Antrim Football League – Division 2
Glenavy 0-11 St Paul’s 0-11
A penalty save by Glenavy goalkeeper Stephen Daly three minutes from time proved the decisive action of the day as the St Joseph’s men shared the points with St Paul’s in Wednesday evening’s Division 2 League game at Chapel Hill.
The Shaw’s Road men had trailed for most of the match but they came strong in the final quarter and had the gap back to a single point with just four minutes of normal time left to play when they were awarded a penalty. Up stepped free taker Lorcan Phillips but his shot was well saved by the St Joseph’s netminder Daly as the home fans breathed a sigh of relief. However the danger was not over for the Chapel Hill men as the visitors kept up the pressure and Phillips saved the day as he slotted over the equaliser to tie the scores and it could have been even better for the Belfast men, but an injury time chance to take both league points went just wide of the upright.
Glenavy were the better side in the opening quarter and after falling behind in the second minute they hit the next four points, three of them from free taker Fergal Henry and one from full forward Eoin Henry. St Paul’s were finding it hard to hit the target but Lorcan Phillips pulled on back from a free and Nial McStravick added one from play to trail by just a point at the end of the low scoring first half.
Aldergrove pushed their advantage out to three with early second half points from Fergal Henry and Shay O’Neill but St Paul’s came back well and a point from substitute Conal Duffy and two from Caoimhin Duffy, answered similar scores from Hanna (2) and O’Neill for the home side.
As the game entered the final quarter St Paul’s were the better side and they closed the gap to a points with scores from Finnegan (2) and Phillips. When they were awarded a penalty five minutes from the end of normal time they must have felt the points were there or the taking, but Daly made a great stop to deny them. Phillips brought them level with time almost up and had the chance to seal the win but his shot went just to the right of the posts to leave it level at the end.