JFC Group 1
St. Agnes 1-15 Pearses 0-12
St. Agnes turned in a polished performance to overcome the challenge of Na Piarsaigh in this Junior Football Championship, Round 1 encounter at Fennell Park on Friday night.
Superbly organised in defence and with Conall Turley pulling the strings at mid-field, the Aggies controlled the opening half and aided by a somewhat fortunate goal in the 29th minute, they led by five at the halfway stage.
Na Piarsaigh got close on a number of occasions during the second half but every time they did the Aggies were able to respond as they pushed on to win by six in the end to get their championship campaign up and running.
It was Eamonn Connor who pointed Pearses into an 8th minute lead following a cagey start by both side but it didn’t last long as Conall Turley fisted over at the other end.
Sean Moreland restored the North Belfast sides lead but David Quigley replied for the Woodlands side to tie the score for the second time before Ronan Carroll gave St. Agnes the lead for the first time.
The men in black were starting to get on top as they built methodically from the back and their support play began to open up the opposition defence and Eamon McKenna in the Na Piarsaigh goals pulled of a smart save to deny James Halleron.
David Quigley was denied on the follow up with David McGaharan pointing the resulting ‘45’ and as the Woodlands side continued to call the shots Ronan Carroll moved them 0-5 to 0-2 ahead by the 19th minute with an excellent point.
Sean Moreland pulled one back for Pearses but the Antrim Road side were struggling to find a way through a well organised St. Agnes defence where Mark Caldwell, Paddy Carroll and Cormac Flannery were giving nothing away.
Ronan Carroll and Stephen Fitzsimmons exchanged further points before a shot from David McGaharan dipped below Eamon McKenna’s cross bar to put the Aggies into a comfortable 1-7 to 0-5 half time lead.
Sean Moreland had kicked the final score of the half for Pearses and when Aodhan McCavana kicked another in the opening minute of the second half the lead had been reduced to four.
Each time Na Piarsaigh score the opposition were able to reply with Ronan Carroll and James Campbell responding for St. Agnes and McCavana again raising a white flag for the opposition.
A point from Ronan Gilligan for St. Agnes and two in reply from Aidan Bannon and Stephen Fitzsimmons for Pearses had it back to four once more before Carroll moved St. Agnes five ahead at the end of the third quarter.
The Antrim Road side were giving it everything but were finding it difficult to negotiate a well organised St. Agnes defence where Mark Caldwell’s reading of the game was proving vital.
Substitute Paul McClenaghan, Conall Turley and Ronan Carroll concluded the Aggies scoring with Pearses only response coming from converted frees from Liam Deegan and Stephen Fitzsimmons.
A great start to their championship campaign for the Woodlands side and thoroughly deserved and in this form they could well qualify for the knockout stages in a group that includes strong opposition in O’Donnell’s and Laochra Loch Lao.
St. Agnes: 1 Colum Carroll, 2 Paddy Carroll, 3 Cormac Flannery, 4 Mark Caldwell, 5 David Quigley, 6 Ronan Gilligan, 7 Conor Gregory, 8 Conall Turley, 9 James Halleron, 10 Colin Clarke, 11 Ronan Carroll, 12 James Campbell, 13 Neill Gillespie, 14 David McGaharan, 15 Cormac McBride
Subs Used: Paul McClenaghan, Declan McLarnon, Patrick Mulgrew, Matthew Corr.
Pearses: 1 Eamon McKenna, 2 Nathan Gorman, 3 Cormac O’Neill, 4 Marcus Kelly, 22 Piaras Donaghy, 6 Aidan Bannon, 7 Aodhan McCavana, 8 James Smyth, 9 Thomas McFarlane, 10 Phil Murray, 11 Stephen Fitzsimmons, 12 Sean Moreland, 13 Fionn Grew, Liam Deegan, 15 Eamonn Connor
Subs used: Peter Johnston, Daniel Magee, Paddy Nolan
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