ACFL Division 1
St. Gall’s 0-14 St. John’s 2-8
A great exhibition of free taking from St. Gall’s number 8, Niall Burns earned the Milltown side a valuable point that looked most unlikely when Loughlin McCurdy scored St. John’s second goal, 15 minutes into the second half.
That score moved the Corrigan Park side six ahead and they looked in complete control at that stage.
However the visitors began to defend in depth at this stage of the contest, pulling 14 men behind the ball and they handed the initiative to the home side who slowly chipped away at their lead with the superb Burns leading the way.
McCurdy’s goal would prove to be the Johnnies final score with the mercurial Burns converting five frees on the bounce before firing over the equaliser, three minutes into injury time to greatly enhance St. Gall’s survival chances.
It was visitors St. John’s who got off to a great start at Milltown as Conor Hand fired to the net in the opening minute before Niall Burns replied with a point from play and another from a converted free to close the gap to one by the 14th minute.
Andy McGowan pointed the visitors two ahead with a great long range point in the 18th minute and Conor Hand converted a Mark and added another from play and another from Ryan McNulty had his side five ahead after 26 minutes.
County player, Eoghan McCabe pulled one back for St. Gall’s with a fine long range effort with the outside of his boot but Ryan McNulty replied again to move the Johnnies five ahead once more.
The final score of the half came from a Niall Burns free for the Milltown side in the 32nd minute to leave St. John’s four in front at the interval and good value for that lead.
McNulty was having an excellent game at mid-field for the Corrigan Park side and he extended their lead to five with a point on the restart but Niall Falloon and a great point from Niall Burns in the third minute cut the deficit to three with only three minutes of the second half gone.
A Black card to Conchur Adams saw the Johnnies reduced to 14 men but didn’t initially affect their momentum as they added an excellent point from Conor Dyson and another from a Conor Hand Free in the 12th minute
Niall Burns replied from another free in the 14th minute but when Loughlin McCurdy sent a dipping shot over the head of the advancing Matthew Layden, the visitors looked well on their way to victory.
They decided to drop back and defend their six point lead at this stage and it was a tactic that back fired with St. Gall’s carrying the game to their opponents who began to concede needless frees and were made to pay the penalty.
Niall Burns gratefully accepted the opportunities with a clinical exhibition of free taking as he fired over five without reply before earning his side a valuable point as he sent over from play in injury time.
This point moves St. Gall’s onto 14 points and could be enough to secure their division 1 status but with two games still to play nothing is definitely decided. However with home games against St. Brigid’s and St. Enda’s still to come they look in a strong position.
Naomh Gall: 1 Louis McCormick, 2 Cormac Flannery, 3 Tiarnan Keeenan, 4 Eoghan McCurdy, 5 Conall Murray, 6 Conall MCGirr, 7 Gairech MacAdhaimh, 8 Niall Burns, 9 Ryan Irvine, 10 Colm Walsh, 11 Brendan Bradley, 12 Dubhaltach MacLiam, 13 Nial Falloon, 14 Kevin Niblock, 15 Eoghan McCabe.
St. John’s: 1 Matthew Leydon, 2 Ross Hannigan, 3 Ciaran Garland, 4 Conor Dyson, 5 Conal mcGlade, 7 Ronan Quinn, 8 Ryan McNulty, 11 Andy McGowan, 12 Stephen Tierney, 13 Loran Heenan, 14 Conor Hand, 15 Conchur Adams, 18 Ciaran Johnston, 19 Conor McEvoy, 21 Conall Quinn, 22 Michael Dudley, 23 Loughlin McCurdy, 24 Darragh McGuinness, 25 Michael Darragh, 27 Louis Boyd, 28 Joseph Garland
Referee: Brendan Toland (Lamh Dhearg)
