O’Neill ACFL Division 1

St. Galls 3-14 St. Ergnats Moneyglass 0-7

On a fine evening for football at De La Salle Park it was the home side that ran out convincing winners on the day. Moneygalss would have been travelling to Milltown in positive spirits having put in a decent shift last time out against St.Brigids with only a couple of scores separating them at the end.

It was the home side that came out of the blocks the quickest and capitalised from a stray pass in the Moneyglass defence to power forward and notch the first score of the game in the 4^th minute. The visitors however composed themselves and won the possession from the kick out with a well fielded ball by Dermot Mc Erlain. Moneyglass worked the ball well through the St. Galls defence and opened their account on 6 minutes with a fine effort from their Captain Colm Duffin. The sides exchanged scores in the opening phase of the game with points for the home side coming from Tiernan Keenan and Daniel Quinn and Colm Duffin again for the visitors leaving the scoreboard at 0-04 v 0-03 after 17 minutes.

St. Galls took control of the game and dominated possession in the later stages of the first half when they found the Moneyglass net through Daniel Quinn. The visitors found it hard to get into any sort of rhythm in this one and were left further frustrated when the home side again found the net on the stroke of half-time through a well worked effort from No.13 Niall Fallon. Fallon would bring the first half to a close with another point just before the whistle. HT 2-07 v 0-05.

St. Galls started the second half as they finished the first dominating the play through the experience of Aodhan Gallagher who had dropped back into a more defensive roll and was orchestrating things from there along with the impressive Conall Mc Girr.  Moneyglass made a gallant effort however moving forward when they could and a foul on Kevin McCann saw them notch point number 6 coming the experienced Fergal Duffin. A free from Daniel Quinn and another from Liam Lynn saw them extend the gap to leave 10 point between the sides.

The visitors seemed to admit defeat and made a trio of changes early on and they only added a further point to their tally. St. Galls kept the momentum going with further scores from Barra Mc Caffrey, Liam Lynn, Niall Fallon and Michael Hopkins to see this one out.

 ACFL Division One. 

 St Marys 0-14.   Roger Casements 1-07.

 With good playing conditions at Pairc na nGael many neutrals might have given the nod to the visitors in this game as both are at opposite ends of the Division One League table.

As the game progressed the home team ensured that they were going to be in the game and indeed stay in the game as they played with strength and verve and no lack of skill to take the two valuable points from the joint table toppers. The sizeable crowd was well entertained with a game that was full of endeavour from both teams.  

The game was fast and furious and Casements showed at times why they are at the top table in this League. The Aghagallon lads held a slender advantage after trading scores in the opening period and this lead they were to hold for a large part of the remainder of the game.

St Marys were in front by two points 0-6 to 0-04 at the short whistle. A major score in the game for Casement’s was a goal they scored right from the throw-in after halftime when they won possession and cut through the St Marys rear-guard to score the goal which put them two points up. St Marys responded positively at this crucial stage and went on to keep their noses in front for the duration. 

With Casements attacking the clubhouse end the game was nip and tuck for the first half with both teams scoring two points each in the opening period. For St Marys, Johnny Hannon and a Gareth Magee free. Oisin Doherty hit a great score from an acute angle for the visitors to open their account and another point from a Paddy Kelly free left the score two points each.

The general play from both teams was very much of an attacking style and the ball was being transferred from defence to attack with great intent. St Marys continued to attack and hit another two great scores before the break coming from Johnny Hannon cutting in from the left to sweep over and two frees from Gareth Magee. With scores nip and tuck Ronan Kelly hit a great point from play and St Marys showing their attacking prowess went in two points up at the break, 0-06 to 0-04 to the home team. 

The throw-in for the second half fell to Casements and with a number of runners working the ball through the hands the move ended in a goal in a crowded square to put the visitors two points up. Michael Hagan possibly getting the decisive strike on the ball.

This was a decisive score in the context of the game as St Marys held a slender lead for most of the first half. How would the greens respond, this became evident as they upped the effort with confidence and some great teamwork and they reeled in the scores to level by the 45th minute with a great score from Johnny Hannon from distance and another free from Gareth Magee.

This momentum continued for the home team as they kept the scoreboard ticking over and they took the lead through two quick-fire points from Pauric Magennis and Hugh Hannon, these scores coming after some great transition play by St Marys using the ball and space well to fire over. 

