ACFL Division 1
St. Mary’s Ahoghill 2-12 Con Magee’s Glenravel 0-1
Fergus Donaghy and Harry Fyfe struck injury time points to secure a hard fought victory for Con Magee’s over St. Mary’s Ahoghill at Cloney on Thursday night.
In a game that was in the balance for most of the contest, St. Mary’s looked to be in the driving street when Noel Crossey fired past Shaun O’Boyle from the penalty spot to put the Cloney men two ahead with six minutes remaining.
They tried to sit back at this stage of the game, playing keep ball and were made to pay as the Con Magee’s replied through the impressive Callum Higgins with points from play and another from a free and the initiative was now very much with the visitors.
Higgins was then wide of the target from another free and substitute Harry Fyfe was badly of target and the game looked to be heading for a draw but Donaghy edged the visitors ahead in injury time and Fyfe made amends for his earlier miss.
It was the home side who made the better start in Cloney as Dan O’Neill raised the orange flag for a fine two pointer and Noel Crossey added another before Declan McAuley got forward for the visitors to fist over and leave it 0-3 to 0-1 after 8 minutes.
Sean McKay from a free and another from play had the side’s level but it was St. Mary’s who continued to look more dangerous on the break and Ronan Graham and Conor Crossey moved them two ahead at the end of the opening quarter.
The game was being played at breakneck pace and it was the visitors who were to grab the initiative as Callum Higgins, Declan Traynor and Sean McKay hit three on the bounce to move Glenravel ahead.
Both sides were creating and wasting a lot of chances with the Ahoghill wide count causing a lot of concern for their management team but Dan O’Neill ran through from deep to fire over the equaliser and might have had a goal.
At the other end Aiden Graham pulled off his second good save of the half as the visitors threatened again and at half time the teams could not be separated at 0-6 to 0-6.
St. Mary’s started the second half as they had the first with Ronan Graham and Noel Crossey pointing to move them two in front after six minutes but once again Glenravel were able to find a response.
Sean McKay fired over, Callum Higgins followed with a 2 pointer and a McKay pointed free and another from play by Fergus Donaghy had them three ahead by the 10th minute.
A Ronan Graham free briefly halted the traffic towards the home goal but two more from Fergus Donaghy and a McKay free moved the visitors into a four point lead.
The home side seemed to be feeling the pace at this stage but Ronan Graham brought them back to life as his well struck shot seemed to take a deflection and ended in the net.
Back came the home side and Noel Crossey’s pointed free had it all square with 11 minutes remaining but Glenravel responded again with Sean McKay and Daniel McQuillan with a superb effort saw them hit the front once more.
As the intensity of this excellent contest increased James Magee closed the gap to one once more and when Crossey fired home from the spot it looked like St. Mary’s had turned it around.
There would be another turn of fortunes however as a superbly fit Con Magee’s kicked four on the bounce to move two in front with Ahoghill throwing everything at it in the closing stages but a Noel Crossey point was all they could manufacture.
Ahoghill: 1 Aiden Graham, 2 Shea Neeson, Patrick Dougan, 4 Seamus McKeever, 5 Harry O’Donnell, 6 Diarmaid Graham, 7 James Magee, 8 Patrick Graham, 9 Martin Graham, 10 Colla McDonnell, 11 Noel Crossey, 12 Dan O’Neill, 13 Ronan Graham, 14 Neil O’Connell, 15 Conor Crossey.
Glenravel: 1 Shaun O’Boyle, 2 Eamonn Ward, 3 Eoin McCusker, 4 Conor Carey, 5 Declan McAuley, 6 Daniel McQuillan, 7 Charlie Henry, 8 David Higgins, 9 Sean Higgins, 10 Joe Martin, 11 Rian Lennon, 12 Callum Higgins, 13 Fergus Donaghy, 14 Sean McKay, 15 Declan Traynor.
Subs: 26 Harry Fyfe for Declan Traynor
Referee: Colm McDonnell (St. Gall’s)
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