Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship Group 1
Rossa 2-08-0-09 St Johns
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
Rossa kept their hopes of progressing from Group 1 of the Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship alive with a 2-08-0-09 win over St Johns at Hannahstown on Saturday evening.
Goals either side of the break from Diarmaid Rogan and Thomas Morgan ensured the Shaws Road outfit joined St Johns on 2 points in the group ahead of the final group outings in a fortnights time.
The duo had met in the opening round of the Senior Hurling Championship seven days ago when Rossa took the bragging rights and heading into the Hannahstrown clash the permutations were simple.
Defeat for Rossa would end any hopes of them claiming a spot in the knockout rounds and ensure that St Johns would progress with a game to spare.
Both sides spurned early goal chances, Diarmaid Rogan denied by the foot of Padraig Nugent, while at the other end Mick Byrne made himself big to claw away Sean Wilson’s near-post attempt at the expense of a 45’ that led to Padraig Nugent opening the scoring.
Rossa restored parity as Rogan combined with Thomas Morgan- who had the opportunity for a goal but blasted over the top.
The sides traded further scores through Paddy McBride (free) and Dominic McEnhill before Conor McEvoy confidently dropped over a point that moved the Johnnies 0-03-0-02 ahead.
The game’s opening goal arrived after 17 minutes at Hannahstown. Midfielders Stephen Beatty and Gerard Walsh linked up and the later dropped a high ball that dropped and was gathered by Diarmaid Rogan who slotted past Nugent and into the net to move his side 1-02-0-03 ahead.
Conor Hand would respond with five minutes to the break, claiming a mark and then sending the ball between the posts. A foul on Hand then gave Conchur Adams the chance to level- which he took.
Goal scorer Rogan would ensure his side held a slender lead at the break, swinging over against the breeze to ensure the bare minimum separated the sides at the midway point.
St Johns levelled three minutes after the restart, Conchur Adams handed the ball off to Conor Hand to slip his shot over.
A patient Rossa move then ended with Niall Crossan popping the ball over, only for Paddy McBride to convert his second free of the evening to level things up at 1-04-0-07.
The Shaws Road outfit squandered several opportunities to regain the lead with the game approaching the final ten minutes.
Eventually they hit the front through a fisted Thomas Morgan point and would double their advantage when Dominic McEnhill laid the ball off to Cormac McGettigan- who steered his shot over.
With five minutes remaining the Johnnies halved the deficit through an advanced mark from substitute Conor Bohill and things were back on a knife-edge.
The decisive moment arrived on the 58th minute when Rossa won a free that Dominic McEnhill seized responsibility for.
The Antrim county star saw his effort drop into the crowded square where Thomas Morgan gathered and poked to the net to move his side 2-06-0-08 ahead.
Back-to-back frees from Stephen Beatty in the aftermath gave Rossa a two-goal cushion and St Johns needed to react fast.
The comeback was beyond the Whiterock men though and a consolation point from Simon McDonagh was all they could muster in the closing stages as Rossa ran out winners to join their Belfast rivals on 2 points after two games.
Cargin’s victory over Tir na nÓg ensured that the Champions have all but secured a first-place finish in the Group and Rossa and St Johns will more than likely battle it out for the runners-up spot in two weeks time.
Rossa: M Byrne, N Crossan (0-01), C McGuinness, C Orchin, A Devlin, J Morris, R Gowdy, G Walsh, S Beatty (0-02f), D Rogan (1-01), C McGettigan (0-01), D McEnhill (0-01), T Morgan (1-02), E McMenamin, M Mallon. Subs: D Grego for C McGettigan (Blood Sub 34-39min), D Grego for D Rogan (55).
St Johns: P Nugent (0-01 45’), Ciaran Johnston, J Bohill, C Garland, S Wilson, A Oliver, D McGuinness, S McDonagh (0-01), C McEvoy (0-01), P McBride (0-02f), C Gough, C Adams (0-01f), Conor Johnston, C Hand (0-02). Subs: P Donnelly for D McGuinness (27), C McGlade for S Wilson (42), C Quinn for C Adams (44), C Bohill (0-01m) for Conor Johnston (48), A McGowan for A Oliver (50).
Referee: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)
