O’Neill’s Sportswear ACFL Division 2B
Ardoyne 1-11-2-08 St Pauls
Kevin Herron reports from Fennell Park
St Pauls battled back from seven points down in the first half and six at the beginning of the second period to claim a point in a 1-11-2-08 draw with Ardoyne at Fennell Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Shaws Road outfit were only ahead once over the course of the afternoon through an early Lorcan Philips point.
The hosts replied with the game’s opening goal through Aidan McNeill- who reacted quickest after his sides first shot came off the large post and he was waiting to thump the rebound into the roof of the net.
Conor McLaughlin would swing over his sides first point following Kevin Lynch’s layoff and Cormac Mullan then converted a free to open up a four-point advantage after 10 minutes.
Philips would double his tally through a converted free, but Ardoyne then responded with four unanswered points that saw them 1-06-0-02 ahead approaching the break.
Three of the scores came in close proximity as Kealan McCallin and Oisin McVicker produced fine points and a fisted effort from Eoghan Corrigan followed.
Kevin Lynch was then illegally held up as he attempted to get his shot away and Cormac Mullan would double his tally from the placed ball.
St Pauls hit back on the 23rd minute through a fortuitous Tiernan Auld goal. Auld dropped a high ball in and Ardoyne keeper Tiernan Hughes lost sighting as he attempted to compete with the St Pauls attacker in front of him- the ball evaded both and snuck underneath the crossbar to make it 1-06-1-02.
Philips would add a further point before the break from the placed ball as St Pauls had wiped the deficit by more than half.
Despite conceding the goal and point without reply before the break, Ardoyne regained the initiative and extended their lead with three unanswered points at the beginning of the second period.
Goal scorer Aidan McNeill swung over a point from close range, Cormac Mullan dropped over his first from play and Conor McLaughlin clipped over his second of the afternoon to give the hosts a 1-09-1-03 lead.
James Farrell and Liam McLarnon got St Pauls up and running with back-to-back scorers in response, though a converted 45’ from Mullan gave Ardoyne a five-point cushion with little over a quarter of an hour remaining.
McLarnon converted a close range free and then dropped a 65’ over the bar to make it a three-point game.
The hosts had the chances to extend their lead- though were guilty of wastefulness in front of goal and they would pay the price five minutes from time when Seán MacCorriadh was gathered in front of goal and swept his low drive into the corner to draw the sides level at 1-10-2-07.
Ardoyne inched ahead again through Mullan’s third free of the contest, but they couldn’t hold out and in injury time Niall Ward popped the ball off to Pearse Magee to grab the equaliser and ensure St Pauls would salvage a point for their afternoon’s effort.
Ardoyne: T Hughes, O McVicker (0-01), M McGreevy, C McLaughlin (0-02), J McNeill, E Corrigan (0-01), K McCallin (0-01), SJ Rooney, D McCormick, A McNeill (1-01), B O’Neill, C Mullan (0-05, 0-03f, 0-01 45’), K Lynch, C McDowell, C McNeill. Subs: M McAuley for SJ Rooney (40), O McKee for C McDowell (56).
St Pauls: J Rodgers, A Kavanagh, T Auld (1-00), P Magee (0-01), M Duffy, N McStravick, D O’Sullivan, S MacCorraidh (1-00), N Ward , M Munce, C Hughes, J Farrell (0-01), L Philips (0-03, 0-02f), L McLarnon (0-03, 0-01f, 0-01 45’), P Doyle. Subs: C Killyleagh for N McStravick (22), P Lowe for C Hughes (HT), S Rooney for M Duffy (38), F Ireland for L McLarnon (53).
Referee: Fionntan McCotter (Sarsfields)
