ACMFL Division 2A

All Saints Ballymena 0-13 

Tir na nOg Randalstown 3-03

All Saints edged a very tight affair at a windswept Slemish Park on Sunday. Both teams were far from their best, both missing key players, but both showing great grit and determination in the difficult conditions. 

Tir na nOg played with the wind in the first half but Ballymena held firm for the opening 15 minutes where both sides missed chances.

Ballymena took the lead with two well worked points against the wind, the 2nd in particular, a fine team move from defence to attack where McKeown slotted over. 

The Randalstown side responded well with a pointed free. And then hit a sucker punch on the break when Smith latched onto a long ball and calmly slotted to the net beyond young Saints keeper Crawford who had a very composed game.

Tir na nOg rounded off the half with another well taken point to lead by a goal at the short whistle but the feeling was they needed a few more scores on the board given the strength of the breeze.

The second half ebbed and flowed, with Saints adding 2 points by Harry Connon and Crooks to leave the minimum between the sides. The visitors responded with a well worked move that earned a 20 meter free, and the resulting wind effected shot on target looped into the net.

Saints responded with some pressure but the Whitehill side were defending well. The home hit the next 3 scores to leave 1 between the sides with 15 to go but Tir na nOg broke up the field and managed a good point on the break.

The visitors had an opportunity to put themselves in the driving seat but Saints were let off the hook when a penalty for a foot block went narrowly wide.

Tir na nOg weren’t done and another well worked break up the field saw them force a 4 v 1 situation and they duly punished the Saints with their 3rd goal and a 5 point lead with less than 10 minutes remaining. This made up for a similar earlier effort which was superbly saved by Crawford. 

All Saints didn’t panic and Harry Connon started to control midfield and was instrumental in the comeback. Crooks slotted a point and was narrowly denied a goal soon after when his shot rattled the crossbar. All Saints pressure was earning frees and fouls on Bradley and Finn Connon resulted in 2 more scores from his brother Harry’s boot to leave the minimum between the sides.

A superb team point from the Saints men was finished when a pass from Orran Mayo found Kaczmarek out wide and he swung over a belter to level the game as the clock ticked into the red. 

It was frantic stuff in injury time with both teams putting their bodies on the line. All Saints won a free and up stepped Harry Connon to slot the winning point. TNN fought hard for the remaining couple of minutes but a crucial interception by Daniel Henry signalled the final whistle and disappointment for the visitors.

All Saints can count themselves fortunate to edge the win but both sides will improve a lot from their first outing of the season. 

Next up for Ballymena is an away fixture at Moneyglass while Tir na nOg will entertain Portglenone. 

Division 2A Results

Casements 2-11 St. Gall’s 2-7

Ardoyne 3-8 Moneyglass 6-6

Rossa 1-4 Na Gaeil Oga 0-11

All Saints 0-13 Tir na nOg 3-3