ACFL Division 1B
Tir na nOg 1-12 Moneyglass 1-10
While Casement’s Portglenone lead the race for the division 1 title, there is arguably a more intriguing battle taking place at the bottom of division 1B where Wednesday night’s opponents, Tir na nOg and St. Ergnat’s were doing battle.
Four teams, St. Gall’s, St. Brigid’s, Tir na nOg and St. Enda’s sit on 10 points but St. Brigid’s and St. Gall’s have a game in hand while above them Rossa move onto 11 points after their win over St. Gall’s and Moneyglass are on 12 following their defeat at Whiterhill.
Tir na nOg went into this one knowing that only a win would be enough to keep their survival hopes alive and they achieved that win with a battling performance that saw them emerge victors by 2 points.
There was nothing between the sides in a well contested opening half with the Whitehill men carrying a narrow one point lead into the interval, thanks to a late pointed free from Aaron McNeilly.
It was visitors Moneyglass who made the better start at Whitehill however with an Aidan McErlain goal and a point from Connlaodh McCann moving them into a four point lead with only 6 minutes on the clock.
Tir na nOg began to settle and points from Darragh Fagan and Sean Duffin got them on their way and when Eamon Og McAllister got in for a goal in 12th minute they had hit the front for the first time.
Aaron McNeilly moved them two ahead before the visitors came storming back with points from Conor Boyd, Connlaodh McCann and Tiernan McCormick to take the lead for the second timeby the 17th minute.
It was end to end stuff with both sides giving it everything and Tir na nOg came back strongly with points from Oliver McAtamney and Aodhan Toland to edge ahead once more.
Sean Boyd and Conor Boyd for the visitors and Darragh |Fagan and Aaron McNeilly for the Randalstown men exchanged late points to leave the home side one ahead at the short whistle but all still to play for in the second half.
The second half would adopt a similar format to the first as Sean Boyd and Aidan McErlain edged the visitors back ahead with points in the opening four minutes but like last time out against St. John’s, they seemed to lose their way.
A Darragh Fagan pointed free and another from play by Aaron McNeilly saw the Tir na nOg noses in front once more by the 9th minute and it was a lead they would not again lose.
The home side were now dictating matters as the excellent Fagan, Aaron McNeilly and Aodhan Toland moved they four in front at the end of the third quarter but that would be their final score of the game.
The Whitehill men sat back after this in an attempt to run down the clock and it was a strategy that could have cost them as the visitors came back into contention with points from Dermott McErlain and Tyler Cassidy but it proved too little, too late.
The Tir nanOg management will be delighted by this result and this ‘League within a league’ could go right down to the final game of the season with nothing won and certainly nothing lost yet for the sides concerned
Tir na nOg: 1 Sean Paul McAtamney, 2 Ryan Crilly, 3 Ciaran McGrellis, 4 Brandon McLarnon, 5 Paul McCl;oskey, 6 Ciaran O’Neill, 7 Caoimhin Duffin, 8 Sean Duffin, 9 Oliver McAtamney, 10 Aaron McNeilly, 11 Eamon Og McAllister, 12 Darragh Fagan, 13 Emmet Murray, 14 Aodhan Toland, 15 Ciaran Dobbin. 16 Niall Cassidy,
Subs: Conor Hastings for Emmet Murray, Kevin Sheerin for Ciaran Dobbin
Moneyglass: 1 Gary Murray, 2 Fearghal Duffin, 3 Peter McCormick, 4 James McCormick, 5 Kevin McCann, 6 Paul Duffin, 7 Tiernan McCormick, 8 Frank Duffin, 9 Dermott McErlain, 10 Conal Prenter, 11 Conor Boyd, 12 Connlaodh McCann, 13 Sean Boyd, 14 Seanchann Duffin, 15 Aidan McErlain.
Subs: Tyler Cassidy for Tiernan McCormick, James McLaughlin for Frank Duffin, Jimmy McNeill for Conal Prenter
Referee: Brendan Prenter (Lamh Dhearg)
