Antrim All County Football League Division 1
St Brigids 0-11 Aghagallon 2-4
Paul McIntyre reports from Musgrave Park
An injury time free from Peter Lundy earned St Brigids a one-point win over Aghagallon at a wet and windy Musgrave Park on Saturday afternoon.
After fighting back from a half-time deficit of eight-points, it was looking like the points were about to head back down the motorway with the St Mary’s, but Lundy’s late strike, which was also St Brigids only score of the second-half, ensured that the Belfast men kept up their winning start to the new season.
Aghagallon made a real fight of it in the second half, and goals from Ciaran Maginnis and Gareth Magee brought Pete McGrath’s side back into the contest. But an over reliance from placed balls for scores, (1-3 of their 2-4 total came from frees), St Brigids were able to fend off the second half onslaught and snatch a deserving one-point win at the death.
St Brigids came flying out of the traps and their fast start somewhat caught the visitors out.
Only 8 minutes had elapsed when a Jack Toner point made the score 0-4 to 0-0 to the hosts.
A Luke Mulholland free in the 10th minute finally broke the sequence, but with James Smith and Conor Downey in the mood, St Brigids raced into a 0-9 to 0-1 lead by the 19th minute.
On top the gale force wind, the game was peppered with heavy rain showers and as conditions deteriorated, the scoring chances soon dried up.
In the closing stages, Declan Heery and Jonathan Hannon, both from frees, added to their side’s respective totals and at half-time St Brigid’s lead 0-10 to 0-2.
Aghagallon wasted no time in launching their comeback on the resumption of proceedings.
Less than a minute had elapsed when Enda McCarten put Ciaran Maginnis in the clear, and the Aghagallon man blasted past Heery for the game’s first goal.
Ruairi McShane pointed from the tightest of angles minutes later as Aghagallon served notice that the comeback was officially on.
Hugh Hannon thought he had scored Aghagallon’s second goal, but unfortunately it was ruled out for a foul on Herry in the St Brigid’s goal.
But the visitors didn’t have long to wait for their second major.
In need of scores, Pete McGrath turned to the ever-reliable Gareth Magee. Sprung from the bench in the 42nd minute, Magee’s effort with seven minutes remaining had a touch of luck about it as his 30-metre free dropped into the net at Herry’s unmanned back post.
Mulholland’s free levelled the game for the first time two-minutes later, and it was looking increasingly more likely that we were looking at an away win.
But St Brigids reclaimed their lost composure, and when Patrick Branagan was penalised for a high challenge on Niall Duffy, Lundy knocked over the resulting free to make it two wins from two for the South Belfast men.
Team and scorers:
St Brigids: Declan Heery (0-1f), Finn McKernan, John Toner, Joe McCarney (0-1), Reuben Carleton, Peter King, Shay Campbell, Mikey Cummings, Fergal Sherry, Brian McGurk, Conor Downey (0-3 2f), James Smith (0-3), Niall Duffy, Conan McNicholl, Jack Toner (0-2).
Replacements: Ben Doherty for Downey (37), Conor McAleer for Jack Toner (49), P Lundy (0-1f) for McGurk (49).
Aghagallon: Luke Mulholland (0-2f), Kieran Hamill, Aidan Mulholland, Aaron Doherty, Stephen Devlin, Jamie Lamont, Patrick Branagan, Paúric Maginnis, Enda McCartan, Padraig Gowdy, Jonathan Hannon (0-1f), Ciaran Maginnis (1-0), Hugh Hannon, Enda Mallon, Ruairi McShane (0-1).
Replacements: Gareth Magee (1-0f) for E Hannon (42), David McAlernon for Mallon (42), Conor Magill for Doherty (51), Eoin Maginnis for McCartan (55).
Referee: Mr Paul Burns (Naomh Comhghall)
