O’Neill’s ACFL Division One

Aghagallon 0-15-1-07 Lámh Dhearg

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Na nGael

Aghagallon claimed a decisive victory that saw them overtake Lámh Dhearg and move away from the bottom four with a 0-15-1-07 win at home on Sunday evening.

They were first off the mark when Jonathon Hannon shot over on the turn, but the opening goal of the game fell to the visitors a few minutes later.

Luke Mulholland’s kick out was straight down the throat of Mark Lowe and he turned the ball back towards the empty net and in.

A sustained period of pressure followed, and parity was restored when Gareth Magee and Padraig Gowdy split the posts.

Lámh Dhearg hit the front again through a fine Declan Smith point and it was the first of four unanswered.

Smith would double his tally, dropping over an angled score and in-between Adam Murray swung a shot inside the posts and Conor Murray shot over after taking a pass from Lowe.

The hosts ended the half strongly with Magee doubling his account from a free, Gowdy firing over and Conor Magill steering over a third unanswered to make it 1-04-0-06 at the interval.

Conor Murray converted an early second half free to extend his sides lead, but Jonathon Hannon clipped over an angled point to double his personal tally in response.

Murray was felled and briefly opened up the two-point gap again- though it would prove to be his sides penultimate score as Aghagallon took a decisive grip on the game.

A foul on Padraig Gowdy allowed Gareth Magee to convert from the resulting free and after turning over the resulting kick-out the hosts pulled level thanks to outstanding point from Hannon after Jamie Lamont’s lay-off.

Aghagallon hit the front for the first time since the opening minutes when Gowdy was caught high, and Gareth Magee dropped the resulting free over.

Shaun McManus watched in frustration as his high effort crashed off the large post, Conor Murray’s follow-up drifted back to McManus, and he steered a further shot wide.

Hannon doubled the hosts lead and after Conor Magill was caught up in a tangle of legs, Magee converted his fourth free of the evening to make it 0-12-1-06.

A sixth point in succession followed after Magill popped the ball for Enda McCartan to drop over and McCartan swung a fantastic shot over to open up a five-point advantage.

Ben Rice pointed in what would prove scant consolation as Luke Mulholland landed a 45’ to ensure that Aghagallon ran out 0-15-1-07 winners at the conclusion and leapfrogged Lámh Dhearg away from the relegation scrap.