ACFL Division 1
Tir na nOg 2-14 St. John’s 1-10
Tir na nOg produced a splendid performance to overcome the challenge of St. John’s at Whitehill on Sunday to keep their chances of survival very much alive.
The Randalstown side produced a splendid finish to the game as they came from one behind after 21 minutes to score an unanswered 2-2 and kill off the challenge of a St. John’s side who have hit a poor run of results recently.
Darragh Fagan from a ‘45’ and Conchur Adams from a free out on the wing exchanged early scores before Fagan and Aaron McNeilly moved the Whitehill side 0-3 to 0-1 ahead with 12 minutes gone.
Play swung from end to end in this full blooded encounter as the excellent Conchur Adams pointed a free and added another from play to tie the contest for the second time and at this stage there was little between the sides.
The end to end action continued with Christy Sheerin for the home side and Stephen Tierney with a great point for St. John’s, following a strong solo from his own half, exchanging further scores and it was going to take something special to separate these two well matched sides.
Brandon Mclarnon, Paul McCloskey and Eamon Og McAllister for Tir na nOg and the superb Adams 0-2 for St John’s kept the score board ticking in the period leading up to half time with the South West side taking a narrow one point lead into the interval.
There was no let-up in the intensity as the action got underway for the second half with Eamon Og McAllister bringing a cheer from the good home support as he moved his side two ahead.
That lead would last only two minutes however as Conall Quinn got in for a well worked goal for the visitors and when Conal McGlade and Conal Gough added points by the 8th minute, the momentum had swung decisively in favour of the Johnnies.
Tir na nOg rallied however as they kicked five points on the bounce through Aaron McNeilly, Eamon Og McAllisdter, Oliver McAtamney 0-2 and Caoimhin Duffin to move one ahead at the end of the third quarter.
It still looked anybody’s game as Conchur Adams pointed a free in the 19th minute and followed with another with nine minutes remaining and the Corrigan side must have fancied their chances at this stage but it was Tir na nOg who produced a storming finally to the game.
Centre-half, Ciaran O’Neill led the charge as he pointed to equalise in the 22nd minute and four minutes later the home side were awarded a penalty which keeper, Sean Paul McAtamney stepped forward to fire past his opposite number, Steven Magennis.
The home side were rampant as a few Johnnies’ heads went down as Ciaran O’Neill fired over his second point before getting on the end of a move that started from deep in defence to finish to the net in injury time.
This win leaves Tir na nOg as one of four sides on 8 points ahead of St. Brigid’s, Rossa and St. Enda’s on score difference and with only three points separating bottom and 5th in the table the race for the title and the fight to avoid relegation looks like going right down to the wire.
Tir na nOg: 1 Sean Paul McAtamney, 2 Ryan Crilly, 3 Ciaran McGrellis, 4 Brandon McLarnon, 5 Paul McCloskey, 6 Ciaran O’Neill, 7 Caoimhin Duffin, 8 Christy Sheerin, 9 Sean Duffin, 10 Aaron McNeilly, 11 Eamon Og McAllister, 12 Oliver McAtamney, 13 Kevin Sheerin, 14 Darragh Fagan, 15 Emmet Murray
St. John’s: 1 Steven Magennis, 2 Ciaran Garland, 3 Jack Bohill, 4 Conor Dyson, 5 Conal McGlade, 6 Ciaran Johnston, 17 Michael Dudley, 8 Conor Hand, 9 Simon McDonagh, 11 Conal Gough, 12 Conchur Adams, 13 Andy McGowan, 14 Conall Quinn, 15 Stephen Tierney, 16 Matthew Leydon, 18 Lorcan Heenan, 19 Ronan Quinn, 20 Darragh McCallin, 22 Conan McKinney, 23 Joshua Robb, 25 Darragh McGuinness
Referee: Eamon McAuley (Cargin)
