors, two minutes later when after a sharp build up Conaill Prenter fired to the St. Gall’s net
Just prior to Prenter’s goal, St. Ergnat’s net-minder, Gary Murray had pulled off an excellent save but Jack Hopkins got the Milltown men off the mark with a point in the 5th minute and it looked like they were starting to find their feet.
The visitors were having none of it however as they struck for a second goal through mid-fielder, Dermot McErlain in the 6th minute and although Michael Hopkins replied with a St. Gall’s point the momentum was very much with the men from Marian Hill at this early juncture of the game.
They responded again and a good move opened up the home defence once more and that man McErlain struck for his second goal to open up a seven point gap with only ten minutes gone and it wasn’t looking good for a shell shocked home side.
St. Gall’s found a response however and they would hit three unanswered points through Niall Burns, Ruairi Wilson and Conn Doherty to close the gap to four by the 19th minute but the scores dried up at this stage with McErlain hitting St. Ergnat’s final point of the half in the 22nd minute and Conn Doherty replying for St. Gall’s a minute later to conclude the first half scoring.
Aidan McErlain for Moneyglass and Niall Fallon for St. Gall’s exchanged points as the second half action got under way and further exchanges between Colm Walsh for the Milltown side and a Colum Duffin pointed free kept the gap at five with five minutes of the second half gone.
St. Gall’s were coming more and more into the game however and Niall Burns pointed a free before Manus McCrossan and substitute, Frank Duffin followed with two from play and suddenly the Moneyglass lead was cut to two and was looking precarious with 17 minutes still remaining.
Niall Burns closed the gap to the minimum with a point in the 46th minute and the momentum was with the home side with the visitor’s backs very much to the wall but St. Ergnat’s broke in devastating fashion once again and Dermot McErlain completed his hat trick with nine minutes remaining.
This would prove to be the Marian Hill side’s final score of the game as St. Gall’s came back strongly in the closing stages with Niall Burns from a free and Niall O’Neill hitting two from play but that was as close as it got as Moneyglass held on for another win.
Moneyglass now find themselves in fourth place in the division with four wins from eight starts and the Marian Hill side certainly have made the pundits sit up and take notice in their first season back in the top flight.
St. Gall’s: 1 Louis McCormick, 2 Dubhaltach MacLaim, 3 Tiernan Keenan, 4 Cormac Hannery, 5 Jack Hopkins, 6 Thomas Bunting, 7 Gairech MacAdhaimh, 8 Manus McCrosdsan, 9 Ryan Irvine, 10 Ruairi Wilson, 11 Niall O’Neill, 12 Michael Hopkins, 13 Colm Walsh, 14 Niall Burns, 15 Conn Doherty, 16 Aodh Mullan, 17 Conor Stinton, 18 Brendan Bradley, 20 Michael Pollock, 21 Niall Fallon
Moneyglass: 1.Gary Murray, 2.Paul Duffin, 3.Fearghal Duffin, 4.James McCormick, 5.Jack McCoy, 6.Peter McCormick, 7.Tiernan McCormack, 8.Colum Duffin, 9.Dermot McErlain, 10. Kevin McCann, 11 Conor Boyd, 12, Connlaodh McCann, 13 Conaill Prenter, 14 Seanchan Duffin, 15 Aidan McErlain, 16 Danny McErlain, 17 Sean Boyd, 18 Callum McStocker, 19 Connor O’Kane, 20 Frank Duffin, 21 Tyler Cassidy, 22 Ross Donnelly
Referee: Brendan Toland