St Marys continued to work hard in their defensive duties and reduced chances to a minimum, Casements continued to show how dangerous they can be with some great attacking movement in the forward lines and it was nip and tuck until the 50th minute.

Casements picked off a number of scores including another Ronan Kelly effort and a Paddy Kelly free which kept their team in touch. Casements hit a number of wides thereafter and St Marys capitalised on their scoring opportunities in the closing stages. St Marys gradually stretched the lead in the last ten minutes of the game with Gareth Magee from play and Enda Mc Cartan also from play.

St Marys managed their game from defence to attack to close the game out. To leave four points at the end, St Marys Gareth Magee finished with a free after a foul on full forward Enda Mallon. 

A very valuable two League points for the home team, the game was fast and furious at times with little time to dwell on the ball. St Marys stuck to their task and the teamwork ethic was evident in this display right throughout the team and this gives the St Marys lads some areas to work on for more tough games to follow. Casements showed their mettle at different periods of the game and no doubt they will also reflect on this game also looking ahead. 

St Marys; Luke Mulholland, Kieran Hamill, Aidan Mulholland, Ciaran Magennis, Jamie Lamont, Pat Branagan, Jack Lenehan, Daryl Mc Alernon, Pauric Magennis, Enda Mc Cartan, Johnny Hannon, Steven Devlin, Enda Mallon, Gareth Magee. 

Antrim Football League – Division 3

St Comgall’s 6-19 Wolfe Tones 2-2

Pics by Eelco Westerhuis

Naomh Comhghall senior men hosted Wolfe Tones of Greencastle at Dunsilly on Sunday afternoon. 

Both teams came in to the game with contrasting form – the visitors searching for their 2nd win of the campaign, whilst the hosts were aiming to add to their untarnished form record. 

The Comgall’s started like a house on fire, piling the pressure on the Wolfe Tone’s defence, with the full forward line of Clarke, Devine and Patchett proving a real handful, hitting a score a piece within the first few minutes. 

The Greencastle men found it extremely difficult to find a man in a hooped jersey from their resulting kick outs; midfielders Josh Henry and Louis Higgins, in combination with centre half back James McCabe, mopped up every high ball. 

The Comgall’s looked well on their way when Miles Devine found the bottom corner early on in the first half, however the Greencastle men had other ideas – pouncing on a loose ball to launch a counter attack on the Antrim defence, which the visitors made no mistake to raise the green flag. 

The home side responded well; Josh Henry charged forward from midfield, declining all assistance offered to him before coolly fisting the ball over the bar. 

His midfield partner Higgins joined in on the action shortly after, raising a white flag of his own from a well worked score. 

With the Comgall’s in a commanding lead, the visitors to their credit continued to press forward. They got their rewards when a long range effort caught goalkeeper Caolan McKeown unaware, ending up in the back of the net. 

Half time score 1:11 – 2:1 

Despite a comfortable half time lead, the Antrim men were determined to maintain the intensity in the second half. 

Dylan Murdock, Ruairi Griffin and Paddy O’Connor got in on the action, running from deep to each convert a score of their own. 

Mid way through the half, manager Barry Burns introduced young Liam Phinn, before breaking the glass to release Colm Griffin on to the field of play. 

Young Phinn, to his credit after an earlier miss, maintained his composure as he was played through on goal shortly after his introduction, rolling the ball delightfully out of the goalkeepers reach to find the bottom corner. 

In a season which Colm Griffin has been injured for the most part; he ensured to make up for lost time. A hattrick of goals in a 15 minutes provoked a massive roar from the Comgall’s faithful. Sealing an emphatic victory. 

Credit must be given to the Comgall’s back line of the McCabe brothers, Donnelly, Close, Murdock and Lynott, conceding only 1 point in the second half. 

Final score 

Naomh Comhghall 6-19 

Wolfe Tones 2-2

The St Comgall’s scorers were

Josh Henry 0-1

Louis Higgins 0-1

Aaron McGaw 1-00

Colm Griffin 3-00

Ryan Clarke 0-2

Tom Patchett 0-7

Dylan Murdock 0-2

Liam Phinn 1-00

Miles Devine 1-4

Ruairi Griffin 0-2

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 12^th 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 24^th 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 9^th minute before Daniel Doherty briefly interrupted the one way traffic with their sixth point of the evening in the 12^th 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