ACFL Division 2
St. Teresa’s 1-21 Rasharkin 0-6
League leaders St. Teresa’s put a couple of recent defeats behind them to get back to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over a poor St. Mary’s Rasharkin on the Glen Road on Sunday evening.
The visitors opened brightly enough with points from Conor McFerran and Ruairi O’Boyle to go two in front after four minutes but St. Teresa’s came back strongly through John Mallon 0-3, Conor Mallon, Stephen Carey and Eoin Connolly to lead by four by the 12th minute.
The league leaders were playing with a swagger and confidence that has been missing in their recent defeats to St. Paul’s and Davitt’s and when Niall McCann got in for a goal a minute later, it looked like a long way back for the men from Dreen.
They did reply with a point from Fearghal Kennedy but St. Teresa’s responded immediately through Eoin Hamill, John Mallon and Niall McCann to increase their lead by the 24th minute.
The visitors were struggling to get their own game going as Conor McFerran kicked their fourth of the half but the home side replied with the final two scores of the half through Eoin Hamill and Niall McCann to lead 1-11 to 0-4 at the halfway stage.
McCann extended the St. Teresa’s lead with a point after three minutes of the restart and Anto Taylor added another before Conor McFerran split the posts at the other end to open the visitor’s second half account with five minutes gone.
It failed to lift his side however as Liam McGoldrick’s St. Teresa’s continued to call the shots as they moved the ball around with great confidence and conviction.
Paul McGoldrick, Mark Small, Niall McCann and Darren McCann moved the home side 15 ahead by the 9th minute before Daniel Doherty briefly interrupted the one way traffic with their sixth point of the evening in the 12th minute.
It would be Rasharkin’s final score of a forgettable game as St. Teresa’s continued on the front foot with Niall McCann adding two more and Eoin Hamill and Mark Small also on target as they ran out convincing winners.
This win sees the Glen Road side maintain their place at the top of the table on 14 points while Davitt’s win at St. Paul’s elevates them to second place in the table on 12 and sees the Hoops drop to third place on 11 but with a game on hand.
Naomh Padraig Lisburn are the other side contesting the race for the division 2 title at present and their win over Ardoyne puts them on 11 points with St. Paul’s in third place and the race for the title could go right down to the wire.
St. Teresa’s: 1 Ciaran Murtagh, 2 Aodhan Dugan, 3 Colm McGoldrick, 4 Ryan Mallon, 5 Eoin Connolly, 6 Conor O’Rawe, 7 Conor Mallon, 8 Stephen Carey, 9 Darren McCann, 10 Eoghan Hamill, 11 John Mallon, 12 Paul McGoldrick, 13 Anton Taylor, 14 Niall McCann, 15 Mark Small
Rasharkin: Cathair Henderson, Pearce Kelly, Emmet McFerran, Liam Quigg, Colm Kennedy, Fergus Quigg, Conan McMullan, Ruairi O’Boyle, Shane Hasson, Killian O’Boyle, Fearghal Kennedy, Oran McMullan, Daniel Doherty, Conor McFerran, Jack Quinn
Subs: Donagh Quigg for Fearghal Kennedy injured, Brian Og O’Neill for Jack Quinn HT, Oisin Casey for Emmet McFerran
Referee: Niall Clifford