OB Construction Antrim Intermediate Football Championship
Group One
St Paul’s 3-11 Pearse’s 0-5
Seasoned campaigners St Paul’s welcomed last season’s Junior champions Pearse’s to the Shaw’s Road hoping not to slip up against a side making their championship debut at this level.
Pearse’s began the game the stronger and looked set to cause an upset with their fast attacking football early on and the 2022 Junior Champions struck a fantastic early score when Daniel Magee pointed after taking a Mark.
It took St Paul’s some time to get going as they missed a number of early chances and it was 10 minutes before they registered their opening score. Pearse’s failed to clear their lines after a free fell short and the ball broke to Aidan Finnegan whose first time effort rattled the back of the net.
The goal swung the momentum in favour of the home side and they quickly followed with a second as Séan McCrory climbed above the Pearses defence to punch to the net and put the Hoops in control.
Last year’s Junior Champions looked rattled as Colm McLarnon found Mark Munce who side-footed an effort between the posts in the 13th minute to put home-side were 2-1 to 0-1 in front at the end of the opening quarter.
The North Belfast side were giving away soft frees and St. Paul’s took advantage and slowly began to build up a substantial lead. The home-side cut through the Pearses defence and Liam McLarnon finished to the net from close range.
By half time St Paul’s had built up a substantial 3-5 to 0-1 lead and it was hard to see a way back for the division 3 side in the second half.
Despite facing almost impossible odds in the second half Pearses made a bright start and kicked the first two points as Daniel Magee converted a free and the same player got his fist to a dropping ball to give his side a small glimmer of hope.
Magee was again to the fore when the fielded the ball behind his marker Conall Finnegan and he placed Niall Devine who had only the ‘keeper to beat. Devine kept his shot low and powerful, but Jack McCaulfield made a great save to deny the Pearse’s man.
St Paul’s responded again with Mark Munce on target and further points from both Colm and Liam McLarnon saw them move further ahead.
The home side continued to pull away with the final score coming from substitute Conaill Duffy who converted a free late on to seal his side’s victory.
St Paul’s now sit top of Group One after day one on score difference, after Con Magee’s, Glenravel convincingly beat Davitt’s by a 13 point margin in the other fixture.
St Paul’s meet the Glens men on Friday the 11th of August at Fr. Maginn Park and will face a much stiffer test than they did on Friday night but they will take a lot of confidence from this performance as they travel to take on the division 2 champions.
For Pearse’s it was a serious learning curve but they can take lessons from this defeat and they will have two weeks now to prepare before they take on Davitt’s at the Bear Pit in a game that is a must win for both sides if they are to retain any ambitions of a quarter-final place.
St. Paul’s: J McCaulfield, A Kavanagh, C Finnegan, S Rooney, M Duffy, J Farrell, N Ward, C McLarnon (0-2, both frees), S McCrory (1-0), M Munce (0-2), C Hughes (0-1), B Burns, A Finnegan (1-2), Conaill Duffy (0-1), L McLarnon (1-2, 0-1 free)
Subs: P Lowe for B Burns (50), Caoimhin Duffy (0-1 free) for Conaill Duffy (50), D Quinn for C Hughes (55), D O’Sullivan for A Finnegan (55)
Pearse’s: E McKenna, D O’Neill, A Bannon, T McFarlane, T Collins, N Gorman, P Murray, N Devine (0-1), J Smyth, P Donaghy, S Fitzsimons (0-1), C Gillespie, D Magee (0-2, 1 free), A McCavana (0-1)
Referee: Conall Roberts (St John’s)
