OB Construction Antrim Intermediate Football Championship.
Group One at the Bear Pit
Davitt’s 0-15 Pearse’s 1-9
Davitt’s bounced back from last week’s defeat in Glenravel to take the points in Friday evening’s Intermediate Football Championship game against Belfast rivals Pearses at the Bear Pit.
The Falls Road men were in control for most of the game and were nine clear at a stage in the second half, but last year’s Junior Champions Pearses staged a late revival to close within two and there were a few worried looking Davitt’s fans wondering just what was going on. However they never panicked and saw they game out to get their championship hopes back on track.
The winners struck early when Jay Maguire pointed in the opening minute and Gerard Slane and CJ Sullivan added points apiece to stretch their lead to three. It took Pearses a while to get going but they broke their duck nearing the end of the opening quarter when Daniel Magee got on the end of a long ball from Piaras Donaghy and fisted the ball past Slane in the Davitt’s goal to open up their account.
You felt that Pearses would push on from such a great score but Davitt’s regained control and PJ Sullivan, Aaron Slane and Deaglan Mooney all knocked over points to help stretch their team’s lead to seven at the half way stage. (0-10 to 1-0).
Eamon Connor got Pearses second score of the game early in the new half but Sullivan, Slane and Maguire all came back with scores and Davitt’s were in cruise control. The only thing that appeared to be in question was the size of the winning margin but the men from the New Lodge suddenly took control of the game and hit seven points in a row to cut the arrears to just two and turn the game on its head.
Stephen Fitzsimons led the line with four pointed frees and one from play, while Moreland and Connor also got in on the scoring act.
Davitt’s were treading water. They needed a lift to arrest their slide and it came from Gerard Slane who slotted over a very good point, before adding one from a free. Pearses, who by this stage were reduced to fourteen men after Devine received a straight red card, did manage to pull one back through a Fitzsimons free but Davitt’s managed to hold on to seal the win
DAVITT’S: A Slane (0-1 free); C Rainey, J park, C Toner; K Skelly, A Hargan, D Mooney (0-1); M Connolly (0-1), N McParland; C Slane (0-1), G Slane (0-4, 1 free), N Magin; CJ Sullivan (0-5), J Maguire (0-2), A Rowntree.
Subs: S McGivern for A Rowntree (46), C Ferran for C Toner (60+3)
PEARSE’S: E McKenna; C McCavana, T McFarlane, A Bannon; C Gillespie, N Gorman, J Collins; P Donaghy, C O’Neill; S Moreland (0-1), S Fitzsimons (0-6, 5 frees), P Murray; E Connor (0-2), D Magee (1-0), A McCavana
Subs: N Devine for J Collins (42), B Harper for C Gillespie (52)
REFEREE: Martin Quinn (Naomh Éanna)
