IFC Group 2 Round 1
All Saints 3-12 Gort na Mona 0-11
All Saints got their Group 2 Intermediate championship campaign off to a winning start but it didn’t quite turn out the route that some had predicted. The Ballymena side played their football in Division 1 this year while Gort na Mona finished close to bottom of division 2 and for a time during the opening half the gap looked obvious.
The Quinn Park side seemed to be coasting to an easy victory when they led 2-7 to 0-2 at the halfway stage thanks to goals from Michael McCarry and Conor Stewart but it was a different story in the second half.
The Turf Lodge side stepped up their game considerably after the break and kicked the first three points and might have had a goal but Dessie McClean shot weakly into the arms of All Saints keeper, Connor Brennan when well placed.
A goal then would have made it interesting but they did go on to add two further points by the 16th minute to out-score the favourites 0-6 to 0-1 and close the gap to eight.
A second converted penalty from Michael McCarry in the 22nd minute, All Saints second score of the half, put paid to any notions of a comeback as the division 1 side pushed on to win by 10 in the end but manager Liam Bradley will not have been happy by his side’s performance.
It was Gort na Mona who carried the early threat but the visitors kicked a couple of wides before All Saints took the lead with two points from Michael McCarry and it was the Ballymena number 11 who would carry the greatest scoring threat for his side throughout.
McCarry’s goal from the penalty spot and two further points from the same player and points from Paddy McAleer, Sean O’Callaghan, Cal O’Brien and Sean McVeigh added to Conor Stewart’s goal saw the home side 11 ahead at the break with Tim Scannell and Tarlach Enright on target for the visitors.
The excellent Enright, Christopher Carson, Eamon Scannell, Tarlach Enright, and Matthew Park had it back to eight by the 16th minute as Gort na Mona denied their hosts space and time and all the momentum was with the men from the Mona Byepass.
McCarry’s second penalty conversion settled All Saints with Connell Lemon 0-2 and Conor Stewart adding points in reply to points from Dessie McClean 0-2, Ciaran Donnelly and Caoimhin Beck for the visitors who will take a lot of encouragement from an excellent second half.
Gort na Mona have a quick turnaround as they entertain Sarsfield’s at Enright Park on Friday night and if they can build on this second half performance then they are likely to provide the Stewartstown Road side with a strong challenge.
All Saints: 1 Connor Brennan, 2 Michael Read, Cal O’Brien, 4 James Gillan, 5 James McDonnell, 6 Shaun O’Callaghan, 8 Sean McVeigh, 9 Peter McNicholl, 10 Connell Lemon, 11 Michael McCarry, 12 Joe Rafferty, 13 Emmet Killough, 14, Conor Stewart, 15 Paddy McAleer, 21 Ciaran Campbell,
Subs: 25 Paidin Mitchell, 23 Matthew Downey
Gort na Mona: 1 Jack Ireland, 2 Ciaran Donnelly, 3 Gavin McKenna, 4 Padraic Mulvenna, 5 Tim Scannell, 6 Sean Campbell, 7 Padraig Cornane, 8 Michael Savage, 9 Christopher Carson, 10 James Connolly, 11 Tarlach Enright, 12 Brendan Burns, 13 Eamon Scannell, 14 Dessie McClean, 15 Thomas McGreevey, 17 Manus McMullan, 16 Matthew Park, 20 Caoimhin Beck, 18 Jude Reilly
Referee: Charlie Hemsworth
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