ACFL Division 1
O’Donovan Rossa 3-9 St John’s 1-10
Rossa took another step towards division 1 survival when they overcame the challenge of deadly rivals, St. John’s in a full-blooded encounter at Shaw’s Road on Wednesday evening
Goals win games and the home side scored three of them to overcome the challenge of St John’s and claim a vital two points in their bid to avoid the drop from Division One.
There was only a point between the sides at half time with Colm Fleming’s opening goal proving vital hosts led at the half with one of those majors through Colm Fleming proving the difference as the opening 30 minutes came to a close.
Rossa hit another two in the second half to give them breathing space and although the visitors found the net late on, it came too late to affect the result.
Both sides created plenty of opportunities over the hour but both wqere guilty of missed chances but Rossa will be the happier on the night as this win keeps them out of the drop zone and indeed moves them onto 13 points.
Rossa got off to a great start start as a Thomas Morgan shot came down off the underside of the crossbar and Colm Fleming was on hand to punch the rebound to the net in the opening minute.
Both sides were creating chances but were wasteful in their finishing with Conchur Adams wide from a free in the 5th minute Rossa responded as Thomas Morgan and Niall Crossan kicked points, while Eoghan McMenamin fired over from the tightest of angles to move them into an early lead.
Adams kicked a free in reply, but St John’s would lose Andy McGowan for 10 minutes as he was black-carded for trailing down Gerard Walsh.
The hosts were unable to do anything with their temporarily numerical advantage, however, as the Johnnies pulled another back through Conal McGlade but they couldn’t add to that score as they kicked a number of wides or were short of the target.
Dominic McEnhill ended a barren 16 minutes for the hosts with a pointed free in stoppage time and while Conor Johnston responded instantly, it was Rossa who led 1-4 to 0-4 at the half.
The sides traded points at the start of the second half through Crossan and Conor Hand, but it was now the hosts turn to miss opportunities but they struck a decisive blow in the 41st minute when Dominic mcEnhill placed Thomas Morgan who fired to the net for his side’s second goal.
McEnhill then converted a free to extend the gap to seven, but St John’s then hit a period of supremacy and began to find their range with Hand hitting a couple of excellent points and McGlade on target to cut the gap to three with six minutes remaining.
Mick Byrne landed a point from one of his trademark 45’s and then as the game ticked into stoppage time, Jack Morris fed Gerard Walsh whose drop-kick took a deflection and ended in the net.
Johnston replied with a point that was cancelled out by McEnhill and although St John’s substitute Conal Gough finished to the net late on, McEnhill kicked a late free to ensure Rossa the win they badly needed.
Rossa: M Byrne (0-1, 45); N Crossan (0-2), C McGuinness, J Morris; M McEnhill, R Gowdy, R Grant; G Walsh (1-0), E McMenamin (0-1); D Grego, C McGettigan, D McEnhill (0-4, 3 frees, 1 mark); C Fleming (1-0), T Morgan (1-1), M Mallon.
Sub: M Close for M McEnhill (46)
St John’s: P Nugent; C Garland, J Bohill, C Dyson; Ciaran Johnston, A McGowan, S Wilson; R McNulty, P McBride; S Tierney, Conor Johnston (0-3), C Hand (0-3); O MacManus, C Adams (0-2, both frees), C McGlade (0-2)
Subs: C Gough (1-0) for C Adams (42), B Neeson for S Wilson (46), L Heenan for O MacManus (56)
Referee: Cathal McDermott (Tír na nÓg)