SFC Group 4
St. Galls 3-9 Aghagallon 3-14
St. Mary’s Aghagallon collected their first win in Group 4 of the Senior Football Championship when they came strong, midway through the second half to overcome the challenge of St. Gall’s in an entertaining encounter at Milltown on Saturday.
There was little between the sides in a cagey opening half with Niall O’Neill’s fisted goal for St. Gall’s and a deflected goal from Aghagallon’s Gareth Magee leaving the sides tied at 1-5 apiece after 30 minutes.
O’Neill struck with his second goal on the restart as the Milltown Row side led by three after 12 minutes of the second half but a Padraig Gowdy goal heralded a dominant period for the visitors.
Brendan Bradley’s penalty conversion in the 29th minute for the home side cut the gap to the minimum but Aghagallon finished on the front foot with a Johnny Hannon pointed free and a goal from Ruairi McCann to win by five in the end.
Eunan Walsh, playing at mid-field shot the Visitors into an early two point lead and an exchange of points from Mickey Pollock and Johnny Hannon left St. Mary’s two to the good with six minutes on the clock.
Niall O’Neill rose to fist a long delivery to the Aghagallon net and two points from the same player and another from Brendan Bradley had the home side four ahead after 16 minutes.
Aghagallon replied with their first score for 13 minutes through Johnny Hannon and the same player added another from a free before Gareth Magee’s shot deflected of a defender and finished in the net to give the visitors back the lead in the 25th minute.
Back came St. Gall’s and Conall McGirr fisted over to leave the sides level at the break, 1-5 to 1-5 at the end of a slow burning opening half where defences were on top.
Niall O’Neill struck with his second goal, four minutes into the second half and his finish was a mirror reflection of his first as the long early ball troubled the visitors defence and O’Neill got his fist to it to finish to the net.
Aghagallon replied with a point from Ruairi McCann as Oisin Lenehan replaced David McAlernon in the visitors side and Johnny McCaffrey and Michael Hopkins for the Milltown side and Hannon from another free for St. Mary’s kept the gap at three.
Eunan Walsh reacted quickest as he collected a short free and his astute pass caught the home defence cold and Padraig Gowdy took advantage as he finished clinically to the net to level the contest.
Gowdy’s goal seemed to lift the visitors and the same player followed with a point and further minors from Enda McCartan and Gowdy again had St. Mary’s 2-10 to 2-7 ahead with 10 minutes remaining.
Eunan Walsh added another before St. Gall’s lost a player to a Red card and when Johnny Hannon added to his impressive total at the other end Aghagallon looked home and hosed.
St. Gall’s would not concede without a fight however as veteran Michael Pollock replied with points with Pauric Maginnis responding with one at the other end before the Milltown side were handed a lifeline as referee, Conall Roberts pointed to the penalty spot.
Bradley’s conversion closed the gap to the minimum with a minute of normal tie remaining but it would be St. Mary’s who finished the stronger as Johnny Hannon eased the pressure from a free before Ruairi McCann punished a defensive mistake to palm to the net and ensure his side the victory.
This win leaves Aghagallon level on points with Kickham’s Creggan after two rounds of games with Creggan entertaining St. Gall’s on Saturday 31st August on the final day of the group stages while Aghagallon entertain unbeaten St. Brigid’s the following day.
St. Gall’s: 1 Chris Kerr, 2 Marcus Donnelly, 3 Tiarnan Keenan, 4 Eoghan McCurdy, 5 John McCaffrey, 6 Conall McGirr, 7 Conall McCabe, 8 Manus McCrossan, 9 Conor Ryan, 10 Niall Burns, 11 Brendan Bradley, 12 Michael Hopkins, 13 Niall O’Neill, 14 Michael Pollock, 15 Daniel Quinn
Subs: 21 Gairech MacAdhaimh, 24 Conor Burke, 19 Callum Walsh
St. Mary’s Aghagallon: 1 Luke Mulholland, 2 Kieran Hamill, 3 Aidan Mulholland, 4 Ciaran Maginnis, 5 Stephen Devlin, 6 Jamie Lamont, 7 Padraig Gowdy, 8 Eunan Walsh, 9 Ruairi McCann, 10 Marc McAfee, 11 Daryl McAlernon, 12 Jonathan Hannon, 13 Gareth Magee, 14 David McAlernon, 15 Jack Lenehan
Subs: Oisin Lenehan, 18 Enda McCartan, 19 Pauric Maginnis
Referee: Conall Roberts (St. John’s)
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